A.L. Ueltschi, founder of FlightSafety International, passed away peacefully at his home in Vero Beach, Florida, Oct. 18. He was 95.
As pilot of Pan American’s first corporate plane — his regular passenger was company founder Juan Trippe — Ueltschi hit upon the idea of opening a testing and training center for the booming aviation industry in the 1950s, according to an obituary at BusinessWeek.com
Bruce Whitman, FlightSafety CEO sent out this message about Ueltschi’s passing: “All of us with FlightSafety are deeply saddened by Al’s passing and have expressed our deepest sympathy and condolences to his family. Al will be remembered with great admiration and affection. He will be missed by us all. It will always be my great honor to have worked with him for almost 50 years.
“Al was an aviation icon and pioneer. He was admired, respected, and held in the highest regard by all who knew him. While his loss will be mourned by us all, we also celebrate Al’s remarkable life and accomplishments. He was one of a kind and serves as an entrepreneurial role model to each of us. Al was a great visionary who had a profound and positive impact on generations of aviation enthusiasts and professionals. In addition, his leadership and contributions to ORBIS International helped to prevent blindness and restore sight for millions of people around the world.
“Al’s passion for aviation and significant contributions to safety will be recognized for years to come. He believed that FlightSafety’s legacy must be to continue to enhance safety.
When his son, Jim, informed me of the regrettable news, he asked that I pass on the following message, “Please tell his colleagues at FlightSafety that he will be eternally grateful to each and every one of them, past and present. He is very proud of FlightSafety and to carry on.” We will do so in his honor.”
