Professional Pilot – November 1996
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“Travolta Flight Department”
By Grant McLaren

In his early film career, John Travolta was a newly licensed pilot flying his own 1946 Ercoupe. Today, Travolta has back-to-back film projects and a global travel schedule. With 3500 total time (all but 300 hours in jets) Travolta now owns and pilots a Gulfstream II, a Learjet 24B and a civilian version of a two-seat Canadair CL-41G Tebuan military trainer. Last year he logged 350 hours in the left seat – 200 in the GII, 100 in the Lear and 50 in the Tebuan.

One thing that hasn't changed over the years is Travolta's love of aviation and his passion for professionalism in all aspects of his flight operations.

Atlo Inc., Travolta's Part 91 aircraft operating company, works on a satellite location basis using FBOs in North America and Europe as temporary home bases. When Travolta's doing a movie, which is most of the time, a full satellite operation is set up wherever the film location is, aircraft are brought in and it's show time for the flight crew as well. Flight Department Manager & Director of Maintenance Bill Damm commutes to the remotely based fleet from the corporate hangar at 44J (Spruce Creek FL), Chief Pilot Sean Kadovitz will arrive from his home in Los Angeles and Captain Howard Janotta, an instructor for Simuflite with 25,600 hours total time, packs his bags in San Antonio before making his way to the flying location for the duration of a film shoot.