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SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | MARCH 2024 17 By Annette Hillis, Resident Terry McNicholas, the multi-talented former commercial airline pilot, and current entertainment producer has been a hard worker all his life. Now a resident here in Solera Diamond Valley, he recently reminisced on some of his top achievements and passions. "I grew up in Ohio. I made a bold announcement that I was going to be a pilot at the ripe old age of five." He shared that his father was a pilot in the Air Force and that flying was the only profession he ever wanted to pursue. As a major influence in his life, McNicholas says his dad was intelligent, kind, compassionate, and treated everyone with great respect. As a young man, he dove head-first into the aviation/aerospace industry. His former occupations included being a test pilot, airline pilot, Chief Operation Officer at Continental and United Airlines, as well as being involved in airline mergers and being an acquisition specialist. "Being a pilot teaches you many skills, including technical and people skills." McNicholas would take that business savvy he acquired in the aviation world and apply it to the field of music. When he was about 10 years-old, he expressed an interest in playing the guitar. His parents were supportive and purchased his first instrument. "I was passionate about it," he remembers. As it turns out, McNicholas grew to become equally as interested in the technical and creative parts of music as he was in playing the guitar himself. He became part owner of a music studio. But his greatest achievement in the industry would come when he produced the highly acclaimed Tony award-winning Broadway musical Come from Away. "It is a wonderful human-interest story, joyful, and just fun. It's fantastic and there are airplanes in the play," he muses. "It tugged at my heart strings." Also a producer of the musical Diana, McNicholas says that he lets his cousin and his business partner make the decisions as to what theater pieces he invests in. A tragic turn of events in 2017 would ultimately bring him to the Hemet area. McNicholas was in a very serious motorcycle accident in which he broke 33 bones and suffered a traumatic brain injury. It would take a full year for him to heal. At the time, he was living in the seaside community of Monarch Beach, California. However, the cold days and damp weather would affect his health and recuperation in an adverse way. His realtor suggested they look for homes in the drier, more arid area of California – Riverside County. He toured a home in our community and was immediately smitten. His current venture is being the owner of a new aviation company located at Hemet-Ryan Airport. The business will boast a flight school, a charter service, as well as offering aircraft sales and service. McNicholas would like to be remembered as a person who did everything in life with passion, gusto, a sense of humor, and in having a love of people in general. He shares that he has also loved everything about his life and wouldn't change a thing. "I don't feel like I've worked a day in my life. I'm doing what I want to do." Flying High on Life Flying High on Life

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