The Top 10 Best Movie Pilots

5. Capt. Dennis Dearborn- Memphis Belle

Sure, Memphis Belle is technically a movie about one of the most incredible bombers of World War II, but a plane isn’t much good without a crack pilot. Captain Dennis Dearborn is the man responsible for ensuring that the Memphis Belle managed to make 25 successful bombing run (which is an insane number considering most got shot down after only a few). It wasn’t easy and their last mission almost saw the Memphis Belle become a fiery wreck in the German countryside. Still, Captain Dearborn and his incredible crew managed to pull off the impossible and dealt a critical blow to those damn Nazis which earns him a respectable spot among the best movie pilots of all time.

4. Hannibal Lee- The Tuskegee Airmen

To be fair, The Tuskegee Airmen wasn’t a film that got a theatrical release, but that doesn’t make the incredible men in it any less deserving of a spot among these movie pilots. Of course, I can’t give all of them a spot, so I’m going to have to go with Laurence Fishburne’s Hannibal Lee. Lee was an ace pilot who ended up being instrumental in the success of the Tuskegee experiment and even went on to earn the Distinguished Flying Cross (which is a huge honor for airmen). There’s little doubt that Hannibal Lee was a pilot of incredible historical significance, but he was also an incredibly skilled pilot which earned him the respect of his peers, which was no easy task considering the time.

3. William “Whip” Whitaker- Flight

There have been a lot of incredible movie pilots so far on this list, but none of them managed to do a barrel roll in a commercial airliner while plastered. Most of Flight doesn’t actually take place in a plane, but the brief part that does earns “Whip” a place on this list. His incredible stunt managed to save 96 out of 102 passengers on board. Of course, the fact that he was drunk at the time doesn’t exactly look good (and I’d never condone flying under the influence) but I doubt anyone in their right mind would have tried a stunt like that and pulled it off. I’m not saying I’d like to have Whip as the pilot on my next flight, but if the plane starts going down I sure wouldn’t mind him in the cockpit.

2. Han Solo- The Star Wars Franchise

The Star Wars universe has given us some incredible pilots over the years from Poe Dameron to Wedge Antilles to good old Porkins. None of them though hold a candle to Han Solo. I mean, the guy is so good he even got his own origin film. He’s the roguish smuggler who managed to do the kessel run in 12 parsecs (he’s so good that not even physics can stop him). He went on to help defeat the Empire thanks to the help of his trusty co-pilot Chewbacca and the legendary Millennium Falcon. Sure a lot of people might argue that Luke or Vader are better pilots, but that’s thanks to some fancy space magic that tells them what’s coming next. Han doesn’t have any of the mumbo jumbo and still proved to be one of the best pilots in the galaxy.

1. Lt. Pete “Maverick” Mitchell- Top Gun

Was there really any doubt in your mind that Tom Cruise was going to come in at the number one spot on this list? Top Gun is one of the best popcorn flicks out there featuring some of the greatest movie pilots of all time. “Iceman” already made an appearance on here, but let’s face it, he’s no “Maverick.” The guy is an ace pilot who experienced the tragic death of his co-pilot/ best friend and managed to come back from it all just in time to save the day. Not only that, but he’s also a pretty good volleyball player as well. All kidding aside, “Maverick” is a cinematic icon for a reason and his skills easily make him the greatest movie pilot of all time. Let’s just hope he’s able to maintain the title after the much-rumored (and long-awaited) sequel set to come out soon.

Honorable Mention: Lt. Topper Harley- Hot Shots!

I have to give a shout out to Charlie Sheen’s satirical take on the number one entry on this list. True, he might not be as in inspiring as “Maverick” but Topper Harley is a hell of a lot funnier.

There are a ton of movie pilots out there that didn’t make this list. So, if there’s one you think I missed, be sure to leave a comment below. I’d also love to hear who some of your favorite pilots from this list are as well. As always, I’ll be adjusting the rankings as new and improved movie pilots hit the big screen. So, be sure to check back from time to time to see the updates.