Must Watch Movies According to Real Pilots

As I sit around with other pilots on a weather day in remote western Alaska, there's a natural tempo to the goings on in the office. Some people will make them selves busy with a broom & dustpan, some read books, or scroll social media. Other guys might privately discuss politics or personal finances in whispered voices, someone else with heavy eyeballs might be nodding off on a couch.

Inevitably, a movie quote will get dropped somewhere, and not just any quote, but something perhaps mildly offensive yet delivered with love only possible in a bromance; in front of everyone, to a co-worker who might be taking themselves a little too seriously, or spilled coffee creamer on a freshly mopped floor, or briefly looked like a certain character the evening prior when everyone was out for pizza. The outcome is always the same, everyone within earshot who understands the reference breaks out in laughter and the ribbing normally takes a few days before the final reference is used in conversation.

Most pilots don't have a single favorite movie, they have multiple favorites. Everything from war dramas, raunchy collegiate comedies, rom-coms, cerebral documentaries, and last but not least, the aviation films. Many websites will lead you to believe that pilots watch movies about flying, and that is true. Certainly everyone I work with but I know for a fact that while most pilots enjoy these movies, they aren't always the first thing that comes to mind.

I asked some professional pilots (names changed for anonymity) to list name a few movies that are on their all time favorite must watch list. Here's the results.

Movies Loved by Actual Working Pilots

Nick

The 300 Spartans (1962)

Giant (James Dean and Cock Hudson)

The Wings of Eagles

Shawshank Redemption

Snatch

Paul (Seth Rogan)

The Light Horsemen

Edward

Fight Club

Legends of the Fall

The Right Stuff

Apocalypse now

Caddyshack

Otto

The Hangover

Parasite

Oppenheimer

Warrior

Transformers: The Movie (1986 release)

Tommy Boy

Josh

Tombstone (I guess the man knows what he likes!)