The world mourns the passing of legendary musician Jimmy Buffett. His songs brought joy to millions for decades, with timeless hits such as Margaritaville and Come Monday, but the singer-songwriter also loved aviation. He was an accomplished pilot for over 30 years.
According to the website Buffett World, he caught the bug in college when a pilot friend took him for a flight. He had other priorities in the first half of his life, but the expensive dream to fly always stayed with him.
As he earned more success he earned more money, and set a goal to earn his private license by his 40th birthday. He purchased a Lake Renegade amphibian and earned his PPL with single engine land and sea ratings at 39.
He went on to earn a Commercial Pilot License with ratings for multi-engine land and sea aicraft, and an instrument rating for flying in clouds and low weather. Buffett also held type ratings for the Cessna Citation 500-series jets, the Falcon 50 and 900, and the Grumman Albatross.
Buffett owned many planes
Jimmy Buffet owned many planes over the years, basing his fleet the last several years out of Palm Beach International (PBI) in south Florida. They even named an aviation departure procedure after him, called the BUFIT ONE Departure, used for aircraft departing south from PBI. Waypoints include JIMEY, BUFIT, PYRUT, FINNS, and UTLEY (named after Buffett’s long-time keyboard player).
He sometimes flew his Albatross Hemisphere Dancer over concert venues, before retiring it in 2003. It’s on display at Margaritaville in Orlando.
He owned six planes as of the date of his passing. They are a N990FL – Falcon 900EX, N920JB – Pilatus PC-12, N208JB – Cessna 208 Caravan, N928J – Grumman Albatross (retired), N48550 – Grumman Goose and N43320 – Boeing E-75 Stearman.
Buffett even got the chance to fly in a TA-4 Skyhawk with the Blue Angels. He also flew in the legendary F-14 Tomcat. He had to undergo Navy survival training prior to the flight, which he later credited for helping save his life when he lost control of his Grumman Widgeon on a water takeoff in Nantucket. The plane nosed over on a big swell and sank (read more here). Buffett swam away unharmed.
Jamaica almost killed Buffett mistaking him for a drug runner
He also survived Jamaican authorities shooting at him in Negril a couple years later, when they mistook his seaplane Hemisphere Dancer for a drug runner. Nobody was hurt, but the plane was given several new bullet holes. He later wrote a song inspired by the event, called Jamaica Mistaica.
U2 singer Bono was with him, along with Buffett’s family. He later recalled the incident:
“These boys were shooting all over the place. I felt as if we were in the middle of a James Bond movie… I honestly thought we were all going to die…You can’t believe the relief I felt when I saw the kids were okay.”
Buffett loved the Navy and Marine Corps
Buffett was a long-time supporter of the men and women in the Navy and Marines. He held numerous concerts for sailors and would visit them around the world, including in 2008 when he visited the aircraft carrier Harry S Truman in the Middle East.
He was awarded the prestigious “Superior Public Service” award by the Secretary of the Navy. It’s the highest award that can be given to a civilian not employed by the Navy.
The award recognizes Buffett as an “unwavering supporter of the men, women, and families of the Navy and Marine Corps. His dedicated service to our sailors, Marines, wounded warriors, and civilians ensured that they were provided highly visible support and gratitude that greatly enhanced morale and welfare across the Department.”
It’s always 1700 somewhere. Blue skies Jimmy Buffett, 76 years old.
-Photos courtesy of Jimmy Buffett’s social media and the US Navy. F-14 photo from reader Tom Crockett (personal friend of the F-14 pilot)
