'Top Gun: Maverick' Star Jay Ellis Wants Pilot License Like Tom Cruise

For Jay Ellis, flying commercial feels super boring after filming scenes in real fighter jets with Tom Cruise ... but he's already working on finding that cockpit thrill again.

When we got the "Top Gun: Maverick" star at LAX he made it clear he's laser-focused on getting his pilot license. Or, in 'Top Gun' speak ... Jay feels the need for speed!

He and the rest of the cast "pilots" trained for months in different aircraft, advancing to the F-18 Super Hornet and even getting launched from an aircraft carrier. Jay says it was Maverick -- aka Tom -- who cooked up the training program.

Tom is, famously, a licensed pilot himself, and Jay -- who plays "Payback" in the blockbuster -- wants to follow suit, and since he already has a head start on training ... he wants to go the distance.

It's safe to say Jay's hooked on flying -- you gotta see him light up telling us the experience of feeling all those G-forces while filming.

Jay's pretty confident he could fly our photog up the Cali coast, but it sounds like he needs more practice when it comes to getting back on the ground.