Born in Duluth, Minnesota, on February 14th, 1913. In the 1930s he 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. 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.
LeVier took America's first jet trainer up for its maiden flight in 1948. A subsequent flight in the T-Bird nearly cost him his life when the canopy tore off and the air blast ripped his helmet from his head. Fortunately, he managed to regain control. Later, the military used this trainer to teach a half-generation of pilots to fly jets.LeVier retired from Lockheed in 1974.He made the first test flight of 20 different aircraft and flew over 240 different types, more than any pilot in history.
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