In the Cockpit with A.L. Ueltschi is the tenth volume in the Passion for Flight series. These short biographies (20,000 words or less) tell the stories of notable pilots who inspire young and old alike to take to the skies.
Two types of salvation were especially near and dear to the heart of A.L. Ueltschi: saving lives and saving sight. Ueltschi, who died on October 18, 2012, at the age of 95, accomplished the first mission through FlightSafety International, the world’s largest provider of aviation services and training. He accomplished the second through ORBIS International, an international nonprofit organization dedicated to saving sight and eliminating unnecessary blindness worldwide, and more recently, through HelpMESee, an organization he cofounded with his son.
Ueltschi, founder and chairman emeritus of FlightSafety International, accumulated more than 35,000 hours of flight over the years. He often said that the best safety device on any aircraft, anywhere, was a well-trained pilot. FlightSafety provides professional training and simulation products and services equipment for corporate, commercial, government, and military professionals worldwide. More than 75,000 pilots, technicians, and other aviation professionals train at FlightSafety each year. FlightSafety accomplishes it training mission through 40 learning centers and its operation of the world’s largest fleet of full flight simulators, designed and manufactured by Flight Safety Simulation.
Ueltschi co-founded ORBIS International and served as its chairman for years. Since 1982, when the Flying Eye Hospital took off on its first sight-saving mission, it has conducted eye health treatment and training programs in more than 85 countries. More than 15 million people have received eye health treatment, and more than 288,000 people have received eye heath care training. Ueltschi cofounded HelpMeSee recently to address the cataract tragedy in the developing world.
Di Freeze interviewed A.L. Ueltschi for this short biography, and filled in facts with his autobiography, his book, “The History & Future of FlightSafety International.” This is not meant to be a comprehensive history of A.L. Ueltschi’s life, but it contains the major milestones in his aviation history.
