Pilot-Approved Streaming Picks
Streaming television and movies has become a default pastime over the past decade for good reason – it introduced a seamless world of advertisement-free entertainment at anyone’s fingertips. Here at AOPA, we’re devoted to getting people to fly as often as possible, but that’s not always practical given weather, air traffic, or other life events. What’s often a lot more practical is firing up the TV and settling into the escapism of cinema. So to celebrate the brand new AOPA World Mastercard® 3% Cash Back1 for streaming category, here’s a compilation of aviation-related recommendations for the most common streaming services. Enjoy!
- - Top Gun (Paramount+ and Amazon Prime Video)
TOP GUN | Official Trailer | Paramount Movies
This is perhaps the most obvious film choice for aviation fanatics, but that doesn’t make the recommendation any less powerful for those among us who somehow haven’t seen it yet. This predecessor to Top Gun Maverick came out in 1986 and stars a young Tom Cruise along with Tim Robbins and Kelly McGillis. The story follows Pete “Maverick” Mitchell as he trains to be a navy pilot and competes against rival pilot “Iceman” to best their peers. The movie defines Cruise’s early career and launches viewers on a feel-good visual feast of ‘80s Americana aesthetics. If you’re a fan of cheesy dialogues with a classic action-movie feel, this is the movie for you.
2. - American Made (Hulu)
American Made - Official Trailer [HD]
Tom Cruise may have an outsized representation in aviation-related movies, but with performances like those in Top Gun and American Made, who are we to complain? Barry Seal was a real-life pilot for TWA in the 1970s who smuggled black market goods across the U.S. border for a mass profit. Seal, portrayed by Cruise, is noticed by the CIA and given an offer: work with the agency to take reconnaissance photos of Central American rebel encampments. During one of these missions, he comes into contact with the Medellin Drug Cartel and is incentivized to export their goods into the U.S. These conflicting priorities create a lot of tension, and Cruise’s portrayal of a character who is both charismatic and flawed makes for an interesting watch.
3. - Flight (Netflix)
Flight is a great watch for anyone who wants to enjoy a movie centered in the aviation world with developed characters that also tackles some harrowing real-world themes. Denzel Washington plays airline captain Whip Whitaker, a sharp and accomplished man hiding a tragic alcohol addiction. One day a flight to Atlanta changes his life when he has to invent a new emergency landing to save the lives of passengers, crew and himself. Miraculously the procedure is a success, fleetingly earning him adoration as a hero before an FAA investigation threatens to reveal his inebriated status the day of the flight to all. Were the events that transpired that day due to his negligence in the first place? Does Whip still deserve credit for the daring maneuver that prevented catastrophe? This well-rated drama will have you on the edge of your seat, guaranteed.
4. - Sully (Hulu)
Based on the true story of U.S. Flight 1549 in January 2009, this Clint Eastwood - directed film will strike a chord with anyone who remembers hearing the news of that day's events. Tom Hanks portrays Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, an airline captain who becomes a national hero after safely water-landing a 155-passenger-laden plane following sudden engine failure at low altitude. Despite the fact that he is nearly universally seen as a hero today, the film follows the anxieties and turmoil he might have faced during investigation of the incident. Reviewers say the success of the film hinges on a stunning recreation of the crash scene as well as Tom Hank’s excellence in taking on Sully’s persona – we’d like to see if you agree.
5. - The Aviator (HBO Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video)
The Aviator (2004) Official Trailer #1 - Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Dicaprio is known to captivate audiences with his performances, and 2004’s The Aviator is no exception. Centered on the real events in the life of Howard Hughes, a combination airplane enthusiast/director/businessman extraordinaire, the film showcases the juxtaposition of his glamorous lifestyle and the obsessive-compulsive tendencies that drove him eventually to agoraphobia. Martin Scorsese paints a picture of a riveting larger-than-life Old Hollywood bubble Hughes influenced greatly, only to have that influence tainted by being tried for war profiteering by the U.S. senate committee. This is sure to please fans of historical depictions and glamour alike.
6. - Planes (Disney+)
Disney's Planes - Teaser Trailer
Disney film Planes sets out to expand on the success the company found in its Cars franchise by extending the same type of personification to another form of transit. If you want to engage your children in the adventure of aviation early on, there are few better ways to do it than with Disney. Planes has an assortment of details that will delight pilots, from planes with names like “Echo” to animation that pays respect to the realistic limitations of different plane types. Your children will enjoy following Dusty Crophopper’s path from a height-adverse crop duster to an accomplished racing plane.
7. Red Tails (Disney+)
Red Tails (2012) HD Movie Trailer - Lucasfilm Official Trailer
Red Tails is another historically focused treat of a movie for the history buffs among us. George Lucas himself went to bat to bring his vision of a film honoring the Tuskegee Airmen to life, complete with dramatic battle scenes and thrilling heroism true to the real-life bravery of the pilot cadre. As the first group of African American pilots in the U.S. army, the airmen are no strangers to prejudice, but rise to the occasion by besting their mission to escort flying fortresses securely. During a time when African American troops were considered less competent than their white counterparts, they proved their excellence in skill, resolve and planning to make the world a better place.
8. - Flight of the Navigator (Disney+)
Flight of the Navigator (1986) - HD Trailer
This nearly forgotten 1986 children's science fiction flick has all the makings of a rare treat. Although it deals with space travel rather than airplane travel, aviator audiences will love it for its fanciful imagining of an alternative for our current modes of galactic transportation. The movie opens with 12-year-old David falling into a ravine in his neighborhood on his way to find his brother, knocking him out and propelling him into the adventure of his life. He wakes up in what feels like a moment, but he's actually been missing for eight years. When he "returns," his family is shocked that he has not aged and takes him to be examined. NASA links his reappearance with the discovery of an alien spaceship that has crashed into nearby power lines, then uncovers David’s latent memories of a trip to Phaelon, a planet where the native alien species filled his mind with starcharts to see what would happen. Viewers get to experience the adventure firsthand.
9. - Snakes on a Plane (HBO Max)
Snakes On A Plane Trailer (2006)
Snakes on a Plane is a campy horror film that has exactly what the name promises: snakes. Where are these snakes you ask? On a plane. Fans of absurd fare in the tone of the popular Sharknado series will no doubt love this feature-length cinematic masterpiece. The tale follows a dirt biker named Sean (Nathan Phillips) who is flown to Los Angeles to testify against crime boss Eddie Kim (Bryon Lawson). Kim interferes with Sean’s plan to testify by smuggling hundreds of snakes ready to be released onboard the flight, then planting a pheromone to be diffused out at 30,000 feet to send the snakes into a violent frenzy. The premise and CGI make this movie a spectacle, but nonetheless enjoyable if you settle in, expecting to take it at face value.
10. - Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (Netflix)
DOWNFALL: The Case Against Boeing | Official Trailer | Netflix
Following the nine fictional or partially fictional film recommendations above it seems appropriate to round out the end of this exploration with a documentary. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing is a Netflix-original documentary at its best, receiving a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes' critic's approval. If you’re interested in aviation as an industry and knowing what errors have led to some of its most tragic disasters, this will prove to be the film for you. In 2018 and 2019, two new Max aircraft crashed within five months of each other, leading to one of the largest corporate investigations in recent history. This exposé shows the kind of errors that can tarnish aviation's reputation when details are handled haphazardly.
- A Cash Back redemption is applied as a statement credit. The statement credit will reduce your balance, but you are still required to make at least your minimum payment. Values for non-cash back redemption items such as merchandise, gift cards, and travel may vary.
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