Dolly Parton Hates to Fly and Prefers Private Jets Over Commerical Flights
The “Queen of Country Music,” Dolly Parton, is going stronger than ever at the age of 76. With multiple charitable and philanthropic ventures as well as some exciting business deals, Parton doesn’t seem to know the meaning of sitting still.
Her busy schedule also means that the country music superstar is often on the road, heading to performance venues or business meetings. For Parton, time on a plane is never something that she looks forward to – and as she admitted in a 2018 interview, she would much prefer to take her tour bus than get on a plane.
Dolly Parton admitted that she hates flying
While many music stars like to hop on a private jet in order to get from one city to the next, Parton doesn’t like flying at all. As she told radio host Bobby Bones in a 2018 interview, she’s actually afraid of flying. “I’ll tell everyone; I don’t care,” the icon said. “I’m not ashamed of it. I don’t like to fly.” Parton went on to joke that
“I’m like my daddy. I don’t want to go no higher up than pulling corn and no lower down than pickin’ taters.”
Bobby Bones Show via YouTube
Beyond her fear of being in the air, there’s another very real reason why Parton prefers to stay on the ground. The country music legend told Bones that she has a tendency to get motion sickness.
What did Dolly Parton say about getting motion sickness?
Many people get motion sickness when riding an airplane, and Parton is no exception. “I don’t know if I’m just a scaredy cat or just the motion,” she told Bones.
“It’s probably a little bit both. I don’t like that helpless feeling that I can’t get out if I want to. I want to be on the ground. If I want to stop, I want to get out. You can’t very well go up to the pilot and say, ‘I wanna get out now.'”
Unlike many “normal” people who struggle with motion sickness or fear of plane travel, Parton does usually have options when she has to fly. “When I do fly, I fly private jet because it’s hard doing commercial anymore because it’s such a zoo anyway,” she shared. “I just take my bus anytime I can.”
Dolly Parton revealed that she has simple needs on her bus
After Parton told Bones that she would rather travel by bus whenever possible, the host asked her if she has anything particular on her rider when she shows up to new venues or business engagements.
Proving that her reputation of being down to earth is correct, Parton said that she typically just carries what she needs on her tour bus and that she only asks for basic things on her rider, such as water and maybe a fruit or cheese plate for guests who visit her in her dressing room.
Although Parton is an “open book,” the country music icon does draw some strict lines in order to keep her professional life separate from her personal life. She has revealed that when she isn’t traveling, she likes to stay home and relax with her husband of many years, Carl Dean.
She also makes sure that fans know not to show up uninvited to their home because she likes to stay in comfortable clothes and rock a no-makeup look. It is this policy that Parton says has helped her to keep her sanity over the years, in spite of her busy schedule.
