From correspondents in New York, United States, 12:01 AM IST

Oscar-award winning actor Morgan Freeman has treated himself to an early Christmas present with a private plane.

The actor, who endured a stint in the US Air Force in his younger days, began learning to fly in 2002 before earning his pilot's licence and he has now bought his first jet for a journey around the world, reports buzzhollywood.com.

'I'm flying from here (US) to South Africa. Then, since we've got some business down there, we're going to Botswana... then we're going to go to Kenya, northern Kenya, because we've been invited to visit a local tribe. The reason we're doing all this is because I've got my own plane. Brand new. Me and my co-pilot (will be flying it),' he said.

Freeman also brags about his plane.

'I started flying in 2002. I've got everything that the law requires (fitted to my plane),' he said.

Freeman joins the celebrity flying bandwagon that includes the likes of Harrison Ford, Tom Cruise, John Travolta, Angelina Jolie, Hilary Swank and supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)