50 Best Pilot Quotes for Those Who Like To Fly High

Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Dec 12, 2023 By Rajnandini Roychoudhury
Originally Published on Feb 22, 2021
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
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Cheerful young man airline worker touching captain hat and smiling while standing in airfield with airplane on background

Pilots are a pioneering part of society, and apart from their career as a pilot, it is indeed a thrilling experience.

Aviation is fascinating and mysterious at the same time. In the quotes below, you will find quotes to wish pilots a good flight.

These aviation quotes remind us of the contribution of pilots, the beauty of flight, and of what draws humanity to the skies. These pilot quotes basically talk about the role of a pilot and even list sayings to say to pilots.

The aviation quotes cover inspirational quotes, quotes from pilots, funny pilot quotes as well as quotes about flying.

These pilot quotes from movies will help you build up your confidence and see things in a different way. Give it a read and find out the best aviation quotes or aircraft quotes.

If you like these quotes, check out sky quotes and fly high quotes.

Famous Pilot Quotes

Top view of man in aviation uniform and earphones sitting at control and switching rudder while taking off

The pilot quotes listed below are inspirational quotes to inspire you along your journey. These are the quotes you can say to pilots before the flight.

1. "The successful pilots succeeded because they did not open fire until they were close to the target."

– Douglas Bader, 'Fight For The Sky'.

2. "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 Velasco Ibarra.

3. "Without the pilot, there is no flying from one place to another."

- Lailah Gifty Akita.

4. "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, 'Cibola Burn'.

5. "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.

6. "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.

7. "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.

8. "The best pilots fly more than the others; that's why they're the best."

-Chuck Yeager.

9. "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.

10. "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.

Inspirational Pilot Quotes

These are some quotes pilots say before they take off. These aircraft quotes will offer you an extra boost and help you stay focused on people on the plane.

11. "Fighter pilots have ice in their veins. They don't have emotions. They think, anticipate."

– Buzz Aldrin.

12. "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.

13. "Be a pilot upon thoughts. Never let thoughts as a pilot upon you."

- Ehsan Sehgal.

14. "Be the pilot of your own flight. Not the passenger."

- Giovannie de Sadeleer.

15. "There's only one job in this world that gives you an office in the sky; and that is pilot."

- Mohith Agadi.

16. "Your thoughts are a pilot of your life journey; the best or the worst landing depends on how and where you land."

- Ehsan Sehgal.

17. "It is possible to fly without motors, but not without knowledge and skill."

- Wilbur Wright.

18. "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.

19. "In the dark, a glimmering light is often sufficient for the pilot to find the polar star and fix his course."

- Metastasio.

20. "The only mystery in life is why the kamikaze pilots wore helmets."

- Al McGuire.

These aviation quotes make every pilot feel closer to their work and take pride in whatever they do. We can use these quotes to wish a pilot a good flight.

21. "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, 'Life On The Mississippi'.

22. "A great pilot can sail even when his canvas is rent."

-Seneca, 'Letters To Lucilius'.

23. "By the Shadow of the Death, but he's a lightning pilot!"

-Mark Twain, 'Life On The Mississippi'.

24. "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.

25. "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.

26. "Both optimists and pessimists contribute to our society. The optimist invents the airplane and the pessimist the parachute."

– Gil Stern.

27. "Beware the lessons of a fighter pilot who would rather fly a slide rule than kick your ass."

-Ron McKeown.

28. "The closest modern equivalent to the Homeric hero is the ace fighter pilot."

-W.H.Auden.

29. "To be a good fighter pilot, there is one prime requisite think fast, and act faster."

-John Trevor Godfrey.

30. "The most important thing for a fighter pilot is to get his victory without too much shock."

-Werner Molders.

Quotes About Pilots

The pilot quotes are inspirational and help the pilots make a good start to their journey at every moment with these wishes and quotes.

31. "A pilot who says he has never been frightened in an airplane is, I'm afraid, lying."

– Louise Thaden.

32. "I fly because it releases my mind from the tyranny of petty things."

– Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

33. "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.

34. "The compass spins between heaven and hell, let your soul be your pilot, let your soul guide you."

-Sting, 'Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot'.

35. "The mind aware of itself is a pilot...vastly freer than a passenger mind."

-Marilyn Ferguson.

36. "Flying is more than a sport and more than a job; flying is pure passion and desire, which fill a lifetime."

— General Adolf Galland.

37. "When everything seems to be against you, remember that an airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."

-Henry Ford.

38. "Don't ever let a fear of failing keep you from knowing the joys of flight."

– Lane Wallace.

39. "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.

40. "Prepare for the unknown, unexpected and inconceivable … after 50 years of flying I'm still learning every time I fly."

-Gene Cernan.

Fighter Pilot Quotes

Pilot quotes are the first inspirational things one can think of before starting the day.

41. "There are old pilots and there are bold pilots. However, there are no old, bold pilots."

-Unknown*

42. "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.

43. "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.

44. "Flying prevails whenever a man and his airplane are put to a test of maximum performance."

-Richard Bach.

45. "The most important thing for a fighter pilot is get his first victory without too much of shock."

-Werner Molders.

46. "Flying the airplane is more important than radioing your plight to a person on the ground incapable of understanding it."

-Unknown*

47. "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.

48. "Sometimes you have to go up really high to see how small you are."

-Felix Baumgartner.

49. "The man who flies an airplane must believe in the unseen."

-Richard Bach.

50. "Remember, you fly an airplane with you head, not your hands and feet."

-Unknown*

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of inspirational aviation quotes for pilots for all the plane members. If you liked our suggestions for pilot quotes, then why not take a look at flying quotes, or aviation quotes?

*Do you know where this quote originated? Please email us to let us know at hello@kidadl.com.

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Written by Rajnandini Roychoudhury

Bachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

Rajnandini Roychoudhury picture

Rajnandini RoychoudhuryBachelor of Arts specializing in English, Master of Arts specializing in English

With a Master of Arts in English, Rajnandini has pursued her passion for the arts and has become an experienced content writer. She has worked with companies such as Writer's Zone and has had her writing skills recognized by publications such as The Telegraph. Rajnandini is also trilingual and enjoys various hobbies such as music, movies, travel, philanthropy, writing her blog, and reading classic British literature. 

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