Harrison Ford has been working as an actor for six decades. But apart from his career playing other characters, Ford has a personal interest in aviation – so much so that he wants to see change in the field in the future.
THE Indiana Jones star spoke GQ about his recent work and other passions, including aviation as a whole. When it comes to flying an airplane, Ford doesn't think it's a scary, complicated thing to learn.
“Oh, anyone can do it [fly a plane]. We could teach monkeys to fly, and we would, he stated clearly. “I think so, anyone can fly a modern airplane.” Yes. But why? The question is not whether one can fly, but why one wants to fly?
Ford went on to talk about the need for pilots in the United States.
“It's a great job and it's become an area where pilots are in high demand,” he said. “We talked about the failure to train American pilots. America trains more foreign pilots than American pilots. I'm not xenophobic here. It's not that we have to fly with American pilots. We just knew we needed to train more pilots for a long time, and now we did it successfully.”
“Pilots are making a wonderful living when they weren't doing so well early in their careers 15 years ago,” he added. “But it's a great career and I just encourage people who are interested to give it a try.”
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, pilot licenses differ depending on the type of aircraft you fly, whether it's an airplane, gyroplane, helicopter, glider, balloon, or airship. You don't even need a pilot's license to fly an ultralight aircraft.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average salary for airline and commercial pilots in 2023 was about $171,210 a year. But getting there is not an easy task.
The first step to becoming a commercial pilot is obtaining a private pilot certificate issued by the FAA. After that, you must obtain an instrument rating and then a commercial pilot certificate. Once commercial pilot requirements are out, the next step is to obtain a flight instructor certificate; after that, to fly large passenger aircraft, you must obtain a multi-engine rating for your commercial pilot certificate. After completing at least 1,500 hours of flight time, you will receive your airline pilot certificate and be ready for a job with a major airline. The process usually takes two to three years.
Ford's commitment to pilots and aviation goes back decades. He serves as an honorary board member of the aviation humanitarian organization Wings of Hope and has traveled to Washington DC several times over the years to advocate for pilots' rights. He has appeared in various aviation documentaries and donated money to the Bob Hoover Academy, which teaches at-risk California teenagers to fly. He even has an impressive collection of his own aircraft.
The second season of the Ford show Decreasing debuts on Apple TV+ on October 16. His next films are the role of Red Hulk Captain America: Brave New World and Lightning strikesIt will be released in 2025.