Harrison Ford has become a lifetime member of a British flying club.
The 72-year-old actor, who got his pilot’s licence 19 years ago and owns approximately 11 private planes in Los Angeles, including a luxurious G4 jet, has joined Shropshire Aero Club in the West Midlands of England so he can rent aircraft and take to the skies while he shoots ‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ in London.
Chief instructor Bob Pooler said he received a call from the legendary star "out of the blue" and delivered a plane from Sleap Airfield to Denham close to Pinewood Studios for the actor on Sunday (12.10.14).
He told BBC News: "I checked Harrison out, flew around the patch with him and made sure he was legal to fly and that’s it.
"We talked about Star Wars among other movies."
He added: "To rent the airplanes from Sleap you have to become a member and Harrison paid his membership dues until the end of the year.
"I asked him, ‘can we make you a temporary member of the aero club?’ and he said ‘I don’t want to be a temporary member, I want to be a lifetime member.’
"I proposed that to the committee at the aero club and of course, without hesitation they said let’s make him a lifetime member.
"He’s got an open invitation to visit us at any time.
"He’s also invited me to visit his place in California."
Harrison developed an interest in flying when he was a teenager but only got his pilot’s licence when he was 53.
He previously said: "I never lost the ambition to fly. I just hadn’t found the time."
He added: "In my life I have two roles. One of them everyone knows about. It provides a means to the other, which I prefer."
Harrison Ford joins British flying club
