The pandemic has led many to perfect their hobbies. If you’re producer David Ellison, that means flying a Marchetti S-211, a turbofan military trainer aircraft.
The Skydance Media honcho — who produced the Tom Cruise starrer Top Gun: Maverick (due out Nov. 19) — took to Instagram in April to reveal that he’d had an “amazing couple of days at Victory Aviation” piloting the Italian jet, adding, “Can’t wait to spend more time flying this amazing aircraft.”
A rep for Texas-based Victory Aviation tells THR, “We really have no connections to Hollywood,” but adds, “We hope the much-awaited release of Top Gun 2 will inspire many people to come fly with us.”
Ellison has clearly had the flight bug for quite some time as a scan of his IG reveals photos of him also piloting a P-51 Mustang fighter plane amid the pandemic. He’s about to take off with another new role as well: father. He just announced that he and his wife, Sandra Lynn, are expecting a girl this summer, the couple’s first.
This story first appeared in the May 5 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.
