Meet Ted Vallas, who may be the world’s oldest airline entrepreneur. His life story is fascinating and inspiring. While almost everyone his age is retired, he is starting a new airline. In the United States and of all places, in California. He may be one of the most remarkable people in aviation.
Due to YouTube constraints we had to split this video into two sections. Together they take up 30 minutes – but its a great story of how an ordinary man saw and seized the opportunities life presented to him. There’s a great life lesson right there.
Part 1 – [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HONQWUyHfzw]
Part 2 – [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mc5jfVP0FWM]
I met Ted Vallas and his team when I visited them to do the E-Jets pitch during my Embraer days. They were all very friendly and extremely motivated to make their airline work. Everyone, including Ted himself, took a lot of time for me, explaining their business plan and even giving me an extended tour of their home airport, Carlsbad Palomar. I left there with the impression that they had huge hurdles to overcome (certification, competition from Southwest at SAN, etc.) but that they were in it for the long haul. Whatever questions I asked them, they had answers to. Time will tell whether the answers were good ones, but they had done their homework.
They still have a long uphill battle on their hands, but I wish them great success!
I read about your new California Pacific Airline this morning in the San Diego Union Tribune.
I remember that PSA used to make a regular stop in Palm Springs on it’s way to Las Vegas and Sacramento. We sure miss them.
I have family in Palm Springs that drive to Ontario to catch a plane to Sacramento at a reasonable price. I hope you will consider including Palm Springs on your new service.
We like what you are doing.
Good Luck,
George
When I was young, Ted helped me begin a small business from the ground up–by being a client when I was clientless. And so my business grew and continues to flourish almost 30 years later. But, I am surprised to realize, that I am the age now, he was then. so I ponder the great wonders and meaning of life…the future is not so bleak. To be able and willing and wanting to do something new after your prime years have past—well there, Ted is a guide. The greatest generation that ever lived as a beautiful swan song…”90 is the new 70″!
Thanks for the inspiration Mr. Ted, I wish you well in your airline enterprise now—and in also in the year 2929 when you are gone and brilliant technical people dream the next dream and create a template for life after your image—what a 120 year old “should be like”. I vote that YOUR name be added to the name on the “implanted chips” which will eventually whisk away genetic and disease causing imperfections and delay all age-induced frailty! After all, every person I have ever known in my life your age, TED, is dead or completely out of it, some not too recently either. You are the only person alive from the early 1920’s–a person who grew up listening to George Gershwin, Fats Waller and Eubie Blake–who can can proudly say he is moving on to bigger things NOW. Not just remarkable–but unique.