The Pilot Who Flew Jimmy Buffett, and 60 Years of Stories From the Cockpit

Most of us see a flight from seat 14C. We board, buckle up, and trust that someone up front knows exactly what they're doing. Len Curreri has spent more than sixty years as that someone.

In Hidden Runways: A Memoir From the Cockpit and Beyond, Curreri opens the cockpit door on a remarkable career in aviation, from Navy service during the Vietnam War to decades in private aviation, flying some of the most famous people in the world. That includes music legends like Jimmy Buffett and members of the Grateful Dead, along with influential business leaders in the United States and Europe.

The numbers alone tell you what kind of pilot Curreri is. He has logged more than 21,000 flying hours in over 100 different types of aircraft. He served as a U.S. Navy aviation officer with Attack Squadron 146, known as the Blue Diamonds, during the period of the Gulf of Tonkin incident. He holds an FAA Airline Transport Pilot certificate, the highest level of pilot certification, with sixteen original type ratings, and he has written white papers on pilot performance and ETOPS. That last term is worth explaining: ETOPS refers to the special rules that allow twin-engine aircraft to fly long routes far from the nearest airport, such as across oceans, and it's one of the most demanding areas of aviation safety.

For fans of Jimmy Buffett, the book offers something special. Curreri managed the fleet of Air Margaritaville jets, airplanes, and seaplanes and was responsible for training Buffett himself on his Falcon 50 and Falcon 900 jets. Buffett's love of flying was no gimmick. He was a passionate pilot who flew his own seaplanes and wove aviation into many of his songs and stories. Curreri gives readers a rare, close-up view of that side of Buffett's life, and of the friendship that grew between the singer and the pilot who helped keep him in the air. For the millions of Parrotheads who still miss Buffett since his death in 2023, these stories are a genuine gift.

But Hidden Runways is much more than celebrity anecdotes. Curreri explores the real complexity of piloting: the constant decisions, the weather that doesn't cooperate, the mechanical surprises, and the enormous responsibility of carrying people safely from one place to another. He writes about the unusual relationships pilots form with high-profile passengers, who often trust them with their lives and their privacy. And he reflects on the personal growth, unforgettable encounters, and hard-earned lessons that shaped a life spent above the clouds.

There's something deeply educational about seeing aviation through the eyes of someone who has done it for so long. Most passengers never think about what goes into a flight: the planning, the checklists, the judgment calls made in seconds, and the culture of safety that makes flying one of the safest ways to travel. Curreri brings all of that to life in a way that's accessible and engaging, whether you're a pilot yourself or someone who still grips the armrest on takeoff.

When he's not in the air, Curreri divides his time between Scituate, Massachusetts, and Parkland, Florida, with Elli, his wife of more than fifty-four years.

Hidden Runways is a compelling read for aviation enthusiasts, Jimmy Buffett and Grateful Dead fans, history buffs, veterans, and anyone fascinated by the remarkable stories that unfold far beyond the view of ordinary passengers. Whether he's recounting a dramatic flight or a quiet moment at altitude, Curreri captures the spirit of a life devoted to the sky.

Hidden Runways: A Memoir From the Cockpit and Beyond by Len Curreri is available now in paperback and hardcover.