Friday, February 24, 2006

Leo J.Sullivan 1919-1995




Leo Sullivan was one of America's most experienced engineering test pilots, having flown more than 25 types of aircraft for the United States Navy and Lockheed in a career spanning more than 40 years. He is best known for being the Captain on the first flights of the C-130 Hercules, XV-4A Hummingbird VTOL Experimental aircraft) ,C-141 Starlifter,C-5A Galaxy and various derivitaives of the L329 Jeststar.
Sullivan served for 14 years as Chief Engineering Test Pilot at the Lockheed Georgia Company and in 1968 was promoted to Assistant Chief Development Engineer Prior to joining Lockhhed-Georgia in 1952, Sullivan had been a production Test Pilot with the Lockheed-California Company, conducting flight tests of the PZV Neptune, Constelation C-97 and T-33 aircraft.
A native of cloverdale,Iowa, he was a graduate of Pomona,California. He had been devoted to flying since early youth when he began with drawings and models of aircraft. He got sidetracked temporarily by a love for cars, even building one that would do 108mph. Sullivan paid his way through college by working as a carpenter.