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 retired as a pilot in command on January 31, after an illustrious 55-year flying career accumulating nearly 20,000 hours.
Palmer's decision to stop flying was due to a personal realization that his flying skills were diminishing, similar to his professional golf career.
His extensive aviation career included piloting a Boeing 747 before its commercial service and setting a still-standing round-the-world speed record in 1976.
Palmer, who initially learned to fly in 1956 to overcome a fear of flying, became a passionate advocate for business aviation and an ambassador for the pursuit.

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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.