A.W. "Tony" LeVier

Born in Duluth, Minnesota, on February 14th, 1913, A.W. "Tony" LeVier became a leading aviator who in the 1930s won the junior pilot aerobatic meet, barnstormed the country, operated two flying schools, and competed in air races. In 1941 he joined the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation and tested the P-38 Lighting, XP-80A jet fighter, and the XP-80 Shooting Star. He authored "Pilots Report on Supersonic Flight," flight tested the XF-104 Starfighter, the T-33 trainer, and the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, and made several safety improvements to supersonic fighters. In 1948 he took America's first jet trainer up for its maiden flight, and on a later flight in the T-Bird he nearly lost his life when the canopy tore off and the air blast ripped his helmet from his head, but he managed to regain control. The military later used this trainer to teach a half-generation of pilots to fly jets. LeVier retired from Lockheed in 1974 after making the first test flight of 20 different aircraft and flying more than 240 different types, more than any pilot in history.

Palmdale, California · United States