Yes. True, that would be fitting. Love the 767 and it's a landmark enough aircraft in QF service to warrant preservation.

Oh p l e a s e --- the guy donates something, not just a movie prop or a personal trinket but a Boeing 707-138B that flew for Qantas and you find something negative about it... give me a break.

B2N2

Clearly you just don't get it. Refer post #6.

well;

1) Neither a US ATP nor CPL have any more recurrent training obligations for someone flying for personal reasons.

2) JT has never, to my knowledge held anything other than a Private Pilot certificate. His license is a frequent topic on internet aviation forums, and on various occasions over hte years the discussions have piqued my curiosity so that I've checked the FAA database. Yep, still a PPL, every time.

It always astonishes me that people want to make such a big deal about the fact that he has only a private license. Ummm, so what? Apparently, that's the level of pilot certificate he wants. If he wanted to have an ATP, somewhere along the line of getting 8 different jet type ratings, he probably could have squeezed in an ATP ride too. So, it would appear that keeping his PPL is a choice. Not sure why he wants to hold a PPL only, perhaps he's making some point about working pilots vs pilots who fly for personal reasons. I don't know and can only speculate. If I ever meet him, maybe I'll ask him. But at the end of the day, who cares that he only has a PPLL, and why does anyone care?

Not sure anybody cares, it was rather a response to the blurb above that says he is a fully
quaildified pilot and showed a picture of JT in a Captain's uniform, as if he was a fully qualified Airline Captain. (Not, can't do that with a PPL)
It is of course commendable that he donates his 707 to an Australian museum, great for the Aussies, great for JT and and great for the aiplane.
Happy ending for sure.

Apparently not, unless you count the blue ones instead of the gold ones:

\
Bruce Dickinson is qualified on 737, 757 and 747 as Captain.:=

Legend. Livin the dream

He certainly is, and flys commerically.

John Travolta has a PPL but is qualified to fly various jets on PRIVATE ops, I cannot see what some posters are getting at. JT is an enthusiast and qualified for his own 707 and has done the simulator training at Qantas for 744, not too many PPLs can claim that! ;)

I thought Bruce Dickinson was a bit like the Dutch King and operated as crew on line operations? I don't think JT wearing 4 stripes is really much different to retired airline pilots still using the term "Captain" when they are no longer flying. Both are equally irrelevant.

Thought John did a deal with Qantas in regard maintenance of 707 in exchange for Ambassador/free add stuff.

So why is it in need of maintenance?

P.S thanks John need people like you in aviation.

More to the point when was it last airborne?

Apparently it was flown to Brunswick GA in December 2016.

Well that has been posted and it was less than 6 months back - December from memory!

So your point is what?

Really, who cares when it last flew, what's wrong with it and why he's giving it away.
The fact is, he is doing a wonderful thing, asking nothing for it, and we should just say thanks, then leave it to those who are putting in the hard work to get it to Australia.

It's my understanding that Travolta WAS offered a 747 by Qantas, but it was politely declined due to parking and operational issues. It might have been a Classic or an SP.
Clearly though, as one gets older, and even though you may be a Qantas ambassador, why have a large four engine aircraft on your doorstep today?

Couple of points. Joyce probably isn't the fan of the history of Qf that would support the ongoing maintenance and operational expense as those did in the past. These are expensive toys and JT is not of the magnitude of wealth to afford them easily. He mentioned something along the lines of 'hoping to be part of the crew on the way'. I detect a loss of interest, medical or some other reason (I would hope not even a hint of distaste for how he may have been treated at the conclusion of the Qf 707 marketing contract?). Maybe even he couldn't bring himself to wear the new uniform?

I will be eternally grateful there is a Qf 7-0 for people to see in Aus. Thanks JT. And I'd say that even if he only had a Student licence - or none at all.

Tail Wheel,
Not something I have thought about, at all, but some of the miserable comments on this thread reminded me of similar miserable sods making similar disparaging comments about Dickinson, without knowing his qualifications --- which I did, having met the bloke when he was flying a B757.

Re. my not nearly correct comments on JT licenses, so much for the stories current at the time Travolta was doing the -400 course.

I guess if I put up a story about John "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham, long tine Chief Test Pilot of DeHavillands (think Comet and Trident) some miserable and narrow minded sod here would say: "He wasn't a real pilot, he only had a PPL".

Which was the only full civil license he ever had.

The title, in the civil world, has no legal meaning, regardless of the size of the aircraft, it is merely an honorific, whether a person is currently flying or not, and a convention adopted by (not only) airlines.

Tootle pip!!

Who says that one needs more than a PPL to fly any aircraft on private ops?

Some bus drivers have four bars. Some ships captains have four bars. JT with his own fleet, he can wear what he wants to.

Don't they all?

I thought the thing was that airlines came along later, and some decided adopt naval insignia and some preferred the air force stripes.

Maybe I got that wrong.