Sammy Hagar & his Challenger 300

Eagles Fly

Since those early days, his love for flying has grown exponentially. In the late 1980s, he briefly owned a small twin turboprop aircraft, though he rarely used it because it couldn’t fit the rest of his Van Halen bandmates. Hagar later went on to co-own a twin-engine business jet: “That changed the game for me,” he says. “The more I traveled cross-country in it, the deeper I fell in love with the experience.”

After seven years, Hagar made the leap towards full ownership. “I realized that, long term, owning the aircraft would cost roughly a fifth of what I was spending to charter one.” It was around this time that Hagar was introduced to the Challenger 300 aircraft.

He hitched a ride with a pilot friend who had put 10,000 hours on his Challenger 300 jet for business trips to Norway. “After that ride, I was hooked,” he says.

In 2012, Hagar linked up with Bombardier to begin shopping for a like-new Challenger 300 jet. His heart was set on a fully customized 2008 model that had only 220 hours on it: “The cabin was soundproof and had a custom black-and-white interior, which was damn rock ’n’ roll,” he says, grinning. “I was trying to play hard to get, but in my head I was thinking: Sold.”

When It’s Love

It’s been six years since Hagar took delivery of his Challenger 300 aircraft. Now in his 70s, one could forgive the Red Rocker for slowing down, but he remains at the top of his game thanks to a wide range of successful endeavors, including multiple restaurant franchises, world-renowned rum and tequila brands, a New York Times bestselling autobiography, a music-themed travel TV series, and charities supporting everything from food banks to children’s hospitals.

He also continues to write and release music with his bands, Chickenfoot, the Waboritas and the Circle, and regularly performs both new and classic material at major venues, like his annual star-studded birthday bash in Cabo San Lucas. “The plane really allows it all to happen,” he says, crediting its ability to not only simplify his demanding schedule but also accommodate a sanctuary space for creativity and downtime.

“If I’m in songwriting mode, my plane’s the best place for me to concentrate,” he says. “I’m in a space where nobody’s going to interrupt my creativity.” In 2013, Hagar developed “All We Need Is an Island” on flights to and from Hawaii, and “Father Sun” came to be during a flight back from Tahiti.

From a logistics standpoint, Hagar concedes that if it wasn’t for his jet, his music career would look very different. “At my age and with my schedule, I don’t have the bandwidth to tour, but my plane allows me to do two shows at a time – anywhere in the country – and then come home to recharge and work on other stuff.”

With this approach, Hagar can do just enough shows to stay sharp and connected to his fans (not to mention keep his band and crew engaged and working) without losing focus on other demanding projects. Take Santo Mezquila, for example, whose producers, distributors and spokespeople are scattered all over California and Mexico. “Adam Levine and I are in Mexico for a photo shoot,” says Hagar. “This morning I jumped in my plane in San Francisco, where I live, picked up Adam in L.A., flew to Mexico for this shoot, and we’ll be back home in time for dinner. I could never do something like this without the jet.”

Hagar also stresses that it’s about more than the jet itself – it’s the relationship. “I’ve purchased other luxury items in my day. Some brands will make you feel like they’re doing you a huge favor, but Bombardier wanted to work with me.” Of course, working with Hagar’s busy schedule is no small feat – but with a little effort, it’s easy to keep him on track.

A version of this article appeared in Issue 29 of Experience magazine published on October 9, 2017.