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Tom Cruise Takes James Corden to the Danger Zone with Frightening Flight in 'Top Gun' Fighter Jet

Monday's Late Late Show with James Corden featured the host going on a pair of flights with Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise

Dave Quinn is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE. He has been working at the brand since 2016, and is the author of the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book, Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It.

James Corden feels the need — the need for a speedy landing.

The Late Late Show host, 43, had an adventurous two days with Tom Cruise on Monday night's show, joining the Top Gun: Maverick actor for a terrifying trip in the air on a pair of fighter jets.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime getaway that Corden wasn't necessarily excited about. In a package of the high-flying experience, he played as an unwilling participant in Cruise's plan — admitting, "When Tom Cruise calls, you sort of have to say yes."

Cruise, for his part, was thrilled to be palling around with Corden again, as the 59-year-old actor previously jumped out of an airplane with Corden while promoting 2018's Mission: Impossible — Fallout .

"I'm very excited that James is doing this," Cruise said, before piloting Corden in both planes. "Was he the first late night show that I asked? Hell no. He was just the first one, the only one , to say yes."

To kick things off, Cruise took Corden for a ride in a 1944 fighter airplane, Corden quickly putting up a sign in the window that said "Help Me."

Things got serious when a dueling plane popped up to challenge them. "We're in a dog fight," Cruise said, as Corden screamed, "I don't give a s---."

For more on Tom Cruise and James Corden flying on fighter jets, listen below to our daily podcast PEOPLE Every Day.

"You did good," Cruise assured Corden after they landed, the comedian teasing, "The fact that this is your idea of a fun day out tells me how different we are as human beings."

Just when Corden thought he'd survived, Cruise informed him the two would be going up again, this time in a jet fit for modern aerial warfare.

Amid Corden's "I don't want to do it" objections, Cruise told the host, "You are my Goose," a reference to his Top Gun character's best friend in the original 1986 movie.

"When you said I'm your Goose it makes me feel excited and then I realize that Goose dies in the film," Corden explained in response. "You're the first half of the film Goose," Cruise insisted. "That 'You've Lost that Loving Feeling' Goose."

"That's the Goose I want to be," Corden quipped. "I want to be in a bar, singing..."

From there, Cruise and Corden followed through with some additional Top Gun experiences (like a game of volleyball and a camping getaway) before heading up in their flight.

"You look like a fighter pilot, I look like a hamster," Corden said, as they suited up for the flight.

Corden loosened up for his second flight, even channeling his "Carpool Karaoke" segment by singing Kenny Loggins' "Danger Zone" and Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band's "Old Time Rock and Roll" — two tunes famously featured in Cruise's movies.

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But when Cruise started stunting, even flipping the plane upside down, Corden got scared. "Oh my God," he screamed. "This is absolutely ludicrous. This is the craziest thing... this is the stupidest thing I have ever done."

"You absolute bastard," he told Cruise. "I've got an idea, why don't we fly straight for a bit?"

"Okay, we'll fly straight," Cruise said, before flipping them over again.

Back on the ground, Cruise praised Corden for how he handled it all. "You can be my wingman anytime," he said.

"You know what, I think I'm good," joked Corden.

Top Gun: Maverick opens in theaters on Friday. The long-awaited sequel sees Cruise making his triumphant return as Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, this time returning as an instructor for the elite fliers three decades after his graduation from the TOPGUN Naval aviation program.

Among his young charges is Lt. Bradley "Rooster" Bradshaw, the son of Goose ( Anthony Edwards in the first movie). Miles Teller , who plays Rooster, is among the actors cast as new class of pilots. Also joining are Glen Powell , Greg Tarzan Davis and Lewis Pullman .

Aside from the hands-on skills required for the film, Cruise still had more to share with his costars, when the training was over and the cameras turned off.

"There were times after we were wrapped for the day, we would spend an hour circled around him, listening to the stories that he's been through," Davis, 28, told PEOPLE in a new all- Top Gun special edition .

Added Pullman, 29, "Every one of the pilots has a story of him talking about what he thinks is great about them, what they can do with that quality. He teaches you, basically, how Tom Cruise became Tom Cruise ."

The Late Late Show with James Corden airs weeknights (12:30 p.m. ET) on CBS.

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Watch tom cruise scare james corden with top gun fighter jet experience.

To promote Top Gun: Maverick, a new video sees Tom Cruise giving The Late Late Show host James Corden a terrifying flight in a fighter jet.

A new video from The Late Late Show with James Corden sees the host terrified by a real fighter jet experience with Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise. The actor has been promoting the new sequel to 1986's Top Gun , which helped launch him into superstardom alongside a cast that included Val Kilmer, Tim Robbins, Kelly McGillis, Anthony Edwards, and Meg Ryan. Top Gun: Maverick , from TRON: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski, sees Cruise reprise his role as Capt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, with Val Kilmer also returning to the part of Tom "Iceman" Kazansky. The sequel also features several new faces in the cast, including Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Monica Barbaro, Glen Powell, and Jay Ellis.

Cruise has had fun pushing  The Late Late Show  host Corden out of his comfort zone on previous episodes. Most notably, while promoting Mission: Impossible - Fallout , Cruise took Corden skydiving. During that experience, Corden was visibly terrified but pushed through his fears, leaping from the plane in a tandem parachute jump while Cruise jumped solo alongside him. While Corden ultimately admitted that it was a rush, he seemed content not to ever jump out of a plane again. However, Cruise appears to have found a new way to scare the late-night talk show host.

Related:  Top Gun 2 Can Set Up A Sequel Without Tom Cruise

A new video on Monday's The Late Late Show with James Corden  sees Cruise whisk the host away, only to reveal they are going to have a "Top Gun day,"  with  Cruise piloting a fighter plane with Corden set to be his passenger. Cruise begins with a leisurely flight as they take to the air, but as another plane comes in close, a simulated dog fight begins, leaving Corden screaming in terror. As the video continues, they take a volleyball break before switching planes and taking off in a fighter jet set to the sounds of Kenny Loggins' Danger Zone. Check out the Late Late Show 's Top Gun experience video below:

Click here to see the original video

Cruise holds several pilots licenses and various others, making him more than qualified to fly the planes seen in the video. Cruise also utilized these same skills for Top Gun: Maverick , where he piloted real jets for the film. Much like what Corden endured, Cruise's fellow Maverick co-stars underwent the same immersion in preparation for the sequel.

Top Gun: Maverick is slated to hit theaters on Friday after numerous delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Trailers for the sequel have already given audiences glimpses of the intense, practical flying stunts, and Top Gun: Maverick  reviews praise it as a true summer blockbuster that needs to be experienced on the big screen. With Corden and Cruise's history, audiences may yet see the two in another terrifying, high-octane adventure to promote Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One following the release of Top Gun: Maverick .

Next:  Top Gun 2’s Reviews Break A 20 Year Streak

Source: The Late Late Show with James Corden

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James Corden Puts Life in Tom Cruise’s Hands Aboard ‘Top Gun’ Fighter Jet

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Stream it or skip it: 'the accountant' on netflix, with ben affleck doing math and murder, 'road house' director doug liman's studio star vehicles are always refreshingly uneven, unpredictable, and weirdly alive, in the 'road house' remake, jake gyllenhaal is still desperate to play the tough guy.

In honor of the highly-anticipated May 27 theatrical release of Top Gun: Maverick , James Corden had the action-drama film’s star, Tom Cruise , join him for a very special YouTube segment of  The Late Late Show With James Corden . What unfolded from there was an adventure whose thrills rivaled that of a  Top Gun   movie, and also probably gave the late night host a heart attack (or at the very least, a damp jumpsuit).

It all began with Corden waiting outside of the Burbank Airport, where Tom Cruise’s charter plane picked him up at 5 AM. “I feel like I’m being kidnapped,” the host said as their sojourn began, making it clear that he had no idea what lay in wait for the pair. By the time Cruise landed them in the middle of the desert, he explained that they were about to top (…gun) their shared experience parachuting out of an airplane by taking to the sky in a vintage little fighter plane worthy of Top Gun  itself.

“We’re gonna have a  Top Gun  day,” Cruise said, before clarifying that it would just be the two of them heading up in the small jet, and that he’d be piloting it himself.

“With all due respect, you played a lawyer in A Few Good Men , I wouldn’t want you to represent me in court,” Corden replied, clearly not freaky out. “I’m going to go up in a 75 year-old plane with someone that isn’t a pilot. Okay, yeah, that sounds like a good idea.”

Between Cruise’s explanation of what they’d do during an emergency protocol (“I’m just going to turn over, and I’m going to plop you out”), the emergence of a rival jet (“I don’t want to fight them, I’d like to go home, please”), and a training sequence so delightfully absurd that it’s a feat neither performer broke into fits of laughter (“This is reinforcing my belief that you don’t have a clue what you’re doing”), there’s a lot to love about this almost 15 minute clip (which you can watch above this article now) where Cruise is clearly having a blast (and looking good and impressive while doing it).

Ultimately, despite a healthy dose of terror from Corden (which Cruise clearly reveled in), both the late night host and actor took the highway to the danger zone and lived to tell the tale. And if Top Gun: Maverick  is even half as entertaining as that clip, then it’s definitely going to be a spirited, sky-high hit to remember.

Top Gun: Maverick  premieres in theaters on May 27.

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Tom Cruise Makes James Corden His Reluctant Goose on a Wild ‘Top Gun’ Jet Ride

• By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

Tom Cruise made James Corden his extremely reluctant Goose stand-in as he took the  Late Late Show  host out for a ride in a pair of fighter jets to mark the release of  Top Gun: Maverick . 

The segment began with Cruise picking up Corden at the airport at five in the morning, then taking him for a topsy-turvy ride on a 1944 airplane. But the real fun — or horror, for Corden — began when Cruise started prepping Corden for a ride on a much faster, modern jet. When Corden tried to run off, Cruise stopped him and insisted the comedian was his Goose — the character played by Anthony Edwards in the first  Top Gun  flick. 

As Corden quickly noted, however, “When you say, ‘I’m your Goose,’ it makes me feel excited, and then I realize that Goose dies at the end of the film.” Cruise then eased Corden’s anxiety by insisting he was only Goose from the movie’s first half. “That’s the Goose I want to be,” joked Corden. “I want to be in a bar,  singing ‘You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling.'”

From there, Cruise set about trying to acclimate Corden as best he could to the experience of flying in a fighter jet, dropping into “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling” each time the comedian’s nerves began to spike. And with some time to kill before the flight the following day, they attempted to play a little beach volleyball, but the game was cut short when Corden hurt his wrist on the first volley. 

For all his anxiety, Corden seemed to enjoy the first few moments in the jet with Cruise, but that swiftly changed as the actor began dive-bombing, zipping through narrow mountain gaps, and making big fat loops in the sky. After safely getting back to Earth, Cruise even told Corden,  “You can be my wingman anytime.”  Corden swiftly retorted, “You know what, I think I’m good.” 

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Tom Cruise surprises James Corden with fighter jet flight: 'You're an actor, not a pilot'

"With all due respect, you played a lawyer in A Few Good Men, I wouldn't want you to represent me in court," the late-night host told the Top Gun: Maverick star.

Rachel is an Editorial Intern and big Masterchef Junior fan. Twitter: @rachschon

James Corden lived the Top Gun: Maverick experience to the extreme when Tom Cruise visited The Late Late Show .

In 2018, Cruise took Corden skydiving ; this time, he flew him in a vintage fighter plane and a modern war jet.

"I'm gonna go up in a 75-year-old plane with someone who isn't a pilot? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Corden says before running in the opposite direction.

Cruise promises Corden that he's not just an actor, but a pilot too, to which Corden retorts, "With all due respect, you played a lawyer in A Few Good Men , I wouldn't want you to represent me in court."

Through Corden's quips asking for the plane's Wi-Fi password and holding up a sign that reads "Help me," he laughs through much of the fear, mixed in with some blood-curdling screams.

As Cruise smiles for the duration of flight, in his element, he plays with Corden, taking him along for a dogfight with a neighboring plane, flying right over mountains and dropping at a 90-degree angle.

"The fact that this is your idea of a fun day out just tells me how different we are as human beings," a winded Corden says.

When the pair gets out of the plane and heads back to camp, Cruise reveals that the day is not yet over. They prepare for a second flight the way any high-intensity fighter pilots do: a game of slow-motion volleyball and a "You've Lost That Lovin Feelin" serenade.

"You're the first half of the film Goose," Cruise reassures Corden, comparing him to the Anthony Edwards Top Gun character before his death in the second half of the film.

The new Hollywood power duo ends their night in a tent, where Corden confesses, "Tom, if you kill me tomorrow, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life." Cruise replies, "James, if I kill you tomorrow, I'll be dead too."

When Corden and Cruise board the next plane, a much cushier, newer vehicle, the host seems to feel more at ease. Upon Corden's request, the action star says, "We'll just fly straight, just relax, just take it easy for a little bit" while he shakes his head at the camera. But Cruise doesn't hold out, nearing the plane to trees and cliffs and pulling off 360-degree loops and spins.

Finally done with the adventure, Corden seems relieved to be returning to the comfort of his studio: "You can be my wingman anytime," Cruise says. "You know what? I think I'm good," Corden replies with a laugh.

Hopefully for Corden's sake, Cruise won't sign him up for any other wild antics in his eighth and final season.

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Related content:

• James Corden leaving The Late Late Show in 2023
• Tom Cruise revisits Goose's Top Gun death in Lady Gaga's 'Hold My Hand' music video
• Why Top Gun: Maverick starts exactly the same way as the original film

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James Corden is ‘Honey Butter’ as he joins Tom Cruise and ‘Top Gun’ squad in hilarious skit

“Top Gun” with James Corden is more like the “The Naked Gun.”

On an episode of “The Late Late Show with James Corden” posted on Friday, the host showed some work he did with the “Top Gun: Maverick” cast before the smash movie came out.

The bit began with stars Tom Cruise, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis and Glen Powell giving their call signs while piloting their own jets before Corden chimed in with his own less-than-intimidating moniker: Honey Butter.

“Your call sign should strike fear in the heart of the enemy,” Ellis told him.

“Alright, what about Karen?” Corden said. “Nothing’s scarier than a Karen with an agenda.”

“What about Phantom?” Corden continued.

“That works,” Cruise said.

“Of the opera,” Corden finished.

Cruise, who previously teamed up with Corden on a hilarious flying adventure on his show last month, ordered the pilots to focus on call names later before urging them to get cracking on their mission.

“How long are you guys flying with your eyes closed?” Corden said when Cruise asked if there were any questions. “I’m up to 30 seconds.”

After Corden said he’s made it to 35 seconds, Cruise sounded impressed.

“Would a bad pilot do that?” he asked.

“Yes! That is exactly what a bad pilot would do,” Ellis fired back.

“You should change your call sign to K-Y because you sound jelly,” Corden quipped.

As the team buckled down to face the enemy at 3 o’clock, Corden helped himself to some tea, confusing the time of day with the location.

“I always have tea at 3 o’clock. We’re fighter pilots, not barbarians,” he said as he took a sip.

Corden tried to calm everyone down by telling them to have a biscuit, before Ellis discovered his parachute bag is filled with the treats.

As Powell and another fighter pilot named Wildcat got shot down, Corden spruced himself up with an Instagram filter making him look like a cat. The team then goes for a final push before we see Corden and Cruise had been playing in virtual reality.

“Honey Butter, you can be my wingman anytime,” Cruise said.

Drew Weisholtz is a reporter for TODAY Digital, focusing on pop culture, nostalgia and trending stories. He has seen every episode of “Saved by the Bell” at least 50 times, longs to perfect the crane kick from “The Karate Kid” and performs stand-up comedy, while also cheering on the New York Yankees and New York Giants. A graduate of Rutgers University, he is the married father of two kids who believe he is ridiculous.

Watch Tom Cruise Terrify James Corden By Making Him Try Several Top Gun-Inspired Stunts

Tom Cruise and James Corden took the highway to the danger zone.

Tom Cruise is a huge movie star but today Cruise is known just as much for his desire to be involved in practical stunt work as he is for the movies those stunts are in. You can count on Tom Cruise to do whatever it takes, which is why we love those movies. Because the rest of us would likely never do such things. Unless you’re late night host James Corden, and you end up in jets because Tom Cruise says so.

On the eve of the long awaited release of Top Gun: Maverick Tom Cruise appeared on The Late Late Show with James Corden and took the host on a weekend getaway of sorts. Having jumped out of an airplane with the actor already, Corden was at first perhaps glad to know they’d be staying inside the airplane this time. However, Cruise flew Corden in a pair of fighter jets, pulling off moves that might make you a bit queasy. 

The experience looks equal parts exhilarating and terrifying. Tom Cruise and James Corden got up in the air in actual fighter jets, or to be more accurate, one fighter jet, and one fighter plane, as the first one they flew in was a WWII-era fighter. That one actually looks pretty cool, and if you’re a student of history it would actually be pretty awesome to be able to go up in a plane like that.

Of course, that plane is really just a warm-up for James Corden before he goes up in a much more modern fighter jet. Cruise and Corden go through some additional Top Gun training in the form of “classes: and, of course, volleyball, because I believe there’s a federal statute that says you’re not allowed to r eference Top Gun in film or television unless there’s a volleyball scene involved. 

I’m sure that things were kept fairly tame for James Corden, assuming he didn’t have more training than we see here. The actual cast of Top Gun: Maverick went through a lot to be ready to shoot the movie . Though doing loops and flying upside down is probably still pretty wild for anybody who has never done it before. For some it would be exciting, for others terrifying, and for most of us probably a little of both. By the end of it all James Corden looks exhausted but also very thankful to have done it. Considering Corden has announced he’ll be leaving the Late Late Show , this will likely be one of his last chances to do something like this. 

For most of us the closest we will get to being in actual fighter jets will be watching Top Gun: Maverick when it arrives on screens this week . For many of us that’s close enough, thank you very much.  

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‘Are you joking?’: James Corden recreates Top Gun aerial stunt with Tom Cruise

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James Corden has reenacted an aereal stunt scene from Top Gun: Maverick with Tom Cruise .

Cruise stars in the forthcoming sequel to fighter pilot thriller Top Gun , which is released in cinemas on Friday (27 May).

The actor was promoting the film during an appearance on The Late Late Show , for which he took Corden up in the air in a real jet and subjected him to some intense maneouvers.

Four years ago, the pair filmed another stunt for the Gavin & Stacey star’s talk show, in which they jumped out of an aeroplane.

“I’m very excited that James is doing this,” said Cruise, as part of the 15-minute-long segment that aired during Monday’s (23 May) episode.

“Was he the first late-night show I asked? Hell, no. He was just the first one… the only one who said yes.”

Corden can be seen looking distressed and swearing as the pair undertake Top Gun training in the air, with Cruise referring to Corden as his “Goose”, a reference to one of Top Gun ’s best-known characters.

“When you say I am your Goose, it makes me feel excited and then I realise that Goose dies at the end of the film,” Corden jokes.

The full skit can be watched on YouTube .

In a four-star review of Top Gun: Maverick for The Independent , Clarisse Loughrey wrote: “ Top Gun: Maverick really isn’t packed with the kind of craven nostalgia that we’re used to these days. It’s smarter, subtler, and wholly more humanistic.”

However, while she praised the film’s technical ambition and action sequences, she criticised the film’s treatment of the female characters from the original, writing: “Neither [Kelly] McGillis nor Meg Ryan, who played Rooster’s mother, make any kind of return. Maverick, instead, gets a new love interest in the form of Jennifer Connelly’s Penny, the admiral’s daughter offhandedly mentioned in the first film, now a bar owner and a single mother.

“There’ll come a time when we need to talk about why Hollywood only accepts older women who look a certain way. Until then, who can be blamed for getting swept up by a film this damned fun?”

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Tom Cruise takes James Corden on 'terrifying' flights ahead of 'Top Gun: Maverick' release

Tom cruise and james corden fly jets for 'top gun' sequel.

Fox News Flash top entertainment headlines 5/24

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Tom Cruise put his pilot's license to good use as he took "The Late Late Show" host James Corden on a few "terrifying" flights in the sky ahead of the "Top Gun: Maverick" release on Friday, May 27.

"I'm very excited that James is doing this," Cruise admitted in a special segment where he prepped to fly Corden in both a vintage fighter plane and a modern war jet.

"Was he the first late night show that I asked? Hell no. He was just the first one, the only one, to say yes."

"I'm gonna go up in a 75-year-old plane with someone who isn't a pilot? Yeah, that sounds like a good idea," Corden said. 

After Cruise insisted he was in fact a pilot, the talk show host said: "With all due respect, you played a lawyer in ‘A Few Good Men.’ I wouldn't want you to represent me in court."

Tom Cruise and James Corden go for a joyride ahead of "Top Gun: Maverick" release. (Terence Patrick/CBS)

JON HAMM FELT LIKE HE WAS ‘AT HOME’ ON ‘TOP GUN: MAVERICK’ SET WITH TOM CRUISE  

Cruise took Corden for a ride in a 1944 fighter airplane, which Corden admitted "even this is terrifying" as he climbed in. 

" The Cats" star quickly hoisted up a "Help Me" sign in the window after joking about asking for the WiFi password.

Things took a more serious turn when a dueling plane popped up in the sky to challenge them. 

"We're in a dog fight," Cruise said while dropping the plane to a 90-degree angle, to which Corden screamed, "I don't give a s---."

"You did good," Cruise told Corden upon landing.

James Corden participated in a few aerial stunts with Tom Cruise as the pilot for a sketch on "The Late Late Show." (Terence Patrick/CBS)

TOM CRUISE SAYS ‘TOP GUN: MAVERICK’ WAS ‘NEVER’ GOING TO STREAMING SERVICE

"The fact that this is your idea of a fun day out tells me how different we are as human beings," Corden quipped.

The talk show host thought he was done for the day, only for Cruise to jump back in action with a new thrilling journey as they played a game of volleyball, similar to the famous 1986 movie sequence.

Corden attempted to object to any more aerial adventures until Cruise referenced a classic Top Gun trope: "You are my Goose."

"When you said I'm your Goose it makes me feel excited, and then I realize that Goose dies in the film," Corden explained. 

Cruise tried to get Corden back on his good side: "You're the first half of the film Goose. That 'You've Lost that Loving Feeling' Goose.'"

James Corden was happy to be back on the ground after Tom Cruise flights for "Top Gun: Maverick" stunts. (Terence Patrick/CBS)

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"That's the Goose I want to be," Corden said. "I want to be in a bar, singing." 

As the newfound flying partners tucked away in their tents for the night, Corden said: "Tom, if you kill me tomorrow, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life." 

Cruise was quick to comment: "James, if I kill you tomorrow, I'll be dead too."

The next day, the pair boarded a newer and nicer vehicle with ease, seemingly to Corden's approval. 

"We'll just fly straight, just relax, just take it easy for a little bit" Cruise said, while also shaking his head at the camera. Seconds later, the Mission Impossible star was barreling through the air and spinning to his heart's content.

"The Late Late Show" host had the ride of his life with Tom Cruise ahead of "Top Gun: Maverick" debut on Friday. (Terence Patrick/CBS)

Once on the ground and back in the studio for good, Corden was relieved to no longer have to bear witness to Cruise's need for speed.

"You can be my wingman anytime," Cruise said. "You know what? I think I'm good," Corden replied.

Cruise first starred as Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell, a young naval aviator aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, in 1986. He worked with Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Tim Robbins and Anthony Edwards.

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Taking on Tom Cruise’s Top Gun jet trainer

As Top Gun: Maverick hit theatres this summer, a clip of British TV presenter James Corden of The Late Late Show flying with Tom Cruise to promote the blockbuster movie racked up more than 27 million views on YouTube.

Having joined Cruise in the Hollywood superstar’s personal P-51 Mustang, Corden’s next challenge was to experience flight in an L-39 jet trainer, again with ‘Maverick’ at the controls. The YouTube stunt was an instant hit, giving the public a brief but entertaining glimpse of what it’s like to fly military jets. The reality of flying the Aerovodochody L-39 Albatros surpasses even the screen version. Corden was elated after the trip, although also relieved to be back on the ground.

“The reality of flying the Aerovodochody L-39 Albatros surpasses even the screen version,” writes AeroTime’s Ben Griffiths. Image by Michael Jorgensen 

I’ve been privileged to fly the L-39 twice with a group of Dijon, France-based aviators who performed at airshows and offered experience flights under the Breitling watch brand up until 2019. Today, the team are known as ‘Apace Aviation’ and continue to operate the aircraft. The L-39 itself has been in operation for over 50 years, with more than 30 armed services flying the type, including the former Soviet and East German air forces.

Described as having excellent handling characteristics across the whole flight envelope, more than 2,800 examples were delivered worldwide, with some 300 in civilian hands today. Having made its first flight in 1968, the L-39 was designed as a successor to the earlier L-29 Delfin, with full-scale production beginning in 1972.

AeroTime’s Ben Griffiths recalls taking to the skies in the Aerovodochody L-39 Albatros. Image by Michael Jorgensen.

Pairing an efficient but powerful jet turbofan engine with a sleek, streamlined fuselage, the Albatros was built to deliver a strong but economical jet trainer for Warsaw Pact air forces. Easy to maintain, cheap to operate and highly reliable, the aircraft can operate from grass strips and semi-prepared airfields.

The one downside is the Albatros lacks power when compared with Western counterparts like the BAE Systems Hawk, chosen mount of the Red Arrows. But it looks good, is easy to fly and to maintain, is reliable and quite affordable to operate if you compare it with other military jets.

Given my logbook when I flew with the team had a mere 140 hours in it, and all on piston-engined, propeller aircraft, I had a sense of trepidation as to how a lowly private pilot would cope with the experience. I needn’t have worried. Team leader Jacque Bothelin and his fellow pilots were determined that I’d get to control, and enjoy, their airplane by trying my hand at jet formation flying, as well as riding along during a seven-aircraft aerobatic routine that would demonstrate the L-39’s full capabilities.

The L-39 has been in operation for over 50 years with more than 30 armed services. Image by Michael Jorgensen

Suited up in flying kit and helmet, the nerves were building as I was settling into my seat in the rear cockpit of Francois Ponsot’s aircraft. The team’s pilots are all highly experienced, mainly French air force and some ex-Patrouille de France – the French equivalent of the Red Arrows. With Ponsot – nicknamed ‘PonPon’ – I was in good hands. The maintainer strapping me in pointed out the various safety features of the jet, but my heart jumped a beat when he explained the ejection seat, which would propel me clear of the stricken airplane should disaster strike. Removing the safety pins, I was now sitting atop a rocket. That does wonders for your concentration.

Looking around the cockpit to familiarize myself helped me to relax. The battleship grey instrument panel and dials were simple and basic, similar to most trainers I’ve flown, aside from the chunkier switches and prominent stick and throttle controls. The canopy closing with a clunk brought my attention back to the outside world as PonPon began the starting sequence.

The L-39 uses a small motor to spool up the fan of the main engine and get it to operating speed before fuel is added and the jet bursts into life. A muffled roar can be heard from inside the cockpit – outside I knew a veritable tornado was now searing the air in a cacophony of noise.

The one downside is the Albatros lacks power when compared with Western counterparts. Image by Michael Jorgensen.

As our wingmen checked in on the radio as being ready to launch, PonPon released the brakes, and we began our slow trundle towards the active runway. Soon we were all lined up and ready to go. Our jet sat in the number 2 position to the left of the leader in the first element of three aircraft. The remaining four were in a diamond shape behind us on the runway. With a distinct nod of the head, Bothelin signaled the takeoff and our jets surged forward as one, thudding over the gaps in the concrete runway at Dijon with increasing speed until that delightful moment when the wheels left the earth, and the aircraft take to the wing.

This was followed by a heavy clump, clump as the wheels retracted into their bays and we accelerated away from the airport. Our lead element was rapidly joined by the other four jets. PonPon called: “Look left”, and outside another wingman slid effortlessly into position and stayed locked there as if glued in place. My fellow passengers were grinning away, like me barely able to comprehend what their eyes were seeing. Your first taste of formation jet aerobatics is truly sensational. The power and sense of freedom is overwhelming. We were bobbing along in the leader’s slipstream. I felt I could almost touch his jet and feel the air streaming over the wings.

A short transit to the team’s training area and we began the aerobatic sequence with a series of wingovers and formation changes. I was barely prepared for the onset of ‘G’ – the gravitational pull that loads up the body with additional forces and can easily lead to blacking out if you’re not ready, as the blood is pushed towards your feet and away from the brain. I was looking over my left shoulder as we pulled 4.5G – I was now 4.5 times my normal bodyweight – and my head was uncomfortably pinned in place.

The Albatross has an efficient but powerful jet turbofan engine and a sleek, streamlined fuselage. Image by Michael Jorgensen.

Easing off the ‘G’ briefly, I determined to keep looking straight ahead during the routine, as we dived down to begin a loop, describing a perfect circle in the sky. Pulling firmly back on the controls, PonPon steered us skyward, the aircraft becoming inverted before diving back down to our starting position to complete the loop.

Our routine was soon over and PonPon invited me to take the controls. At this point I felt like James Corden must have done, seriously out of my depth. But, with PonPon’s expert instruction, I was soon making a reasonable fist of remaining in position with frequent but tiny adjustments to throttle and stick, chasing the aircraft in front and to the side as I fought hard to stay in formation.

After enjoying this for a while, PonPon took back control and our element slipped down into low level for our transit back to Dijon. The jet was bumping around over the fields of rural France, akin to driving over a rutted road. Fighter pilots fly low to avoid enemy radar, just as they did in their F/A-18s in Top Gun: Maverick when attacking the enemy missile site. We were doing it just for fun and the sensation of speed was sensational.

Making our approach to land back at the airport, the team lined up for a formation run-in-and-break in classic military style. This not only looks good but is designed to position the jets for landing, adequately spaced out but also to slow down to approach speed.

Having enjoyed flying with the team and been impressed by their skills, I was not the least surprised that our touchdown was silky smooth. The L-39 gliding down to kiss the runway, with the nose kept high for aerodynamic braking. The nosewheel dropped and we coasted back to our parking spots outside the team’s HQ building.

The canopy opened and the fresh air blasting into the cockpit reawakened my senses. It was pleasant to remove my helmet and just sit in the cockpit for a while to listen to the gyro instruments winding down and to contemplate what I’d just experienced. 

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Tom Cruise Puts James Corden Through ‘Top Gun’ Training and Dogfights: ‘You Are My Goose’ (Video)

But of course, Corden remembers how things turned out for Goose

When Tom Cruise tells you to meet him at the airport at 5 a.m. for a surprise, you don’t say no. But James Corden kind of wished he had, when he realized what Cruise had in store for him in preparation for “Top Gun: Maverick.”

On Monday night’s episode of “The Late Late Show,” Corden took his audience through his “Top Gun” day with Cruise, which indeed began at 5 a.m. Together, the two headed to an airfield, and reflected on their last adventure together: skydiving. But this, time Cruise had other plans for Corden — they were going flying.

Of course, Corden promptly tried to run away upon learning that there wouldn’t be a professional pilot in the plane, just Cruise and himself.

“You’re not a pilot, you’re an actor,” Corden reminded Cruise. “With all due respect, you played a lawyer in ‘A Few Good Men.’ I wouldn’t want you to represent me in court, OK?”

Still, Corden got in the plane, and Cruise took him through a real (simulated) dogfight, terrifying the late night host in the process. And he wasn’t done. After the first flight, Cruise sat Corden down for “Top Gun Training,” channeling his inner Maverick — and Corden tried to run away once more.

“You can do this,” Cruise assured him. “James listen, you’re my Goose. You are my Goose.”

Corden was excited by that prospect … until he remembered what happened to Goose in the first “Top Gun” film (spoiler alert: he died). Even so, he persisted still. Cruise showed Corden what g-force would feel like by molding Corden’s face with his hands, he mimicked the sounds and flight path of the next plane, and even played a game of sand volleyball with the late night host.

You can watch the full segment in the video here and above.

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James corden and tom cruise to team up for ‘the lion king’ sketch during ‘late late show’ finale special.

The host and 'Top Gun: Maverick' actor are set to transform into Timon and Pumbaa for a musical performance.

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Tom Cruise is reuniting with James Corden for one final sketch before The Late Late Show ends .

The CBS program revealed that the Top Gun: Maverick actor is switching things up from his typical action-packed guest segments and actually joining the host for a musical performance during The Lion King at the Pantages Theater in Hollywood. The segment will be featured in a primetime special, The Last Last Late Late Show , on April 27, which will air before the final episode of the late-night talk show later that night.

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The Mission: Impossible star has previously teamed up with Corden on the show for segments including piloting fighter jets and skydiving, which left the host terrified both times.

The final episode of The Late Late Show with James Corden is set for April 27 at 12:37 p.m. The primetime special will premiere at 10 p.m. on CBS and Paramount+. The last show comes after Corden took over as host in 2015 following Craig Ferguson.

A source confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter earlier this month that The Late Late Show ’s time slot is set to be replaced with a Stephen Colbert-backed @midnight reboot .

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‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Star Tom Cruise Takes James Corden for a Terrifying Ride

From  Carpool Karaoke  to  The Late Late Show with James Corden , James Corden always finds hilarious and fun ways to hang with today’s biggest stars and  celebrities . One of Corden’s pals and Hollywood icons, Tom Cruise, recently had a big surprise.

To help promote his latest film,  Top Gun: Maverick , Cruise invited Corden to the airport. A quick flight to a desert airstrip with Cruise at the controls  wasn’t all Corden had to come. The next adventure proved to be terrifying. And knowing how Cruise had previously invited Corden to skydive with him, this latest surprise excursion would be a doozy.

A terrifying yet cool ride in a vintage jet

We know Tom Cruise can fly  a plane. That’s not so scary, especially with the first flight taking place in a modern jet. However, Tom Cruise surprised James Corden by flying the two to a desert airfield. And as  Today  called it, the danger zone met the funny bone in this hilarious yet terrifying experience for Corden.

When the next plane ride was revealed to be in a vintage 1944 fighter plane, Corden grew incredibly nervous. He said to Cruise, “with all due respect; you played a lawyer in  A Few Good Men . I wouldn’t want you to represent me in court.”

James Corden’s hilarious reaction to the wild ride

You can watch the whole encounter on  YouTube  via  The Late Late Show with James Corden . But be prepared for your stomach to hurt from laughing. As the pair prepped for flight in this vintage fighter plane, Corden inquired about what to do should there be a malfunction. Cruise responded by saying he’d just “roll the plane over” and dump him out. “I’m going to plop you out,” he said, leaving Corden looking stunned and terrified.

Corden’s reactions throughout the flight were downright gut-busting. Upon takeoff, he asked Cruise for the Wi-Fi password. He signaled “help me” to the camera and called Cruise a “madman” as they soared over a mountain. In another instance, Cruise is pointing out trees nearby when Corden responds, “this is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.”

The 75-year-old jet was very much  Top Gun  style, in its prime, and quite the war machine. It’s a P-51 Mustang that  Cruise himself purchased  in 2001. According to  World War Wings , he would also frequently give his friends rides in this iconic piece of flying history.

Tom Cruise is back in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’

Unless you’ve been off-grid, you likely have heard the buzz about the  Top Gun  sequel,  Top Gun: Maverick  hitting theaters. It’s a box office smash, but don’t worry; no spoilers here if you haven’t seen it yet. Although you should prepare for an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride featuring the military’s most dynamic aircraft.

Tom Cruise may have a pilot’s license  for recreational flight, but the Pentagon wouldn’t allow him to fly the official military craft in the movie. And you know Cruise is all about doing his own stunts whenever possible, so he was disappointed. Instead, according to Fortune , the actors were positioned behind the official F/A-18 pilots only after they’d completed required safety training on how to eject during an emergency situation.

However, Tom Cruise did get to interject some of his previous Top Gun and flight knowledge for the movie. He created his very own flight training program, far more demanding than the standard requirements, to help the movie’s younger stars prepare for and withstand the intense, nausea-inducing jarring of aerial flight maneuvers.

Check out the video of James Corden’s terrifying flight with Tom Cruise . You’ll get to appreciate a cool 1944 vintage plane and probably laugh a bit as the two pull off their stunt to help promote the new movie.

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Tom Cruise Joins Final 'Late Late Show' To Crash 'Lion King' Musical In 'Epic' Sketch

Trends Reporter

Tom Cruise will officially headline the finale of James Corden ’s “ The Late Late Show .”

The “ Top Gun: Maverick ” star will appear in an “over-the-top sketch” in which he crashes the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood during a performance of “ The Lion King ” musical — while dressed as its farting warthog character, Pumbaa, according to ET .

That once-in-a-lifetime moment reportedly happened last night and saw Cruise and Corden parade around in costume. This “groundbreaking” and “epic musical performance” will be only part of the two-hour finale on April 27, Paramount said .

Cheekily christened “The Last Last Late Late Show,” the episode will potentially serve as playful punishment for Cruise — who previously forced Corden to skydive and ride in the cockpits of various fighter planes to nauseating results.

Cruise’s star power will presumably boost ratings into the stratosphere and provide Corden with a celebrated sendoff after slogging through a tangle of off-putting accusations last fall about Corden’s restaurant etiquette . The English entertainer announced his reunion with Cruise on Friday on the show’s Instagram.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Late Late Show (@latelateshow)

“Here’s to finding the Pumbaa to your Timon,” read the caption . “And to one last sketch with @tomcruise before we turn out the lights on the #LateLateShow.”

Paramount noted that “The Late Late Show” has 27 Emmy nominations and seven wins under its belt, and it attracted world-renowned talent, including Paul McCartney , while pre-recorded segments like “ Carpool Karaoke ” fostered a massive following online.

Corden tearfully announced last April that he had officially signed on for only one more season of the CBS show . Less than a week after announcing his planned exit after eight years as host, Corden invited Cruise — who busted his sentimental chops.

“It’s such a privilege to be here, and I’m sorry about the news,” Cruise told him . “I’m sorry you got fired.”

“The Last Last Late Late Show” will air at 10 p.m. ET on April 27 on CBS and Paramount+.

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