Harrison Ford takes to the skies as pilot

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Real-life action hero Harrison Ford takes to the skies as pilot of his planes
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:00 PM on 20th November 2009

He was no stranger to daring feats when he played intrepid adventurer Indiana Jones.

And even now - at the grand age of 67 - actor Harrison Ford is still up for a bit of action, as these pictures of him taking to the skies of California show.

The keen pilot flew two of his own planes today - a 12-seater Cessna and a bright yellow Aviat A-1C-20 - which he keeps at Santa Monica Airport.


Flying high: Harrison Ford gets ready to pilot his bright yellow Aviat A-1C-20


Final checks: Ford makes sure everything is in place before take off

The star takes his passion for piloting seriously - even becoming the face of an aviation industry campaign 'General Aviation Serves America', launched by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association earlier this year.

Ford began flying private planes in the 1960s but the pastime reportedly proved too costly and he was forced to drop his lessons.

He resumed his passion in the 1990s and now owns at least eight planes. The actor, who is engaged to Ally McBeal star Calista Flockhart, also flies helicopters and has been involved in emergency rescues in the past, including one involving a dehydrated hiker.


Like a bird: Ford flew around the skies of California. He keeps his eight planes at Santa Monica Airport


Star pilot: The actor, who is the face of a campaign by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, gets ready to fly his Cessna

Ford, who is lined up to star in the fifth Indiana Jones film when filming eventually begins, has diverted from his usual action roles to play a researcher in his new movie, Extraordinary Measures.

He appears as Dr Robert Stonehill, who is attempting to develop a life-saving drug for three children diagnosed with a rare, fatal genetic disorder.

The film is inspired by the true story of John and Aileen Crowley, who, faced with watching their children die, set out in search of a cure themselves when doctors around them said there wasn't one. Ford plays the man who may hold the key to the cure.

'This is the essential story of (John's) life, and we couldn't have found a more compelling character on which to pin our tale,' said Ford. 'Most of all it's about the complication of this guy's life and the incredible resolve that he showed.'


All smiles: Ford has been flying since the 1960s and has at least eight planes