Frankie Ballard Lives Out Childhood Dream of Flying in a Fighter Jet

If Frankie Ballard wasn't one of country music's hottest stars on the rise, chances are he'd be focused on the sky. "I've always wanted to be a fighter pilot, and I still do," Ballard tells Taste of Country. "I'd want to fly something exciting that had missiles and machine guns, where I could make the jet do flips and turns!"

Earlier this week, while dealing with a video shoot for his current single, 'A Buncha Girls,' a photo shoot with Taylor Swift for her Speak Now Tour kicking off later this month (which Ballard is opening dates for) and being personally asked to open additional dates for the legendary Bob Seger, Ballard had the opportunity to ride in style to his New Orleans gig in a fighter plane!

"To make a long story short, my uncle is a pilot, and I called him up and asked him if there was any way he could fly me privately down to New Orleans so I could make the show," Ballard explains, knowing a commercial flight would prevent him from making the Seger show. "However, his plane was getting maintenance and wouldn’t be back until next week, but he's got some buddies who are pilots and huge Seger fans ... one's got a decommissioned Soviet MiG."

"[My uncle's friend] literally picked me up in his fighter jet and took me to New Orleans after the Taylor shoot," Ballard continues. "I had to put on a flight suit and a G-suit and a helmet. They even showed me the ejection seat just in case [laughs]. It was awesome!"

Ballard's current single, 'A Buncha Girls,' has quickly become his fastest rising single to date as it continues to make its way up the country singles chart. The tune, which Ballard co-wrote with Nashville writing trio the Peach Pickers (Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip), is the second single from his self-titled debut album, which will hit stores May 24.

Look for Ballard on the road this summer during the first leg of Taylor Swift's Speak Now World Tour, kicking off on May 27 in Omaha, Neb. Click here for a complete list of dates where Ballard will be performing on the tour, as well as his own headlining shows.

Watch the Frankie Ballard 'Tell Me You Get Lonely' Video