Debrief

Actor Kurt Russell has played many parts in his long career, which spans from his childhood as a Disney star to today, but his favorite role is that of a very active private pilot and aircraft owner.

Started in aviation… I was hunting in Colorado at a friend's ranch and we looked up to see a Piper Cub overhead. The guy I was with said he'd flown one in Alaska and I thought 'I could fly that here.' That was in 1988. I soloed after 23 hours.

lessons… I believe that you can't learn anything that you don't want to do, but you can learn anything you do want to do. I am not saying I can fly the space shuttle, but I have no question that I could learn to fly the space shuttle. It's all about the desire to learn.

scary moment… I lost an engine late at night flying into Las Vegas. I was blowing the deice boots every 20 to 30 seconds . There'd been a thunderstorm and I'd lost my primary flight display. But I had to shoot the approach and I had to rely on my training. I make sure I get recurrent training every eight months, and if I don't, I call someone and say, 'I'm not comfortable.' You have to leave your ego at the door, admit to your weakness, and start again.

Favorite airplane… Every airplane offers a different thing. I love the romance of flying biplanes. I've had a Rockwell 112, a Cessna Crusader, a Starduster...and now my TBM 700. But if I could wish they made an airplane, I'd wish they make a new Conquest I that would take six people and baggage, have a 1,500-nm range, land with one hour of fuel, and go 300 knots.

next best thing… I just flew for the first time in a G1000 simulator with synthetic vision. One day everything is going to go to synthetic vision—it will be like flying VFR all the time.

Advice for students… Tailwheel training will teach you to use the rudders correctly. Aerobatics will teach you to feel the airplane in all flight levels.