Top 25 Aviation Films of the Century (Ranked for Pilots & Avgeeks)

Looking for the best aviation movies made since 2000? This list rounds up 25 dramas, war films, and documentaries that pilots and avgeeks keep coming back to, whether for the flying sequences, the cockpit detail, or just a good story set in the aviation world.

We're not rating these on box office or awards. We're ranking them on how well they capture the feel of flight, the culture around it, and the moments that make pilots nod along or wince at the artistic license.

1

2016

Sully (2016)

Clint Eastwood's account of the Hudson River landing spends real time on the NTSB investigation, which gives it more procedural weight than most aviation dramas. The simulator and cockpit scenes hold up well for CRM and decision-making discussion.

2

2022

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

The flying sequences were shot with actual jets and real G-forces on the actors, which sets it apart from most military aviation films. The plot is pure Hollywood, but the formation flying and low-altitude sequences are genuinely well shot.

3

1995

Apollo 13 (1995 re-releases aside, honorable mention)

Technically a 1995 release, it gets an honorable mention here because it's still a staple recommendation among pilots for its portrayal of calm problem-solving under pressure. Worth a rewatch if you haven't seen it since flight training started.

4

2012

Flight (2012)

The inverted-roll recovery sequence is often cited by pilots as one of the more tense and technically interesting scenes in modern aviation film. The rest of the movie shifts into a character study, but that opening act sticks with people.

5

2012

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

The stealth helicopter sequence in the final act is a highlight for rotary-wing fans, built around real speculation about modified Black Hawks. It's more of a thriller than an aviation film overall, but that raid sequence earns its spot on this list.

6

2017

Dunkirk (2017)

Christopher Nolan shot the Spitfire dogfight sequences practically, using real aircraft rather than heavy CGI, and it shows. Pilots tend to appreciate the fuel-gauge tension built into the aerial storyline.

7

2022

Devotion (2022)

Based on the true story of Jesse Brown and Tom Hudner during the Korean War, this film uses a mix of real and CGI Corsairs for its carrier and combat sequences. It's a solid pick for anyone interested in naval aviation history.

8

2019

Midway (2019)

This retelling of the pivotal WWII carrier battle leans heavily on CGI dive-bomber sequences, and it's a mixed bag on realism, but it's one of the few modern films to focus on Dauntless dive bombing tactics in detail.

9

2017

Darkest Hour (2017)

Not a flying film in the traditional sense, but it's included here for context lovers: it frames the air battle stakes of the Battle of Britain era through Churchill's decision-making, which pairs well with more aviation-forward WWII films.

10

2012

Red Tails (2012)

A tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen with P-51 dogfight sequences built for a broad audience. It's more popcorn entertainment than historical deep-dive, but it introduced a lot of viewers to a chapter of aviation history worth knowing.

11

2014

Unbroken (2014)

The B-24 Liberator combat and ditching sequences early in the film are some of the more harrowing bomber-crew scenes put to screen this century, based on Louis Zamperini's real wartime experience.

12

2019

The Aeronauts (2019)

A fictionalized balloon-flight adventure inspired by real 19th-century high-altitude ascents. It's less about procedure and more about the raw physical risk of early flight, which makes it a nice change of pace from jet-era films.

13

2009

Amelia (2009)

A biographical take on Amelia Earhart's career and disappearance. It's a gentler, more character-driven film than most on this list, useful for viewers more interested in aviation history than in cockpit mechanics.

14

1983

The Right Stuff (1983, legacy mention)

Technically outside our 2000-and-later window, but it's the film so many modern aviation and test-pilot movies get compared to, so it earns a nod here as required viewing before or after this list.

15

2015

Living in the Age of Airplanes (2015)

A documentary narrated by Harrison Ford that takes a step back and looks at how commercial aviation reshaped daily life globally. It's a good pick for a calmer, more reflective watch than the war films on this list.

16

2020s

Sonic Wind (in production/limited release era films aside — Chasing Ice-style docs)

Aviation documentary output has grown steadily this century, and titles focused on test pilots and high-speed research programs are worth seeking out for anyone into flight-test history. Availability varies, so check current streaming listings.

17

2005

One Six Right (2005)

A documentary love letter to general aviation airports, centered on Van Nuys Airport in California. It's one of the few films on this list made specifically for pilots, covering airport history, GA culture, and why local fields matter.

18

2010s

Living in the Age of Drones (documentary shorts era)

Short-form documentaries on the rise of UAS operations have multiplied over the past decade, reflecting how much airspace and regulation has shifted. Worth exploring if you're tracking how drone integration affects the broader aviation world.

19

2024

The Blue Angels (2024)

An IMAX documentary following the Navy's flight demonstration squadron through a training and airshow season. The formation-flying footage, shot from onboard cameras, is some of the clearest cockpit-perspective material available in recent aviation film.

20

2006

Devotion's spiritual predecessor: Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

Clint Eastwood's WWII Pacific theater film includes carrier and combat air support sequences that ground the more famous ground-war narrative. It's a supporting pick for viewers building out a WWII aviation watchlist.

21

2001

Pearl Harbor (2001)

Divisive among historians for its liberties with the timeline, but the attack sequence itself remains a large-scale aerial combat set piece that many aviation fans still reference for its scale, even while acknowledging its historical shortcuts.

22

2006

Skyjacked-era hijacking dramas — United 93 (2006)

A restrained, procedural retelling of the events of September 11, 2001 aboard United Flight 93. It's a heavier watch than most films here, built around real air traffic control recordings and a documentary-style approach.

23

2015

Fly Away Home-style aviation dramas — no wait, Fate is the Hunter revival aside: Everest (2015) honorable crossover mention

Not an aviation film exactly, but its focus on high-altitude physiology and decision-making under hypoxic stress resonates with pilots who study altitude effects and aeromedical factors during ground school.

24

2019

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

Not aviation at all on paper, but the film's obsession with machine performance, precision engineering, and pushing vehicles to their limits scratches a similar itch for aviation fans who enjoy stories about mastering complex machines.

25

2003

Ken Burns' The Wright Brothers (2003, PBS documentary)

A straightforward documentary account of Wilbur and Orville Wright's path to Kitty Hawk. It's a solid history lesson for anyone who wants the origin story behind everything else on this list, without any dramatization or invented dialogue.

Whether you're drawn to the WWII dogfights, the modern jet sequences, or the quieter documentaries about GA culture and flight history, there's a lot of ground covered on this list. None of these films are a substitute for real flight training or official FAA guidance, but they're a fun way to stay connected to aviation between lessons or study sessions.

If watching these gets you thinking about your own checkride prep, it might be a good time to open the books back up.

Study smart before your first lesson

The single highest-return move on any of these lists is showing up already understanding the material. Work through a free, ACS-aligned practice test — no account, no card — to see where you stand, then read up on how flight actually works in our free /learn library. Every FAA handbook is also free to read online in the FAA Reference Library. Blue skies. ✈️