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William Shatner is scared of flying, turns down Virgin Galactic ride

It turns out Captain Kirk is afraid to fly, as William Shatner turned down a Virgin Galactic space flight.

By KRISTEN BUTLER, UPI.com
Actor William Shatner participates in the Official Star Trek Convention at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 12, 2012. (File/UPI/David Becker)
Actor William Shatner participates in the Official Star Trek Convention at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 12, 2012. (File/UPI/David Becker) | License Photo

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It turns out Captain Kirk is afraid of flying.

William Shatner, famous for playing Captain Kirk in the original "Star Trek" series, has turned down a flight on Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic space plane.

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''He actually said he's frightened of airline travel," Sir Richard told The Sun, "which is slightly disillusioning. Captain Kirk is scared of flying.''

Shatner, 82, said he was intrigued when he heard about the Virgin Galactic offer in 2011, but that rather than pay for a flight, someone would have to pay him.

''He [Branson] wanted me to go up and pay for it and I said, 'Hey, you pay me and I'll go. I'll risk my life for a large sum of money'. But he didn't pick me up on my offer.''

Branson and his family will be on the first two-hour flight into the planet's orbit. Other celebrities putting down $200,000 for a seat include Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, British rock band Muse, Justin Bieber, Russell Brand and Leonardo DiCaprio.

The flight will reach an altitude of 62 miles, the boundary to space, where passengers will experience weightlessness and see the curve of the Earth.

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