Oh, the fabulous life of John Travolta. He has been in many of our favorite films and has even had some of the best gaffes recently at the Oscars. Adele Dazeem anyone? I am just not ready to let it go yet. It was too good.
But Travolta is also somewhat known for his passion and obsession with aviation. He’s not the only celebrity with a private jet, either. Let’s take a closer look at John Travolta, the aviator.
John Travolta Plane
Is John Travolta a pilot?
Yes, and he is and quite an impressive one at that. He is an instrument-rated pilot who is licensed to fly 11 different jets. Our man has loved planes since he was a kid and actually got his first private pilot’s license when he was just 22.
Travolta was 22 in 1976 and at that time the movies Carrie and The Boy in the Plastic Bubble were what paid for his original pilot training. He was also rising to fame as Vinnie Barbarino in the sitcom, Welcome Back Kotter. The next year in 1977, he would go on to make Saturday Night Fever and the rest is history.
By the way, have you seen The Boy in the Plastic Bubble? You really should put that on your list of movies to see before you die. It is the best in all the wrong ways.
Travolta eventually went on to train with Qantas (for whom he became a goodwill ambassador), American Airlines, Pan Am, and other flight institutes throughout the years. He has logged over 5000 hours, which is impressive for somebody who isn’t a pilot by trade.
What plane does John Travolta own?
So, with all this talk about how accomplished a pilot Travolta is, you might want to know, does John Travolta own a 747? No, but he is rated to fly a 747 on his pilot’s license through Qantas. He also owns a Boeing 707, which isn’t much different.
They are both airliner jets but the 747 is a jumbo version, which means it can fit more passengers and cargo as well as more gas so that it can fly almost twice the distance. The speed isn’t much different and it can only go a few thousand feet higher in altitude. A 707 seems like a much fairer purchase for one pilot
Fun fact about Travolta’s 707, which he named Jett Clipper Ella after his children, is that it was once owned by Frank Sinatra. This makes the plan historically relevant and because of that – let’s face it, the upkeep of a plane like that would take a lot of time and money – Travolta has decided to donate his 707 to the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society, which is part of the Australian Aviation Museum in Illawarra, Australia, just outside of Sydney.
The plane is currently undergoing maintenance and restoration to make the long flight to Australia, where it will be showcased proudly. Travolta is working on being part of the flight crew to bring it to its new home.
Is that it? I bet you heard he owns more than one plane. So, how many planes does John Travolta own? The man is pretty obsessed and if you don’t include the Boeing 707, which is getting ready to be donated, according to most sources, he owns four airplanes.
People often get confused by the fact that he is licensed to fly 11 different types of jets and have tagged this as the number of planes he owns. So, it’s difficult to get the exact number because there is that misinformation out there plus he has mentioned owning a few little plans here and there for teaching his children to fly and other incidental things like that. You know a few spare airplanes. No biggie.
The four aircraft that are big enough to have public records that lead to LLCs associated with Travolta are: a 1988 Bombardier Challenger CL-601, which is one of the biggest business jets in the Challenger series; a 2007 Eclipse Aviation EA500; and two Gulfstream IIs, one of which he displays in the Warner Robins Museum.
How much does John Travolta’s plane cost?
Travolta has actually been very smart about the way he buys his planes, particularly the Boeing 707. The plane was originally rented for him while he was promoting the film, Get Shorty. He fell in love with it and wanted to buy it from Quantas, who owned it at the time, however it was way too expensive for him.
He kept tabs on the plane, as one does, and expressed interest in the plane by offering to cover its maintenance at Qantas for four years. This is a pretty costly thing but he knew it would show how serious he was.
Finally, in 1998, Quantas struck a deal with him where they would let him have the plane in return for his role as brand ambassador, painting the plane in Qantas colors and they would take over the cost of the maintenance. This was a no-brainer for Travolta.
But how much is John Travolta’s plane worth you ask? That’s a tough one. There isn’t an exact number out there but a Boeing 707 can cost between $5 million to $30 million. It’s probably a good guess that Travolta’s plane is somewhere in between. Because he is John Travolta, that fact alone adds value, so we’re guessing it’s on the higher end of that range.
Where does John Travolta live?
Our man has several homes but his main home where he spends most of his time with his family is in Ocala, Florida, which, incidentally, is right outside Clearwater, Florida. Clearwater happens to be where Scientology is headquartered and the town is basically filled with Scientology and more Scientology. Makes sense given he is Scientology’s main man…behind Tom Cruise, of course.
His house is quite stunning with curved architecture and views of his airplanes scattered tastefully throughout his yard.
Travolta’s home is actually in an airport. Greystone Airport is a 550-acre community that allows private residences in a section called Jumbolair Aviation Estates. It attracts people like Travolta who like to fly in and out from their own homes. They allow runways to branch off into each residence. The community also has a bed and breakfast where pilots can stay when they’re flying through the area and a private control tower. It’s a fascinating way to live.
For all of this, you must be wondering, how much is John Travolta’s house worth? It is reportedly worth $4.9 million, which seems paltry for somebody of his fame and fortune. However, it makes more sense when you consider that he owns several other homes and needs to keep some of that huge net worth open for his plane and jet addiction. One of this properties runways was originally only 7,500 square feet, but Travolta had it extended so that the end reached the front of the residence.
Want to see more photos of his home, interior and all? We’ve got John Travolta Home Address here!
What is John Travolta’s net worth?
Celebrity Net Worth puts Travolta’s worth at $170 million. That’s almost a number you would hear as a suggested ransom by Dr. Evil. He does need that loot, though. Aviation is an expensive pastime. So is Scientology. #NoShade
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Travolta
- https://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/actors/john-travolta-net-worth/
- https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/compare-aircraft-results.asp?form=form&aircraft1=243&aircraft2=247&Submit=Compare+Aircraft
- http://www.architecturendesign.net/john-travoltas-house-is-a-functional-airport-with-2-runways-for-his-private-planes/
- http://www.jumbolair.com/
- http://www.qantas.com/travel/airlines/john-travolta/global/en
- http://blog.flightstory.net/45/john-travoltas-boeing-707/
- http://www.kiwireport.com/john-travoltas-biggest-secrets-finally-revealed/10/
- http://www.private-jet-fan.com/john-travolta-jet.html
- https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_707