Aviation in Movies - The ones that Got It Right (and Wrong)

I was recently watching a movie "Flight" where Denzel Washington saved a plane from crashing but couldn't help notice some of the ways in which the MD 83 wasn't really an MD 83 throughout the movie! Airplanes and movies have always had a turbulent relationship. Sometimes Hollywood nails it — other times, aviation buffs like me are left groaning into our popcorn.

Take Sully (2016). It told the story of Captain Chesley Sullenberger’s “Miracle on the Hudson,” when he safely landed an Airbus A320 on the Hudson River. Aviation geeks applauded the realism: the cockpit dialogue, the decision-making under pressure, even the way the NTSB investigation played out. Gold star, Hollywood.

Then there’s Air Force One (1997). A classic action flick, but… let’s just say presidents don’t usually fistfight hijackers at 30,000 feet. Fun? Absolutely. Realistic? Not so much.

Top Gun deserves its own category. The original (1986) may have been cheesy, but it inspired a whole generation of pilots. The sequel Top Gun: Maverick (2022) doubled down, delivering jaw-dropping aerial footage with real aircraft — and earned big aviation respect points.

Of course, no aviation movie roundup is complete without Airplane! (1980). It parodied every disaster film cliché and somehow became one of the funniest comedies ever. (“Surely you can’t be serious.” “I am serious… and don’t call me Shirley.”)

What makes aviation on screen so fascinating is that it’s never just about planes. It’s about human drama, heroics, fear, and wonder — all set against the backdrop of flight.

So the next time you watch a jet screaming across the big screen, enjoy it. Just maybe don’t use it to study for your pilot’s license.

Image source: Paramount Pictures