Ted took an introduction flight at the Westchester County Airport when he was on a break from college. He was so hooked on flying after the course that he continued with their private pilot ground school and flight lessons. He successfully made his first solo in a Cherokee 140 in January 1973.

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Good weather for flying quickly took him to the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). In his first two years at FIT, he obtained his Private, Commercial, Instrument, and Flight Instructor ratings. In his last two years, he became a part-time Certified Flight Instructor. He took a flight team to compete in Dayton for national competition. He joined Alpha Eta Rho, a professional aviation fraternity, and was the president in his senior year. He graduated with a degree in Aviation Management in 1976.

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Upon graduation, Ted went back to New York and worked for Connecticut Air Service at Danbury Airport. He was a flight instructor and flew charters in various Cessna, Piper and Aero Commander (AC-500S) aircraft. This is where he met fellow pilots Paul Freeman and John Klueg. The three have remained friends since then and have enjoyed sailing, hiking, and biking trips together.