Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker is selling off his boarding pass from his recent trip to Australia for charity in recognition of him conquering his fear of flying.
Barker developed the phobia after surviving a plane crash that killed four other people on board in 2008, including both pilots and two of Barker’s close friends, Charles ‘Che’ Still and Chris Baker. He was left with third-degree burns on over two-thirds of his body, for which he spent three months in hospital and had 26 surgeries.
The only other survivor of the crash was Barker’s friend DJ AM, who died of a drug overdose a year later.
After the crash, Barker didn’t get on a plane for 13 years and for a period was insistent on touring via boat. However, that changed in 2021, when boarded a flight for the first time since the crash when taking a trip to Cabo, Mexico.
Now, Barker has put the piece of paper up for sale for $8000 (£6220) on the auction site Trophy. A cut of the proceeds will go to the Lost But Not Forgotten charity, which helps support teenagers in crisis.
He has drawn a cross at the bottom of the boarding pass from Qantas, and written, “I know I got angels watching over me.” He was seated in row 7.
Travis Barker's boarding pass from 2024 trip in Australia up for sale for $8K – after rocker overcame fear of flying following 2008 crash https://t.co/LezTNnxC0c pic.twitter.com/PXzTUxibQT
— Josiah Williams (@Josiah_FL) July 29, 2024
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The description on the website reads: “A true one of a kind item for the ultimate Travis Barker collector. Having not flown for over 13 years following his near fatal plane crash, he was finally able to tour again overseas recently. This extremely rare commercial boarding pass is not just a piece of music memorabilia, it’s a true piece of Travis himself, complete with original hand-written note and cross drawing.”
Barker credited “the power of love” with helping him to overcome his fear of flying, saying his wife Kourtney Kardashian helped him through it.
“I think the power of love really helped me,” he told The Los Angeles Times (via Radio X). “Kourt made it so I fly, my kids fly now. She healed us.”
Nonetheless, he still finds being on planes stressful. “It takes a little piece of my life every time I fly,” he explained. “The amount of stress and anxiety it causes is just unbearable.
“It brings up all this old trauma, and sometimes I’m like, ‘Is this worth it?’ But I don’t like anything having a hold on me, either — I don’t like being afraid, and I don’t like having things from my past control my future.”
Blink-182 are currently on tour across North America, for which they have introduced brand new production elements, including a 360-stage set-up. The tour continues until August 15 – buy any remaining tickets here.
In other news, the band will additionally headline Reading & Leeds festival this year alongside Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Fred Again.., Gerry Cinnamon and Catfish & The Bottlemen.