The Resume

(August 6, 1922-February 9, 2006)
Born in Canterbury, England, United Kingdom
Managing director of British United Airways (1960-65)
Founded Laker Airways (1966)
Launched low-cost Skytrain service between London and New York (1977)
Knighted for services to aviation (1978)

Why he might be annoying:

He was married four times, divorced three times.
He admitted that his obsessiveness about business contributed to his marriages falling apart.
He bought a new Rolls Royce each year.
After the initial success of Skytrain, he said 'We get up each morning and pray to God that the bubble won't burst.'
The bubble burst in 1982 with Laker Airways going bankrupt so suddenly that planes in mid-flight had to turn around and return to their airport of departure.

Why he might not be annoying:

He served with the Air Transport Auxiliary in World War II.
He was a pilot in the Berlin Airlift (1948).
He survived a plane crash outside of Hamburg (1952).
His oldest son died at 17 in a car crash (1965).
He pioneered no frills, low cost airlines.
At its peak, Laker Airways carried a third of all trans-Atlantic passengers.
Fans of Skytrain (including the Police, who held a benefit concert) raised $5.5 million to try to keep Laker Airways afloat.
An anti-trust suit revealed that several European and American airlines had illegally conspired to force Laker Airways into bankruptcy, leading to a $60 million settlement paid to Laker and company creditors.
Virgin Atlantic founder Richard Branson called him 'a father figure' and named one of Virgin's 747s 'The Spirit of Sir Freddie.'

Credit: C. Fishel

Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

• C. Fishel's Profiles [Series 43]
• Celebrities Born on the Same Date [August] (Ranked: 8061922)
• Horse Owners
• I Did Not Graduate High School [J-M]
• I Died in 2006 (Ranked: 83)
• I Drive a Rolls-Royce
• I Have a Pacemaker
• I Married in 1975
• I Married in 1985
• I Named My Kid After Myself
• I Outlived My Child
• I Own Property in the Bahamas
• I Survived an Air Crash
• Knights
• Look at My Airplane
• My Name, My Company
• People Magazine's 25 Most Intriguing People [1978]
• Pilots
• Profiles 33251-33500 (Ranked: 33254)
• Served in World War II

Year In Review:

In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 64.29% Annoying
In 2020, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
In 2019, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
In 2017, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2016, Out of 6 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2015, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
In 2014, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
In 2013, Out of 11 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
In 2012, Out of 8 Votes: 62.50% Annoying