Retired Marine Pilot Buys His Own Harrier Jet

At over 60 years of age, retired United States Marine Corps pilot Art Nalls was able to purchase and fly his own fighter jet after a successful venture in real estate.

It all started when Nalls began flying the Harrier Jet, during his time in the Marines, a plane that the military backed extensively. While not a fan of it at first, he soon fell in love with it. Following his retirement, he landed in real estate at the perfect time, but it still didn’t fulfill him. When he went to an air show, he found the excitement of flying a plane again and wondered if he could qualify as a civilian pilot.

Eventually, Nalls purchased a Yakovlev Yak-3 and used it at air shows. However, he found that the old plane he used to fly — the Harrier — was a bigger talk during those events. When he was able to purchase one, the real challenge began of restoring it and being able to fly it in civilian territory after spending 18 years away from the military.

Want to find out how Nalls did? Watch the AARP’s incredible story of a retired pilot that not only wanted to find that spark again, but to keep a part of US military history alive.