As we draw closer to the Christmas season, there’s no better time to curl up on the couch with a good movie or break out the snacks and have a family film night. If you happen to be an AvGeek like those of us at Simple Flying, then you just might be looking for the perfect aviation-themed motion picture for your “night in.”

If that’s the case, we’ve got you covered. Look no further than the five carefully selected feature films below, but don’t forget the popcorn!

Die Hard 2

Released in 1990

The classic Bruce Willis action movie was the sequel to the original and most iconic film. This entry in the second part of the saga sees New York City police detective John McClane endeavor to thwart a team of terrorists during the snowy Christmas Eve rush at Dulles International Airport (IAD). The beginning of this epic action thriller finds McClane waiting for his wife Holly’s plane to land for a family Christmas.

While he is waiting, a group of mercenaries takes over control of the airport’s air traffic control (ATC) system. The criminals are led by a disgraced former US Army Special Forces colonel who is tasked with freeing dictator General Ramon Esperanza. The deposed dictator is inbound to IAD on a military prison transport flight. Once the for-hire terrorists gain control of ATC, they manipulate the Instrument Landing System (ILS) beacon to be 200 feet too low, and a « Windsor Air » passenger jet crashes into the runway.

The hero of the movie watches helplessly as everyone aboard is killed in the fiery crash. This only makes McClane’s determination to stop them even more fierce. In his quest, McClane finds himself trapped in the cockpit of a military cargo plane. Mercenaries throw grenades into the plane, and McClane then finds an ejection seat and launches himself out just before it explodes… despite the fact that Fairchild C-123 Providers never came equipped with ejection seats.

The movie’s climax takes place on and around a Boeing 747 operated by Evergreen International Airlines. McClane hitches a ride on a news helicopter, jumps onto the moving 747’s wing. In his struggle with the escaping villains, the hero is knocked off the airplane, but not before he manages to open a fuel valve.

After he falls off, he ignites the trail of jet fuel with a cigarette, and the 747 explodes in a giant fireball. The burning wreckage becomes an improvised signal beacon for airliners to find the runway. John McClane, battered, bruised, and covered in snow and soot, rushes towards Holly’s aircraft when she finally touches down for a heartwarming, happy ending.

Tora! Tora! Tora!

Released in 1970

This classic depicts the historical events of the Imperial Japanese air raid against the US Navy base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, December 7th, 1941. Unlike the previous entry, which was an over-the-top, purely entertaining action movie, this film is a docu-drama style recreation of the events leading up to the attack that led to the United States’ entering World War II. The film is famous for its dedication to historical accuracy and unique storytelling, which follows narratives on both sides of the attack.

The film was a joint Japanese-American production, with two sets of directors and casts for each side of the story. Richard Fleischer directed the American sequences, while Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaku, replacing Akira Kurosawa, handled the Japanese side. The goal was to create the most balanced, objective portrayal of the events as possible.

The movie focuses on historical figures like Admiral Yamamoto and Admiral Kimmel, with a focus on the strategic, diplomatic, and bureaucratic factors that led to the “day of infamy” as it would come to be known. The production included an exceptionally large cast for large-scale sequences with complex special effects and real or reconstructed aircraft.

The film begins by telling the story of the planning by the Imperial Japanese Navy and the efforts of the American intelligence to uncover their plans. It tells the story of the command errors, lack of coordination, and American disbelief that an attack was possible. The film shows the Japanese ambassador failing to deliver the declaration of war prior to the attack beginning, but the final third of the movie goes on to depict the aerial assault in harrowing, realistic detail.

Carry On

Released in 2024

In this made-for-Netflix action movie, a TSA agent (Transportation Security Administration) at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Christmas Eve finds himself caught up in the plans of an international mercenary. Although there are no 747 airliners that explode, this film is seen as a kind of modern reinvention of Die Hard 2 by many critics. The film follows Ethan Kopek, a young and aspiring but currently disillusioned TSA agent.

Inspired by his girlfriend’s encouragement to better himself, Ethan volunteers to step up to a higher responsibility role on Christmas Eve. This decision turns out to be a fateful mistake. Ethan picks up a discarded earpiece at the security checkpoint as he is working. A calm, sinister voice on the other end, belonging to a man known only as « The Traveler,” immediately informs him that he is being blackmailed.

Ethan is forced to manipulate the security system to let a specific passenger’s carry-on bag, containing a dangerous nerve agent, bypass scanning and security checks. Ethan makes several desperate attempts to alert the authorities, but the Traveler and his unknown accomplice prevent every attempt.

Ethan learns that the Traveler is working for a group that plans to frame Russia for a political killing. In the final showdown, Ethan manages to best the villainous mercenary and traps him in a room with his own poison. In the final scenes, the movie fast forwards one year, and we see Ethan with his girlfriend and new baby on their way to a tropical vacation, with Ethan sporting a shiny new LAPD badge on his way through the security check at LAX.

Flight

Released in 2012

This critically acclaimed film, starring Denzel Washington, tells the story of an alcoholic airline pilot who miraculously crash-lands his airliner when a mechanical emergency strikes the jet in flight. Although the Christmas theme is absent, the movie is one of the most popular and highly regarded modern aviation films by critics.

The cocaine snorting Captain Whip Whitaker, played by Denzel, is depicted as a US Navy veteran who becomes a hero for saving most of his passengers during an in-flight catastrophe, only to face a National Transportation Safety Bureau (NTSB) investigation that threatens to expose his addictions. The film begins with Whip using cocaine to perk up after a night of heavy drinking. He pilots SouthJet Air Flight 227, a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 regional jet, from Orlando to Atlanta.

While Whip is napping, the plane experiences a sudden and severe mechanical failure involving a faulty jackscrew in the tail’s horizontal stabilizer, forcing the aircraft into an uncontrollable steep nose-dive. Alarms blare, and the co-pilot is helpless to regain control. Based on the real-life crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261, Whip takes command and rolls the plane inverted (upside down) to use the aircraft’s lift to counteract the pitch-down force.

Unlike the tragic fate of Alaska Flight 261, which was lost at sea with all 88 souls aboard when it crashed off the coast of Los Angeles, Whip is able to roll the plane upright after the last second and perform a belly landing in a field. He saves 96 out of 102 people on board. Some of the technical details regarding flying technique and protocol are not exactly perfect; however, the depiction of the stripped jack screw, which causes the mishap, and the radio interaction with ATC is considered very accurate and realistic.

Top Gun & Top Gun: Maverick

Released in 1986 & 2022

The ultimate classic, this one is also a “two-fer.” The final entry on this list may not have a holiday theme, but it is a must-watch nonetheless. Whether you prefer the original or enjoy the exceptional cinematic flight scenes of the sequel, neither installation of the Top Gun film franchise will disappoint. If you’ve never seen the Top Gun movies, or you’ve only seen one of them, consider yourself lucky. You get to experience the joy of witnessing the most epic flying movie ever made for the first time this Christmas.

The original movie is a 1980s classic. Not only did it boost Tom Cruise on his way to Hollywood stardom, but the film is also responsible for recruiting an entire generation of Naval aviators. The US Navy owed great thanks to Lieutenant Pete « Maverick » Mitchell and the awe-inspiring flight scenes of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat fighter jet. Maverick is a personification of the rogue, American silver screen hero with his recklessness both in the cockpit and out, until all that changes when his close friend, navigator “Goose,” dies.

Consumed by guilt, Maverick almost quits but ultimately graduates and is assigned to a real-world rescue mission. In a climactic dogfight against enemy MiGs, he overcomes his fears, saves Iceman, and proves his worth as a reliable wingman, finally letting go of his guilt over Goose’s death.

The sequel to the classic film came 36 years after the debut of the original blockbuster. Now a decorated Navy captain, Maverick has dodged promotions to a desk job so he can remain an active test pilot. He is ordered by his old friend, now Admiral Tom « Iceman » Kazansky, to return to Top Gun to train a select group of young, elite graduates for an impossible, high-stakes mission.

Among his students is Lieutenant Bradley « Rooster » Bradshaw, Goose’s son. He resents Maverick for previously blocking his naval academy application at his mother’s request. Maverick must confront his past guilt, navigate the challenging relationship with Rooster, and prepare the pilots for the dangerous mission, ultimately leading them into a high-risk operation himself.