MORGAN FREEMAN - FREEMAN FLYING AGAIN

Movie star MORGAN FREEMAN has been given the all-clear to reach for the skies again after America's Federal Aviation Administration banned him from flying. The SE7EN star, a keen pilot, had his license suspended in late 2004 for breaking altitude rules, after he failed to observe landing regulations at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. The actor had to meet with FAA officials and fight a potential 90-day ban, which he feared would wreck his chances of becoming a great pilot. He says, "They wanted to give me a 90-day suspension. I said, 'I'm just learning how to fly and 90 days is too long not to fly.' My lawyers got involved and they agreed on a 45-day suspension and asked me when I would like to take them. "I thought that was fair because it is important to keep current - too much time off flying in not good; it's not like riding a bicycle. You can get back and fly the airplane but it's always better where you can reach for the right instrument without thinking about it. "So I did my 45 days when I was working and I couldn't fly anyway. They sent my license back and now I'm flying again."