by Harrison Ford: A Passion for Flight, Conservation, and Craftsmanship
Harrison Ford is one of Hollywood’s most iconic and beloved actors, known worldwide for his roles in massive blockbuster franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones. However, beyond his illustrious acting career, Ford has several personal interests and passions that have defined much of his life outside of the movie business. Aviation, environmental conservation, and carpentry are three key areas that Ford has dedicated significant time and effort to over the decades. Each one provides insight into facets of Ford’s character beyond what audiences see on the big screen.
Aviation: A Lifelong Love of Flight
Ford’s love of aviation began at a young age. As a teenager in the 1960s, he took his first flight lesson and was immediately hooked. He earned his private pilot’s license in 1964 while still in high school. Over the ensuing decades, Ford continued honing his piloting skills, eventually earning licenses for multi-engine aircraft, seaplanes, and helicopters.
Aviation remained a personal passion even as his acting career took off. In the 1970s and 80s, as Ford was shooting the first Star Wars and Indiana Jones films that would make him a global superstar, he would often fly himself to filming locations. This allowed him the freedom and flexibility to come and go as needed for shooting schedules.
By the 1990s, Ford had amassed hundreds of hours of flight experience and owned several planes of his own, including a de Havilland Beaver seaplane. However, it was in 2015 that his love of aviation faced one of its greatest challenges. While landing his personal Ryan PT-22 Recruit at Santa Monica Airport, Ford mistakenly landed on a taxiway instead of the runway and collided with a jet bridge. The accident was attributed to Ford becoming disoriented in unfamiliar airspace. He emerged with only minor injuries but was left shaken by the experience.
However, it did not dampen Ford’s passion for flying. After the incident, he worked with the National Transportation Safety Board to raise awareness on pilot disorientation. He also continued taking to the skies in his aircraft whenever time allowed. In the years since, Ford has logged thousands of hours of flight experience across various aircraft types. He has said that taking to the skies provides a sense of freedom and escape from the pressures of his Hollywood career and fame.
Aviation is truly a deep personal passion for Ford that has endured for decades. It remains one of the primary ways he relaxes and finds solace outside of his work as an actor. Fans are sometimes surprised to learn the action star is also a highly experienced and skilled pilot, but flying has been a defining interest in Ford’s life from a young age up to the present.
Conservation: A Commitment to Environmental Stewardship
In addition to aviation, Harrison Ford is deeply passionate about environmental conservation. He has served on the board of directors for several prominent nonprofit conservation groups and lent his celebrity platform to raise awareness on issues like climate change, endangered species protection, and sustainable land use.
One of the first organizations Ford got involved with in the 1990s was the Nature Conservancy, a global environmental nonprofit focused on land and water conservation. He has since traveled to conservation projects the group supports around the world and narrated documentaries to promote their work.
More recently, Ford has taken on a leadership role with Conservation International. As Vice Chair of CI’s board of directors since 2000, he has advocated for protecting forests, oceans, and biodiversity in places like the Amazon and Indonesia. He also helps raise millions of dollars annually to support the group’s science-based conservation efforts.
In addition to serving on boards, Ford has also lent his voice to PSAs and public messaging campaigns on issues like climate change mitigation. He believes that as someone with a large public platform, it’s important to use his celebrity to raise awareness. In a 2016 interview, Ford said: “I feel an obligation as a public citizen to try and persuade people that we’re in a situation that requires attention and action.”
When not filming movies, Ford frequently travels with conservation groups into the field for first-hand looks at projects. He’s trekked through rainforests and reefs to better understand environmental challenges and solutions. Combining his passion for adventure and the outdoors with a commitment to environmental stewardship, Ford truly walks the walk when it comes to conservation advocacy. It’s an interest that shows no signs of slowing as he dedicates more time and resources to protecting the planet.
Carpentry: A Lifelong Love of Working with Wood
Perhaps the most surprising of Harrison Ford’s personal passions is his love of carpentry. An interest that began in his youth has grown into a true craftsmanship that Ford still pursues to this day. As a young man just starting out in Hollywood in the 1960s, Ford took carpentry jobs between acting roles to make ends meet. He learned the trade from the ground up – from framing and finishing to cabinetry and furniture making.
Over the decades, carpentry became more than just a way to pay bills during lean times. Ford developed a deep appreciation for working with wood and the satisfactions of tangible creation. He built much of the furniture and fixtures for his home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Even while filming blockbusters on location globally, Ford would work on carpentry projects in his downtime. Friends and colleagues recall him constantly whittling, sanding, or repairing something made of wood between shooting scenes.
Today in his late 70s, Ford’s carpentry skills are highly refined. He maintains a well-equipped workshop on his ranch and spends hours there most days. Complex furniture, detailed trim work, and precision joinery fill his days when not on a film set. Ford says working with his hands through carpentry provides a meditative escape from the pressures of Hollywood. It’s a craft he finds deeply rewarding and looks forward to pursuing as long as physically able.
Harrison Ford has even lent his skills to charitable causes. He’s helped build homes for disadvantaged families through Habitat for Humanity. Ford also donates unique wooden pieces like chairs, tables, and benches to be auctioned off to raise millions for conservation groups. Carpentry allows Ford to give back through his craft in between acting roles that continue well into his later years. It’s a lifelong passion that shows no signs of slowing as he ages.
More Than an Actor
Through a lifelong passion for aviation, environmental advocacy, and carpentry, Harrison Ford has proven there is far more to him than the swashbuckling heroes he portrays on-screen. Each pursuit provides insight into facets of his character and interests beyond his iconic acting career. Whether soaring the skies as a skilled pilot, trekking jungles as a conservation leader, or crafting furniture in his workshop, Ford leads an adventurous life filled with meaningful pursuits when he’s not in front of the camera.
At nearly 80 years old now, Ford continues exploring his passions as vigorously as ever. He serves as an inspiration that one is never too old to learn, grow, and find fulfillment through lifelong learning and experiences. Ford’s varied interests also remind fans that celebrities have full, multidimensional lives beyond their on-screen roles. While the world will likely always best know Harrison Ford as Han Solo or Indiana Jones, his passions for aviation, the environment, and carpentry reveal the rich inner life and character of the man behind the famous characters. They define Harrison Ford as more than just an actor – but a passionate adventurer who continues growing across many disciplines late into life.
