MOVIE NEWS – Tom Cruise, the man who seems to spend more time in the sky than on solid ground, has reached yet another milestone. Known for his dedication to performing Hollywood’s most extreme stunts—most of which involve being airborne—he has now received recognition from one of the most esteemed aviation institutions in the world.

On February 8, Tom Cruise was honored with the Grand Medaille by the Aero-Club de France, the oldest and most prestigious aeronautical organization in the world. The award, presented by Catherine Maunoury, acknowledges Cruise “for his significant contributions to aviation history and for inspiring future pilots.” It’s a testament to his love for flying and his relentless pursuit of adrenaline-pumping aerial feats.

The Grand Medaille is the highest distinction awarded by the Aero-Club de France, previously given to aviation pioneers such as the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh, and the legendary Apollo 11 and Apollo 13 astronauts, including Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert, and Fred Haise. Even Chuck Yeager, the first man to break the sound barrier, has received this honor—placing Cruise in an elite league of aviation greats.

Tom Cruise’s Death-Defying Mission: Impossible Stunts

The Mission: Impossible franchise is known for its intense spy missions, charismatic cast, and heart-stopping finales. But the biggest spectacle? Tom Cruise doing the impossible. Whether it’s scaling the Burj Khalifa in Ghost Protocol or pulling off an insane helicopter chase in Fallout, Cruise continues to raise the bar with each installment.

In Dead Reckoning Part One, he took things even further. After months of preparation—including motocross jumps and skydiving practice—Cruise pulled off a mind-blowing stunt: launching a motorcycle off a cliff and free-falling before deploying his parachute. He repeated this six times just to get the perfect shot.

And he’s not stopping there. As he gears up for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, one of his latest feats involves clinging to the wing of a 1930s Boeing Stearman biplane at 10,000 feet. In an interview with Empire, Cruise revealed:

“At 120-130 mph, you’re barely getting any oxygen. I had to train myself to breathe properly. At times, I physically blacked out and couldn’t make it back into the cockpit.”

Given Cruise’s passion for pushing limits, it’s no surprise that the Aero-Club de France chose to honor him. The award not only recognizes his contributions to aviation but also his fearless commitment to revolutionizing action filmmaking.

Source: MovieWeb