Leo J Sullivan

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Leo Sullivan is one of America's most experienced engineering test pilots, having flown more than 25 types of aircraft for the United States Navy and for Lockheed in a career spanning more than 40 years. He is best known for being the captain of the first flights of the C-130 Hercules, various derivatives of the L-329 Jetstar, the XV-4A Hummingbird (a VTOL experimental aircraft), the C-141 Starlifter and on 30th June 1968 the enormous prototype Lockheed C-5A Galaxy flying from Dobbins Air Force Base in Georgia, the world's largest aircraft.

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. In the 1970s he was Lockheed's Assistant Chief Engineer for product safety.

Prior to joining Lockheed-Georgia in 1952, Sullivan had been a production test pilot with the Lockheed-California Company conducting flight tests of the PZV Neptune, Constellation C-97 and T-33 aircraft.

A native of Cloverdale, Iowa, he was a graduate of Pomona, California. He has 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.

(At the time of writing in 1979) At the age of 61, he headed the Lockheed C-130 safety briefing team which traveled all over the world working with the operators of the Hercules.

We know from our signature sources that Leo signed items in 1979. We have no further information.

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