Denzel Washington’s magnificent performance in Flight made me think of some of my other favorite movies about airplane pilots.  These are all worth a look:

The Spirit of St. Louis  James Stewart was a couple of decades older than Charles Lindburgh was when he made his historic flight across the Atlantic.  But he was a decorated pilot himself, and that helps lends authenticity and dedication to this moving portrayal.

The High and the Mighty John Wayne has to save a disabled plane full of passengers in this exciting drama with a haunting musical theme.

Red Tails George Lucas produced this story of the Tuskegee Airmen.  The on-earth scenes drag a bit but the airplane battles are exciting.

Top Gun This Tom Cruise classic about fighter pilots will make you feel “the need for speed.”

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines A 1910 airplane race takes us back to the days when airplanes were little more than kites with a place to sit in this very funny, exciting, and romantic story.

Always Richard Dreyfuss plays a daring Forest Service pilot in this Steven Spielberg remake of the WII classic, “A Guy Named Joe.”