59 Pilot Quotes For Those Who Love To Fly

These pilot quotes are interesting enough to grab your attention. 

Pilots are an essential part of our society, as they serve people throughout the globe. 

That’s why we collected these quotes for you to enjoy and share with your friends and family. 

The quotes highlight pilots’ contributions and how they have always served in civil and military aviation arenas. 

Besides the quotes, we have discussed some interesting facts about pilots and their work.

So, without further ado, let’s check out what we got here!

Interesting facts about pilots

Did you know?

• The pilot and co-pilot don’t eat the same food
• Flight preparation procedures take at least two hours 
• Aviation English is the language of pilots 

Fasten your seat belts as we share interesting facts about pilots and the aviation industry. 

1. Pilot and co-pilot don’t eat the same food 

The pilot and co-pilot are given different types of food, which they are not allowed to share.

This prevents the pilot and co-pilot from getting sick by eating the same food.

For instance, if there is an issue with one type of an on-flight meal, offering different types of food to the pilots ensures that at least one pilot stays safe and healthy.

2. Flight preparation procedures take at least two hours 

Pilots are the first people to enter the plane before anybody does, as they must prepare the plane for takeoff. 

The preparation for takeoff procedures takes at least two hours. 

3. Aviation English is the language of pilots 

Pilots learn a specific type of English to communicate with other pilots known as “Aviation English.” 

So, whether the pilots are Americans, Africans, or Asians, they can communicate without language barriers.

This reduces the chances of any communication error between the pilots. 

Take a moment and look read our collection of pilot quotes and sayings.

If you enjoy this article, check out our collection of airplane quotes about flying and travel.

Top 10 pilot quotes

The top 10 pilot quotes listed below are unique and inspiring. You will enjoy reading and sharing these quotes. 

1. “The man who flies an airplane must believe in the unseen.” — Richard Bach

2. “Be the pilot of your own flight. Not the passenger.” — Giovannie de Sadeleer

3. “Without the pilot, there is no flying from one place to another.” — Lailah Gifty Akita

4. “Be a pilot upon thoughts. Never let thoughts as a pilot upon you.” — Ehsan Sehgal

5. “The best pilots fly more than the others; that’s why they’re the best.” — Chuck Yeager

6. “I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things.” — Antoine de Saint

7. “It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill.” — Wilbur Wright

8. “Don’t ever let a fear of failing to keep you from knowing the joys of flight.” — Lane Wallace

9. “The mind aware of itself is a pilot…vastly freer than a passenger mind.” — Marilyn Ferguson

10. “A pilot who says he has never been frightened in an airplane is, I’m afraid, lying.” — Louise Thaden

Pilot quotes to provide motivation 

These motivational pilot quotes give you the strength to face hardships with courage. 

11. “By the Shadow of the Death, but he’s a lightning pilot!” — Mark Twain

12. “Remember, you fly an airplane with your head, not your hands and feet.” — Unknown 

13. “Flying is more than a sport and more than a job; flying is pure passion and desire, which fill a lifetime.” — General Adolf Galland

14. “Everyone has oceans to fly if they have the heart to do it. Is it reckless? Maybe. But what do dreams know of boundaries?” — Amelia Earhart

15. “There isn’t a flight goes by when I don’t stare out of the window and thank my lucky stars for what I’m feeling and seeing.” — Richard Branson

16. “I’m a long—flight pilot; pushing a little bubble of air—filled metal across an ocean of nothing is what I was born to do.” — James S.A. Corey

17. “Time flies fast, but it’s good you are the pilot. Just control your time well away from hijackers. Save time profitably; Spend time productively!” ― Israelmore Ayivor

18. “Sometimes, flying feels too God—like to be attained by man. Sometimes, the world from above seems too beautiful, too wonderful, too distant for human eyes to see.” — Charles A. Lindbergh 

19. “Pilots are a rare kind of human. They leave the ordinary surface of the world to purify their soul in the sky, and they come down to the earth only after receiving the communion of the infinite.” — Jose Maria 

20. “Learning to fly an airplane taught me a way of thinking, an approach to problem-solving that was applicable and effective. Pilots are very methodical and meticulous, and artists tend not to be.” — Chris Carter

Pilot quotes about the flying experience 

If you want to learn about the experiences of pilots, here are the most relevant pilot quotes for you. 

21. “There’s only one job in this world that gives you an office in the sky, and that is pilot.” — Mohith Agadi

22. “The compass spins between heaven and hell, let your soul be your pilot, let your soul guide you.” — Sting

23. “In the dark, a glimmering light is often sufficient for the pilot to find the polar star and fix his course.” — Metastasio

24. “When everything seems to be against you, remember that an airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” — Henry Ford 

25. “Your thoughts are a pilot of your life journey; the best or the worst landing depends on how and where you land.” — Ehsan Sehgal

26. “Prepare for the unknown, unexpected and inconceivable … after 50 years of flying I’m still learning every time I fly.” — Gene Cernan

27. “There’s a big difference between a pilot and an aviator. One is a technician, the other is an artist in love with flight.” — Elrey B. Jeppesen 

28. “Man must rise above the Earth—to the top of the atmosphere and beyond—for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives.” — Socrates

29. “When you have once tasted flight, you will forever walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” — Leonardo da Vinci

30. “The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their gruelling travel across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously at the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all obstacles, on the infinite highway of the air.” — Wilbur Wright

Pilot quotes by fighter jet pilots

Fighter pilots are strong human beings, both mentally and physically. Enjoy these quotes from fighter pilots.  

31. “The closest modern equivalent to the Homeric hero is the ace fighter pilot.” — W.H.Auden

32. “Fighter pilots have ice in their veins. They don’t have emotions. They think, anticipate.” — Buzz Aldrin 

33. “To be a good fighter pilot, there is one prime requisite think fast, and act faster.” — John Trevor Godfrey

34. “The most important thing for a fighter pilot is to get his victory without too much shock.” — Werner Molders 

35. “Beware the lessons of a fighter pilot who would rather fly a slide rule than kick your ass.” — Ron McKeown

36. “The successful pilots succeeded because they did not open fire until they were close to the target.” — Douglas Bader 

37. “Flying prevails whenever a man and his airplane are put to a test of maximum performance.” — Richard Bach

38. “There are pilots and there are pilots; with the good ones, it is inborn. You can’t teach it. If you are a fighter pilot, you have to be willing to take risks.” — Robin Olds  

39. “The small amount of vanity is fatal in aeroplane fighting. Self—distrust is rather the quality to which many a pilot owes his protracted existence.” — Eddie Rickenbacker

40. “Fighter pilots rove in the area allotted to them in any way they like, and when they spot an enemy they attack and shoot them down. Everything else is rubbish.” — Manfred von Richthofen 

Some other interesting pilot quotes

If you are still searching for the perfect pilot quote, here are a few options to consider.  

41. “If you don’t trust the pilot, don’t go.” — Denzel Washington

42. “A great pilot can sail even when his canvas is rent.” — Seneca

43. “Sometimes you have to go up really high to see how small you are.” — Felix 

44. “The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets.” — Al McGuire

45. “There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. However, there are no old, bold pilots.” — Unknown

46. “A true pilot must of necessity pay attention to the seasons, the heavens, the stars, the winds, and everything proper to the craft if he is really to rule a ship.” — William Shatner

47. “Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding it.” — Unknown 

48. “Your true pilot cares nothing about anything on earth but the river, and his pride in his occupation surpasses the pride of kings.” — Mark Twain 

49. “He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.” — Friedrich Nietzsche

50. “Truly superior pilots are those who use their superior judgment to avoid those situations where they might have to use their superior skills.” — Frank Borman

51. “Each generation of pilots hopes that they will leave their profession better off than they found it.” — Chesley Sullenberger

52. “My dad is a pilot so I think I was born with the travel bug.” — Isabel Lucas

53. “As the season progresses, it’s like the doors open up to all the different worlds that were teased about in the pilot.” — Donal Logue

54. “Every first episode of a season has been crafted like another pilot.” — Anna Torv

55. “Writing pilots is such a specific thing. It’s not even really writing TV shows. A pilot is its own beast.” — June Diane Raphael

56. “I believe really deeply in the pilot process because you learn things about tone and casting.” — John Landgraf

57. “I used to be an airline pilot. I got fired because I kept locking the keys in the plane. They caught me on an 80 foot stepladder with a coat hanger.” — Steven Wright

58. “The art of life is the art of avoiding pain; and he is the best pilot, who steers clearest of the rocks and shoals with which it is beset.” — Thomas Jefferson

59. Emotions are the fuel and the mind is the pilot which together propel the ship of civilized progress.” — Jim Rohn

Which of these pilot quotes is your favorite? 

The pilot quotes and sayings above are inspiring and have the thrill a pilot feels flying the plane. 

Even pilots would love these quotes, as they can inspire them to make a good start after.

Hopefully, you enjoyed reading and sharing these quotes via social media platforms.

If you have found a pilot quote you love, don’t forget to share it with us.