Capt. Arnie's Final Flight

Capt. Arnie’s Final Flight

Stephen Pope

Tuesday, February 01, 2011 at 09:01 PM ET

Verified

Arnold Palmer in the cockpit of
his Citation X

Key Takeaways:

Golf legend Arnold Palmer concluded his nearly 55-year career as a pilot in command on January 31st, making his final flight and announcing he would not renew his pilot certification.
Throughout his extensive aviation career, Palmer amassed nearly 20,000 hours, piloting diverse aircraft from biplanes to a Boeing 747, and notably setting a still-standing round-the-world speed record in 1976.
Ironically, Palmer's decision to learn flying in 1956 was driven by a fear of flying, stemming from a lightning strike incident on a commercial flight that made him want to better understand aircraft operations.

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It’s the end of an era. Golf legend Arnold Palmer has made his final flight as pilot in command, calling it quits after almost 55 years at the controls of everything from open-cockpit biplanes to a Boeing 747. Along the way, he amassed nearly 20,000 hours in the cockpit.

Palmer, 81, flew his Cessna Citation X from Palm Springs, California, back to his home in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, January 31, his last trip in the left seat. On arrival he announced that he would not renew his pilot certification, which expired that day.