“They won’t allow me to fly”: Stupidly Simple Reason Why Star Trek: TNG Forbade Michael Dorn From Going Airborne
Michael Dorn played the iconic role of Lieutenant Worf in Star Trek: The Next Generation, marking the first Klingon to appear as a main character in the series. Dorn is also a pilot and wanted to fly in Star Trek despite Paramount forbidding him. Dorn stated in a 1997 interview with Peter Anthony Holder:
When I do the film, I can’t fly. They won’t allow me to fly. But the TV show is different. I can fly during the TV show. It made a few people nervous, but not really. There’s a lot of actors and a lot of people that fly in and out of the business. But they just want to make sure they guard their investment during the movie.
At the time of the interview, Dorn had over 8 years of experience flying airplanes and even owned a few himself. Unfortunately, to mitigate financial liabilities, Dorn wasn’t allowed to fly in Star Trek. Plus, there were other reasons, too.
Dorn’s TNG Role Catered More to Strategy Than Flying
Worf, the Klingon security officer, rarely needed the opportunity to pilot a ship. His duties were more to do with using his experience and wit to come up with effective strategies against the enemy. Here are a few important details of the show.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s Original Run | September 28, 1987 – May 23, 1994 (7 seasons, 178 episodes) |
| Creator | Gene Roddenberry |
| Showrunners | Rick Berman (later seasons), Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor |
| Notable Awards | 18 Emmys, including Outstanding Drama Series (1993) |
The tactical officer was far from helm navigation, offering his brain for combat, strategy, and bridge operations. The narrative of flight-based characters was given to Data or Sulu, while Worf’s combat experience served as great advice for battles like phaser fights and bat’leth duels.
The Worf Actor Is a “speed freak” in Real Life
In an interview with CNET, the pilot Michael Dorn spoke about the piece of Star Trek he wished existed today:
I’d like a warp drive. I’m a speed freak. I love jets, and the faster the better. To take off from where I live and go around the moon in 10 minutes or so, that’d be pretty cool.
Elaborating on his speed freakiness, Dorn told CNET he got a Tesla S and enjoyed the thought of smoking everybody else on a freeway.
Perhaps it was a good decision to keep Dorn away from flying anything on set, given his proclivity for speed. The character remains a beloved member of the show.
What do you think of Paramount’s decision to forbid Dorn from flying?
Star Trek: The Next Generation is currently streaming on Paramount+.
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