Business Aircraft Broker Pioneer James Welsch Dies

James Welsch, Jr., former president and partner of aircraft broker Welsch Aviation, died January 20 after a short illness. He was 81. Welsch began his 54-year career in aviation in 1960, when he joined the firm that was founded by his father a little more than a decade earlier. Together, they were among the early pioneers in the corporate aircraft brokerage business, selling DC-3s, Convairs, Lockheed JetStars and eventually Gulfstreams. Over time, Welsch Aviation expanded to four offices across the U.S.

Welsch was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Oct. 12, 1935, and experienced his first airplane ride three months later when his father took him up in an open cockpit, single-engine biplane. After graduating from Hofstra University, he served in the U.S. Army. He joined his father’s firm at the end of his active duty and retired from the business in 2014.

Welsch is survived by Gail, his wife of 58 years; daughters Kristin and Leslie; and two grandchildren.