He might be better known as a country singer, but long before making his entry into the music scene, Aaron Tippin had a thriving career as a pilot. Born to veteran pilot Willis “Tip” Tippin, Aaron grew up around planes and soon started following in his father’s footsteps. “Flying was just the Tippin thing to do. I started working at the airport when I was fourteen; I flew solo and got my private license at 16; got my commercial and multi-IFR at 18,” he told Aviation Pros in 2011.
By the time he was 19, Aaron was well on his way to success, having recorded over 2,500 hours as a corporate pilot. However, despite what looked like a promising future in aviation, Aaron’s dreams were abruptly cut short by the energy crisis that ravaged America in the ’70s. “When I saw Delta furloughing senior captains, I thought, ‘Man, I’m not going to make it.’ I decided I’d do something that I liked next best,” he recounted in an interview with Airport Journals.
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Although he was forced to abandon his dreams, the country singer has continued to preach the gospel of aviation, particularly to the younger generation. “They need to know the history including the efforts of the Wright brothers, Amelia Earhart, and other aviation pioneers,” he explained in the interview with Aviation Pros. Unsurprisingly, in 2021, Aaron launched Tennessee Flying Machines, an aviation business providing services ranging from aircraft sales, aircraft maintenance, and discovery rides, as seen on its website.
