"Jet Airliner" is a song composed by Paul Pena in 1973 and popularized by the Steve Miller Band in 1977.
Pena wrote and recorded "Jet Airliner" in 1973 for his New Train album. However, New Train was not released until 2000, due to conflicts between him and his label.
Steve Miller heard Pena's unreleased New Train album through Ben Sidran, who produced it, and who was formerly in Miller's band. Miller recorded "Jet Airliner" in 1975 during sessions for the Fly Like an Eagle album, but the song was not released until 1977, when it was included on Miller's Book of Dreams album. The single reached on the Billboard chart. In Canada, the song spent two weeks at .
On classic rock radio, Miller's "Jet Airliner" is generally played in tandem with "Threshold", the all-synthesizer instrumental that precedes it on Book of Dreams and the Greatest Hits 1974âÂÂ78 compilation.
The single edit of Miller's recording features a truncated version of the guitar intro. In addition, one line of the song's lyrics was altered for radio play: instead of "that I don't want to get caught up in any of that funky shit goin' down in the city," it was changed to "funky kicks." The single edit was included on the original release of Greatest Hits 1974âÂÂ78, although the full album version has been used for later CD reissues of the compilation.
Cash Box said that it "has the best of Miller's past and present, including impeccable harmonies and a deep guitar arrangement that pumps along steadily."