Tom Cruise flies his own helicopter on Mission: Impossible 7 set as heart-racing Hayley Atwell stunts make for action-packed day

Tom Cruise found a new adrenaline rush as he flew his own helicopter on-set of Mission: Impossible 7 this week. 

It was a particularly action-packed day as filming for the sequel got underway in Yorkshire on Wednesday, with both Tom and his co-star Hayley Atwell involved in some heart-racing stunts. 

The Hollywood star, who will be reprising his role as Ethan Hunt in the anticipated sequel, was spotted cruising along the English skies and, because it’s Tom Cruise, he was firmly in the pilot’s seat taking control of the aircraft. 

It’s not clear if Tom was practicing flying for an upcoming scene or if he was simply going for a casual spin around the block during some downtime, but the actor was seen wearing a face mask which we’re guessing isn’t part of the script. 

On more slightly steady ground, Hayley – or her stunt double – was seen jumping from one train to another mid-scene and it’s definitely enough to make your stomach drop. 

Hayley, 39, and Tom, 58, arrived in the town of Pickering, Yorkshire earlier this week with the whole MI7 crew in tow. 

Sarah Jones, who runs the nearby Pear Tree House bed and breakfast, told SWNS that it was a ‘lovely surprise’ to see Tom filming in the local area. 

She says the Hollywood star arrived by helicopter while she was on her daily walk with her dog and was ‘extremely friendly’ and waved at other dog-walkers who happened to be in the same field when he landed. 

Tom is said to have waved and smiled at onlookers, commenting that the British weather was ‘lovely’ that day, before he was whisked off in a black BMW.

The Pear Tree B&B also posted: ‘We were walking the dogs today and bumped into Tom Cruise! Not only do we love Pickering and our stunning countryside but it was chosen for filming TC’s new film!’

In recent months, Tom was also busy filming Top Gun: Maverick, a sequel in yet another of his blockbuster franchises. 

The actor recently revealed that, despite often breaking bones, he’s been told to stop smiling while shooting his own stunts. 

Speaking on The Graham Norton Show, he said: ‘I am a very physical actor and I love doing them. ‘I study and train and take a lot of time figuring it all out. I have broken a lot of bones.

‘The first time of any stunt is nerve-racking but it also exhilarating. I have been told a few times during shooting a stunt to stop smiling.’

Mission: Impossible 7 is set for release in May 2022. 

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