Tom Cruise’s Passion for Flying Extends to a $4 Million WWII Fighter and $20 Million Private Jet

There is no doubt that being an A-list actor comes with a few perks. For instance, you get to travel the world, meet a variety of interesting people, and of course buy some of the most lavish houses in the world.

Tom Cruise not only enjoys all of these perks, but he also has purchased a few very expensive and rare aircraft. Cruise is not the first celebrity to own an airplane, but the types of airplanes that he does have proves that sometimes he definitely feels the need … the need for speed. 

In addition to a real-life WWII fighter, Cruise also owns a few other luxurious aircraft. Here’s a look at some of the most lavish and expensive airplanes that Cruise has parked in his garage.

Can Tom Cruise fly his own airplanes?

In 1986, Cruise landed the role of Maverick in the critically acclaimed movie Top Gun. While filming the movie, Cruise fell in love with aviation, and in 1994 he got his pilot license.

In an interview with Wired, Cruise said he is a multi-engine instrument-rated commercial pilot and is able to fly both commercial airplanes and helicopters.

In the upcoming Top Gun sequel, Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise is actually flying some of the airplanes in the movie. He recently talked to Conan O’Brien about the upcoming sequel. And he said it has always been his dream to “make movies and fly airplanes.”

Has Tom Cruise’s pilot license helped his career?

With his incredible acting skills, Cruise is one of the highest-paid actors in the world. He has been a household name since the mid-’80s, so it seems that his career doesn’t really need any help.

However, Cruise has always loved to perform his own stunts, and having a pilot license for both airplanes and helicopters has definitely helped him achieve that goal. With his pilot license, he is able to fly almost anytime he likes, and his experience with G-forces has helped him when filming his own flying stunts in movies.

Top Gun: Maverick was not the first time that Cruise was able to get in the pilot seat on a movie. In 2017 Cruise starred in the movie American Made, and in 2018 he starred in Mission Impossible: Fallout. In both of those movies, he performed death-defying stunts in a helicopter.

How many airplanes does Tom Cruise own?

According to World War Wings, Cruise owns at least three different luxury aircraft, but he may own as many as five airplanes. 

His most luxurious aircraft is his Gulfstream IV G4 jet. The Gulfstream IV cost around $20 million and is capable of hauling up to 19 passengers. The jet can travel up to 45,000 feet in the air and is equipped with a jacuzzi and a movie-screening room to help him and his guests feel at home even when they are several thousand feet in the air.

Cruise also owns a P-51 Mustang, which was a real-life WWII fighter. The aircraft was built in 1946 and was donated to a museum in Illinois. In 1997 the P-51 was completely restored and later sold to Cruise in 2001. Cruise had some custom alterations made to the plane — specifically he had the words “Kiss Me Kate” (in reference to his ex-wife, Katie Holmes) painted on the nose of the plane. 

Out of all of the airplanes that Cruise owns, he seems to like his P-51 Mustang the best. He has frequently been spotted flying the plane and has even been known to let his friends ride with him in his WWII fighter.

Correction: An earlier version erroneously referred to the WWII fighter as a jet.