Near Towering Mount Shasta, Váli Aviation’s Aspirations Soar

WEED, Calif. – A breathtaking sight greets visitors from the doorstep of Váli Aviation: snow-covered Mount Shasta, its majestic slopes embraced by the stately sugar pines, soaring red firs, and elegant quaking aspens thriving in the Shasta Trinity National Forest.

A view both serene and inspiring, it can evoke a spiritual reverence for nature. In some cultures, the towering 14,179-foot volcano represents life and creation – a dramatic, daily reminder for Chad McCall, President of Váli Aviation, and his drive to elevate the flying experience at this fixed-base operator (FBO) serving both Weed Airport (046) and Siskiyou County Airport (KSIY), 24 miles north.

McCall certainly fits the part of someone leading an FBO next door to thousands of acres of lush woodlands and nearly 6,300 miles of pristine rivers and streams. With his bushy red hair, impressive beard and Scottish-Norwegian bloodline, McCall resembles the FBO’s namesake, Váli – the ancient Norse god of flight, symbolized by his cloak of raven feathers. Váli controlled everything passing through the sky.

A sign in the historic lumber town of Weed encapsulates McCall’s customer service mission for this Phillips 66^® branded FBO. The sign reads, Weed Like To Welcome You.

As McCall explains, the Váli Aviation crew are often the first people visitors meet when they arrive to explore the abundant recreational opportunities in California’s largest national forest.

“If we are professional and welcoming, people will want to come back,” says McCall. “We never know who we’re going to be meeting, whether they’re a vacationing New Hampshire family landing in a Leer jet or two trout anglers arriving in a Cessna Skyhawk. It’s about treating everyone as a high-valued customer.”

Fireline Rescue to FBO Line Service

The deity Váli may have ruled the skies, but he didn’t fly. McCall isn’t a pilot, but he is a rare bird in the aviation business. McCall is a seasoned fireline and disaster paramedic with 20-plus years of experience providing emergency and disaster relief for the U.S. Forest Service, National Guard and FEMA.

Inspired by wildland firefighters’ need for on-scene medical support, McCall co-founded Mountain Medics, providing rugged mobile medical clinics, backcountry medical transport, swift water rescue and field clinics staffed by EMTs, paramedics, nurses, physician assistants and doctors. It’s the nation’s only licensed and accredited ambulance company providing a critical-care 4×4 ambulance with wilderness medicine-qualified personnel.

Training and timeliness are hallmarks of the backcountry rescue trade – traits perfectly suited to running an FBO where following safety procedures is critical.

Váli Aviation’s line service pros are NATA Safety 1^st Certified. Layered on top is Phillips 66^® Aviation fuel-handling training. “Pilots are particular about their fuel, so it’s nice living up to Phillips 66 standards,” McCall explains. “But we’re trying to exceed those standards.”

McCall explains that the FBO strives to create an atmosphere that instills pride among employees, a place where work is considered a profession, not just a job.

“If your heart is into it and you’re passionate about your work, whomever you’re serving will recognize that,” he says. “If we take care of our customers, they will take care of us.”

That passion, says McCall, percolates from what he calls the “amazing employees” who greet pilots and passengers seven days a week.

“The dedication and expertise of our longstanding team members have been pivotal to the success of Váli Aviation,” he explains. “JC Crow, with 10 years of service, and Kevin Citta, with 11 years of service, have been critical to our success.  Their experience, knowledge and skills have been instrumental in maintaining the highest of standards and exceptional service our clients have come to expect. We couldn’t do it without them, and we deeply appreciate their unwavering commitment and contributions to our team.”

Sometimes working Váli Aviation’s line can get heavy. Like the time when the military’s heaviest helicopter – a $91 million CH-53 Sea Stallion – flew in ushered by a fleet of Blackhawks. The National Guard called ahead planning to stop and refuel. But, propelled by a fortuitous tailwind, they opted to fly farther into an Oregon airport. McCall watched as the helicopters thundered over Weed Airport.

“I took a little video and texted, ‘Man, those birds are looking awfully thirsty,’” McCall laughs.

Fifteen minutes later they came roaring back when their destination was fogged in. “Our eyes are all wide, we’ve got a Coast Guard CH-53 Sea Stallion coming in, the largest military helicopter we have, holding nearly 2,000 gallons of fuel,” says McCall. “An hour of refueling later and those guys were like, ‘Alright, we’re stopping here every time, thanks for taking care of us.’”

Fortifying the FBO Experience

Since acquiring Váli Aviation in 2022, McCall has been busy. He’s revitalized the FBO by investing in new fuel equipment, creating strong customer service guidelines, providing more value for employees and joining the Phillips 66^® Aviation network. In 2023, Váli Aviation expanded 24 miles north of Weed to run the FBO serving Siskiyou County Airport (KSIY), home to a U.S. Forest Service and CalFire firefighting air tanker base. McCall is also working with and supporting Siskiyou County and its decision to completely repave Weed Airport’s apron and taxiway.

Váli Aviation provides a flight planning room, pilots and passenger lounge, two conference rooms, a quiet room and a hospitality bar. With no rental car companies in Siskiyou County, the industrious McCall started a Turo service with three cars stationed at the FBO.

There’s also the Shasta Shuttle so visitors can grab lunch and see the sights in Mount Shasta City, a destination for fly fishing at the nearby Sacramento, McCloud and Klamath rivers; climbing Mount Shasta, Trinity Alps or Castle Crags; visiting Mossbrae Waterfall, Castle Lake, Shasta Lake or Lake Siskiyou; and hiking, biking or snow skiing along the Cascade Range.

The lumber industry and sawmills that once sustained the region are mostly gone. McCall believes a re-energized FBO can boost the local economy, drawing more folks to discover what he calls the breathtaking, yet tranquil beauty of Northern California.

“People, I think, are surprised when they come into our FBO,” says McCall. “They say ‘What a little gem you have here.’ We’re just trying to do things right, whether it’s with our fuel quality or upgrading all our infrastructure.”

For more, visit vali-aviation.com.