Sir Elton John and his family were involved in a tense aviation incident last week after the singer’s private jet narrowly avoided a potentially dangerous bird strike during take-off from Farnborough Airport in Hampshire.
The close call occurred on Friday, January 23, as the Boeing 737 prepared to depart for Paris. According to pilot Duncan Gillespie, the aircraft was accelerating down the runway when a large bird of prey — described as a “huge hawk” — suddenly dived towards the plane just moments before it became airborne.
Footage later shared from inside the cockpit captured the split-second decision-making that followed. As the jet approached its critical take-off speed, Mr Gillespie can be heard reacting to the unexpected danger, saying “delay… bird… oh s**t”. Moments later, after safely lifting off, he adds “we’d have whacked”, with his co-pilot responding: “F***ing falcon, that was a big a** bird!”
In a detailed post shared on Facebook, Mr Gillespie explained why the situation was particularly serious. “I had to make a judgment call yesterday, getting airborne out of Farnborough airport and I’m not shy to share it with you,” he wrote. “Taking off with a 25 knot crosswind, we were just passing our V1 decision speed, after which I’m obliged to take off, when I saw a huge hawk diving at us – there were two of them, I think he was protecting his mate.”
In commercial aviation, V1 speed marks the point at which a pilot must continue the take-off even if a problem occurs, as stopping the aircraft safely is no longer guaranteed. Mr Gillespie said that despite being just beyond that threshold, he made an “unorthodox” call to delay lifting off. “For the first time in my flying career I made the decision to delay getting airborne to pass under the bird,” he explained. “My colleague and I were both of the clear opinion that if we’d have rotated when we should have we’d have taken the hawk through the left hand engine.”
Bird strikes are a known risk in aviation, particularly during take-off and landing when aircraft are travelling at high speeds close to the ground. While most encounters involve smaller birds, collisions with large birds of prey can cause significant engine damage, occasionally forcing emergency landings. Airports typically use wildlife control measures, but incidents can still occur unexpectedly.
Mr Gillespie later reflected on the human element involved in the decision. “Now this is the kind of decision only a human could make; there’s no way a machine could ever make such a decision.”
Sir Elton John, who was reportedly calm throughout the incident, was travelling with family members at the time. The singer has frequently used private aviation while touring and travelling internationally, particularly in recent years as he balances work commitments with family life.
The flight ultimately continued without further issue, but the footage and pilot’s account have since drawn attention online, with many praising the crew’s quick thinking. While no injuries were reported and the aircraft was unharmed, the incident serves as a stark reminder of how rapidly conditions can change during even routine flights — and how crucial experience can be in preventing disaster.
WATCH: Elton John Is Turning His Kneecaps Into Jewellery
Elton John has revealed one of the most unconventional fashion statements of his career, sharing how he transformed parts of his own kneecaps into bespoke jewellery following major surgery.
The music icon underwent a double knee replacement in 2024, a procedure that marked another chapter in a long line of health challenges for the 77-year-old performer. Rather than letting the operation fade quietly into his medical history, Elton chose to immortalise it — quite literally — by turning fragments of bone into wearable art.
Speaking in a short documentary released last year exploring how gold has influenced his life both on and off stage, Elton recounted the moment he made the unusual request. “When I had my kneecaps removed, the left one first and then the right, I asked my surgeon if I could keep the kneecaps, which he was rather startled about,” he said. Determined to give the bones a second life, Elton then contacted acclaimed jewellery designer Theo Fennell to bring the idea to fruition.
Elton went on to describe the surprisingly technical process required to turn bone into a finished piece of jewellery. “We had to bake them to dry them out,” he explained. “Then they get raw like pumice stone, they’re very porous, and so we had to paint them with acetate and then just polish them up.” The result was a gold-framed necklace containing a preserved fragment of bone — an item as personal as it is provocative.
Holding up the necklace, Elton pointed out its origins with characteristic candour. “My right kneecap. That’s my right patella. My surgeon said I had the worst knees he’s ever operated on,” he revealed. He also noted a natural indentation in the bone itself, adding, “That hole was actually in my kneecap. It looks a bit like an old artefact from Egypt.”
Elton praised Fennell’s craftsmanship throughout the project, saying the designer “brilliantly had the necklace chain made out of bones,” before adding: “I honestly think these are timeless pieces that will last for centuries.” The finished jewellery reflects not just Elton’s love of bold design, but his long-standing fascination with objects that carry history and meaning.
For Fennell, the project was about embracing the spirit of the idea rather than shying away from its strangeness. “I just thought it would be more fun to have a necklace that reflected the thing at the end of it,” he said.
The back of the necklace is engraved with a Latin phrase translating to “I will no longer bow to any man.” Fennell joked about the symbolism, adding: “Which of course you can’t do with a kneecap missing.”
The piece stands as a typically unapologetic expression of Elton John’s personality — blending resilience, humour and theatrical flair — and turning even major surgery into a statement of defiance and self-expression.
Elton John Says Losing Eyesight Has Been 'Devastating'
Elton John has described his struggles with his eyesight as "devastating".
Speaking to Variety, the singer revealed that celebrity friends including Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger have stayed in touch, checking in with him as he deals with the trauma of losing his sight in one eye.
The singer stated that he "lost my right eye and my left eye’s not so good" but he is hopeful that "some day science will help me with this one".
"It’s been devastating", Elton John continued. "The last 15 months have been challenging for me because I haven’t been able to see anything, watch anything, read anything".
John added: "I’ve had the most incredible life, and there is hope. I’ve just got to be patient that some day science will help me with this one".
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The singer explained that he prefers staying in touch with friends and fellow singers Chappell Roan and Brandi Carlile online, rather than in person, as it is easier to see them on screen.
"The thing with my iPad is, I can actually see someone close up," he said. "So I often call Chappell, and of course I always call Brandi because she’s one of my best friends".
"Paul McCartney FaceTimes me to see how I’m doing. It’s really beautiful. The love I’ve received from him and from Pete Townshend and Mick Jagger and people like that has been amazing".
He added: "You just have to grin and bear it. It does get me down sometimes".
Elton John's partner, David Furnish, did tell the outlet that experts had managed to make "some improvements in his left eye".
"What AI is doing for medicine and science alone is astonishing. And there’s all kinds of interesting new theories and breakthroughs", the filmmaker said, who has two children with Elton John.
The Candle In The Wind singer had previously spoken about his eye issues in December last year. Find out more here.
Despite these problems, Elton John had recently confirmed that he would headline Rock In Rio 2026. More on this story here.
Elton John Marks 35 Years of Sobriety
It is rare, precious, even, to witness a moment of such raw, vulnerable clarity from one of pop culture’s most gloriously extravagant figures. But on the 35th anniversary of his sobriety, Sir Elton John, 78, stepped away from the theatrics, the lights, and the legacy to offer something far more profound: a moment of unguarded, human gratitude.
Posting to Instagram on July 29, Elton didn’t bask in self-congratulation. Instead, he shone the spotlight on those who helped him get here. “Grateful for all the love on my sobriety birthday,” he wrote alongside an image of the cards and flowers that marked the occasion. And while fans flooded the comments with love, it was the card in the foreground – signed by husband David Furnish and sons Zachary (14) and Elijah (12) – that stopped hearts cold. “Happy 35th Birthday! We are so proud of you!” it read.
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This wasn’t Sir Elton the icon. This was Elton the father, the husband, the survivor. It’s easy to forget how close we came to losing him. “I would have an epileptic seizure and turn blue,” he once told Piers Morgan, recalling the depths of his cocaine addiction. “And then 40 minutes later I’d be snorting another line.” That he lived through it is astonishing. That he built a second life, one full of love, purpose, and clarity, borders on the miraculous.
Asked what he’d tell his younger self, he answered without hesitation: “Never take drugs.” There’s no romanticising the journey. No tortured artist nonsense. Just hard-won wisdom and deep regret: “It took me down. And when I recovered, I had to go through that journey to become the person I am.”
Now, that person is a father who melts when he speaks of his children. “They are our life,” he said of Zachary and Elijah. “The biggest challenge… is being a parent. And it’s the most wonderful challenge you’ll ever have.”
