NEED TO KNOW<\/h3>\n\n- \n\n
On Sept. 4, Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos shared a selfie from a helicopter cockpit on her Instagram story<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n\n
The former journalist got her pilot’s license when she was 40-years-old<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
- \n\n
Last year, S\u00e1nchez Bezos opened up about her love of flying with PEOPLE<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It\u2019s up, up and away for Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos<\/a>!<\/p>\nOn Thursday, Sept. 4, the former journalist gave Instagram followers a glimpse at her helicopter piloting skills with a post to her Stories<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cCollective up \ud83d\ude81,\u201d the 55-year-old wrote in the onscreen caption.<\/p>\n
In the photo, she sports a pair of aviation headphones and a lightly tinted pair of aviator sunglasses. Viewers get a small glimpse of blue water, docked boats and palm trees off in the distance through the aircraft’s window.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\nLauren Sanchez\/Instagram<\/p>\n
Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos’ selfie posted to her Instagram Stories on Sept. 4<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
This is far from S\u00e1nchez Bezos\u2019 first time in the cockpit. Following her career in television news, the former Extra <\/em>host went on to get her pilot\u2019s license and start her aviation business.<\/p>\n\u201cI was always around aviation,<\/a>\u201d the mom of three<\/a> who married Amazon founder Jeff Bezos<\/a> in June, told PEOPLE last year about her childhood in Albuquerque, where her parents owned a flight school.<\/p>\n\u201cOne day I told my dad, \u2018I think I want to learn to fly,\u2019 \u201c S\u00e1nchez Bezos recalled. \u201cIt may have been the best day of his life.\u201d<\/p>\n
When the Emmy award-winner was 40-years-old, her dad helped her find an instructor in California. Eventually she got her license and soon after, she created Black Ops Aviation<\/a>, a female-owned and operated aerial filming company.<\/p>\n\n![\"Lauren](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/E7LVigdJDmrAw2MBqPT36g--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTcwNTtoPTg4MTtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/0ccb8b0ba687fd1659a6b9b04be36bb0\"\/)
<\/div>\n\nLauren Sanchez\/Instagram<\/p>\n
Lauren S\u00e1nchez piloting a helicopter.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
According to a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/a>, S\u00e1nchez Bezos worked as a consultant on Christopher Nolan<\/a>\u2019s Dunkirk<\/em><\/a>. At the time, she had recently finished working on Catherine Hardwicke<\/a>\u2019s Miss Bala<\/em>, starring Gina Rodriguez<\/a>.<\/p>\n“It was an incredible experience because I think only 3% of helicopter pilots were women at the time,” S\u00e1nchez Bezos said. “Now I think it’s about 6%.”<\/p>\n
In August 2024, S\u00e1nchez Bezos celebrated her son Evan\u2019s first solo helicopter flight<\/a> with a now deleted post on Instagram.<\/p>\n\u201cThere\u2019s a special kind of trust that comes when you watch your kid take off on their own for the first time,\u201d S\u00e1nchez Bezos wrote about her son, 19, in the caption. \u201cIt\u2019s about letting go, but also knowing they\u2019re more than ready. It\u2019s terrifying, exhilarating, and so deeply rewarding all at once.\u201d<\/p>\n\n![\"Lauren](\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/Gy2GnZehIS1E6xTjm_fUKw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTQyMDtoPTY0ODtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/people_218\/53ece63ddb237f051617f471cb926d58\"\/)
<\/div>\n\nLauren Sanchez\/Instagram<\/p>\n
Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos and son Evan after his first solo flight<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\u201cToday wasn\u2019t just about a solo flight, it was the beginning of something bigger, @evan_whitesell took a step forward into his own story,” she added. “So proud you \ud83e\udd0d\ud83d\ude81.\u201d<\/p>\n
Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\nS\u00e1nchez Bezos shares son Evan<\/a> and daughter Ella, 17, with her ex-husband and businessman Patrick Whitesell<\/a>. She also shares son Nikko<\/a>, 24, with her ex-boyfriend, former NFL player Tony Gonzalez<\/a>.\u00a0She married Jeff Bezos<\/a> in Venice in June 2025.<\/p>\nA love of flying also inspired S\u00e1nchez Bezos\u2019 first New York Times<\/em> bestselling children\u2019s book<\/a>, The Fly Who Flew to Space<\/em><\/a>. The story follows Flynn the fly, who gets caught in the cockpit of a rocket ship and then goes on a wild adventure through space.<\/p>\nRead the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
On Sept. 4, Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos shared a selfie from a helicopter cockpit on her Instagram story<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
The former journalist got her pilot’s license when she was 40-years-old<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n
Last year, S\u00e1nchez Bezos opened up about her love of flying with PEOPLE<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It\u2019s up, up and away for Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos<\/a>!<\/p>\n On Thursday, Sept. 4, the former journalist gave Instagram followers a glimpse at her helicopter piloting skills with a post to her Stories<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cCollective up \ud83d\ude81,\u201d the 55-year-old wrote in the onscreen caption.<\/p>\n In the photo, she sports a pair of aviation headphones and a lightly tinted pair of aviator sunglasses. Viewers get a small glimpse of blue water, docked boats and palm trees off in the distance through the aircraft’s window.<\/p>\n Lauren Sanchez\/Instagram<\/p>\n Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos’ selfie posted to her Instagram Stories on Sept. 4<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n This is far from S\u00e1nchez Bezos\u2019 first time in the cockpit. Following her career in television news, the former Extra <\/em>host went on to get her pilot\u2019s license and start her aviation business.<\/p>\n \u201cI was always around aviation,<\/a>\u201d the mom of three<\/a> who married Amazon founder Jeff Bezos<\/a> in June, told PEOPLE last year about her childhood in Albuquerque, where her parents owned a flight school.<\/p>\n \u201cOne day I told my dad, \u2018I think I want to learn to fly,\u2019 \u201c S\u00e1nchez Bezos recalled. \u201cIt may have been the best day of his life.\u201d<\/p>\n When the Emmy award-winner was 40-years-old, her dad helped her find an instructor in California. Eventually she got her license and soon after, she created Black Ops Aviation<\/a>, a female-owned and operated aerial filming company.<\/p>\n Lauren Sanchez\/Instagram<\/p>\n Lauren S\u00e1nchez piloting a helicopter.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n According to a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/a>, S\u00e1nchez Bezos worked as a consultant on Christopher Nolan<\/a>\u2019s Dunkirk<\/em><\/a>. At the time, she had recently finished working on Catherine Hardwicke<\/a>\u2019s Miss Bala<\/em>, starring Gina Rodriguez<\/a>.<\/p>\n “It was an incredible experience because I think only 3% of helicopter pilots were women at the time,” S\u00e1nchez Bezos said. “Now I think it’s about 6%.”<\/p>\n In August 2024, S\u00e1nchez Bezos celebrated her son Evan\u2019s first solo helicopter flight<\/a> with a now deleted post on Instagram.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a special kind of trust that comes when you watch your kid take off on their own for the first time,\u201d S\u00e1nchez Bezos wrote about her son, 19, in the caption. \u201cIt\u2019s about letting go, but also knowing they\u2019re more than ready. It\u2019s terrifying, exhilarating, and so deeply rewarding all at once.\u201d<\/p>\n Lauren Sanchez\/Instagram<\/p>\n Lauren S\u00e1nchez Bezos and son Evan after his first solo flight<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n \u201cToday wasn\u2019t just about a solo flight, it was the beginning of something bigger, @evan_whitesell took a step forward into his own story,” she added. “So proud you \ud83e\udd0d\ud83d\ude81.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/strong><\/p>\n S\u00e1nchez Bezos shares son Evan<\/a> and daughter Ella, 17, with her ex-husband and businessman Patrick Whitesell<\/a>. She also shares son Nikko<\/a>, 24, with her ex-boyfriend, former NFL player Tony Gonzalez<\/a>.\u00a0She married Jeff Bezos<\/a> in Venice in June 2025.<\/p>\n A love of flying also inspired S\u00e1nchez Bezos\u2019 first New York Times<\/em> bestselling children\u2019s book<\/a>, The Fly Who Flew to Space<\/em><\/a>. The story follows Flynn the fly, who gets caught in the cockpit of a rocket ship and then goes on a wild adventure through space.<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
<\/div>