Kenny Friedkin
Kenneth Giles Friedkin | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 1, 1915[1] |
| Died | March 16, 1962 (aged 47)[1] |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Kenny (nickname) |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Creating Pacific Southwest Airlines |
| Spouse | Jean Friedkin |
| Children | Thomas H. Friedkin |
| Parent(s) | Joel Friedkin, C. Irene Hedden |
Kenneth Giles Friedkin (September 1, 1915 – March 16, 1962)[1] was an American aviator and businessman.
Biography
He was born in New York City during World War I. He and his parents moved to Kansas, and later San Diego, California.
Friedkin got interested in aviation after he saw an air show in San Diego at the age of 8. Friedkin obtained his pilot license at the age of 17. In 1945, he opened a flight school called the Plosser-Friedkin School (later named the Friedkin School of Aeronautics). The parent company to the school was Friedkin Aeronautics Inc. The school was not making enough profit. He tried numerous business methods from aerial fish delivery to banner towing with the help of his comrades J. Floyd Andrews and Bill Shimp. Friedkin tried a charter airline called Friedkin Airlines. Friedkin Airlines was a failure.
Using the lessons learned from Friedkin Airlines and receiving advice from a travel agent, he and his wife Jean Friedkin created an airline called Pacific Southwest Airlines in 1949.[2] The airline was a success, and gave Friedkin Aeronautics Inc. profit. Friedkin died at the age of 47 in 1962 of a cerebral hemorrhage. His wife, Jean, died the following year. After he died, J. Floyd Andrews became the president of PSA. His only child, (Thomas Friedkin), lived to see PSA disappear into USAir.[3]
Friedkin's companies
- Friedkin Aeronautics Inc. (later Pacific Southwest Airlines Inc.) - Parent company for most of Friedkin's businesses
- Plosser-Friedkin School (Friedkin School of Aeronautics)
- Friedkin Airlines
- Pacific Southwest Airlines
- Giles Inc. - Aviation leasing company
References
- ^ a b c "Kenneth G. Friedkin Ancestry.com, California Death Index 1940–1997
- ^ Trinkle, Kevin - PSA History
- ^ Kissel, Gary - The Poor Sailor's Airline - Paladwr Press
External links
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