Edging both Carson Wentz and defensive lineman Gary Larsen out, Phil Hansen is the NFL king of North Dakota. Hailing from Oakes, North Dakota, Phil Hansen played his collegiate football in his home state at North Dakota State University where he set regular-season records for most sack (41) and pass break ups (32). Despite starting on two Division II National Championship teams in 1988 and 1990, Hansen was selected 54th overall by the Buffalo Bills in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft.
The agile defensive end went on to play all eleven seasons of his NFL career with the Buffalo Bills and was an intergal contributor to the team's final two consecutive trips to the Super Bowl from 1992-1994. Surprisingly, Hansen was never able to notch any Pro Bowl honors despite racking up a total of 634 tackles and 61.5 sacks throughout his lengthy career. A little more than decade after retiring in 2001, Hansen ran as a Republican for Minnesota in 2012. Unfortunately, he lost a close race to Kent Eken, but we're positive Hansen wouldn't lose to him on the football field.
When you fly by private jet charter, you experience travel comfort known only to those who know private jets. And nothing illustrates this luxury better than celebrity private jets. Stars with their own private aircraft fly fancy.
John Travolta, the star of 70s cult movies like “Grease” and “Saturday Night Fever”, is not only one of the most famous Hollywood actors, but also one of the best celebrity pilots. John Travolta is a bonafide aviation enthusiast with five private planes total, which he parks on his front lawn. His most impressive aircraft is a customized Boeing 707-138 (as pictured above), a beast of a plane that he acquired in 1998 upon his promotion to an honorary pilot of Qantas, the Australian airline.
Oprah Winfrey’s production company HARPO bought her custom-built Global Express XRS VIP business jet to provide the media mogul and her associates with maximum aviation comfort. Oprah’s private jet features designer fixtures in the bathroom and galley, along with an exquisite all-leather interior. The aircraft was designed by Bombardier Aerospace to perform as a premier long-range business jet. Custom design allowed for an enhanced cabin layout with nine cushy leather seats, aesthetically-placed lighting, and additional luxury amenities. The jet cruises through the air at high speeds, made possible by two Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofan engines, which produce enough power to send HARPO clear across the map with only one refuel stop
Tom Cruise played an elite naval fighter jet pilot in the blockbuster movie “Top Gun”, and he now indulges his real love for flying in his own Gulfstream IV, one of the finest celebrity private jets around. Cruise’s beautiful business jet accommodates up to 19 passengers, providing comfort and class with state-of-the-art furnishings and aircraft technology. The jet even automatically refreshes the air inside the cabin every two minutes. Designed by Gulfstream Aerospace, Cruise’s jet is powered by two Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8 engines, propelling the aircraft to a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet over a maximum range of 7,820 km, zipping through the air at speeds up to Mach 0.80.
Mark Cuban, business mogul and owner of the Dallas Mavericks, landed himself in the Guinness Book of World Records for purchasing his Boeing 767-277 online in 1999, making “the largest single e-commerce transaction”. Cuban modified the jet with large, custom seats to give his team’s lengthy players plenty of room while flying.