S. L. "Lew" WALLICK, Jr. 

S. L. "Lew" Wallick, Jr. Aviator, Boeing Test Pilot On August 19, 
2009, Lew Wallick passed on, embarking on his final and most 
adventurous test flight. He was 85. Lew's passion for flying 
started as a kid, watching barnstormers fly over his family's 
Kansas farm. When he was 12, Lew's father bought him a ride in a 
two-seater open-cockpit biplane; during the flight, Lew stood up 
in his seat to get a better view.A test pilot was born. Lew 
became a Naval Aviation Cadet at age 18, and soloed in a 
Taylorcraft on October 15, 1943. Lew eventually chose 
carrier-based operations training, graduating in January 1945. 
Commissioned as a Naval Aviator and fighter pilot, he was 
assigned to fly F4U Corsairs. Lew made his first carrier landing 
on the USS Guadalcanal the week after his 21st birthday. After 
sticking that first carrier landing, he stepped out of the 
cockpit onto the deck of a ship for the first time. After WWII, 
Lew used the GI Bill to obtain a degree in mechanical engineering 
from Kansas State University. His first job was with Beech 
Aircraft in Wichita as an engineer and experimental flight test 
pilot. Two years later, in 1951, he went to work for Boeing, 
where he remained until he retired in 1986 as Chief Test Pilot 
and Director of Flight Test. In 1953 Boeing sent Lew to the USAF 
Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in California. He 
became involved with the 367-80 (Dash-80), the 707 prototype. Tex 
Johnston checked him out as pilot on the Dash-80 in September 
1956. In July 1960 Lew was named project pilot for the 727. He 
was involved in the design of the cockpit, controls, and auto 
pilot. On February 9, 1963, Lew piloted the 727 first flight, 
with Dix Loesch asco-pilot and M. K. Shulenberger as flight 
engineer. Lew also participated in first flights on the XB-47D, 
707-320, 720, 737, 747SP, 757 and 767, as well as many 
derivatives of those models. While Lew worked on the design and 
testing of several Boeing models, the 727 was his baby. Lew made 
1,845 flights in the 727 family of airplanes, logging over 3,200 
flight hours. Lew was proud of his involvement with the 727 and 
continued to fly them until FAA rules required that he quit at 
age 60. During his amazing career as a test pilot with Boeing, 
Lew flew military and commercial airplanes: B-47, B-52, KC-135, 
707, 720, 727, 737, 747SP, 757, 767. His younger brother Jesse 
Wallick, also a Boeing test pilot (retired), was often on board, 
making it a family affair. Flying was not just Lew's job; it was 
his personal passion. Lew helped restore a 1929 Boeing P-12 open 
cockpit biplane, co-owned with Robert Mucklestone. After flying 
in air shows several years, it is now proudly on display in the 
Museum of Flight. Lew co-owned several small planes, including a 
Grumman Widgeon. After retiring, Lew rewarded himself with an 
amphibious Cessna 185 which he used to take family and friends 
fishing on remote Canadian lakes. In 1983 Lew was honored with 
the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Chanute 
Flight Award, a prestigious award (also given to Howard Hughes 
and Neil Armstrong) that recognizes an "outstanding contribution 
made by a pilot or test personnel to the advancement of the art, 
science, and technology of aeronautics." In 1999 Lew was inducted 
into the Museum of Flight Pathfinder Hall of Fame. Test flying 
involves pushing the envelope to find out how the airplane 
behaves when it is flying beyond its design limits. Such work 
requires intelligence, guts, a passion for calculated risks, calm 
in a crisis, and a sense of adventure. Over his 43-year career as 
an aviator, Lew epitomized those characteristics, often bringing 
a plane back from the brink of disaster with his remarkable 
flying-by-the-seat-of-his-pants skill. He is also remembered for 
his compassion, humility, and sense of humor. Lew is survived by 
his wife, Sara; his children Sam (wife Sue), Rick (wife Terri), 
Tim, and Becky; his brothers John and Jesse and sister Eva; six 
grandchildren and many nieces and nephews; all cherished by him. 
A celebration of Lew's life and career will be held at the Museum 
of Flight (date to be announced). Remembrances may be made to the 
Museum of Flight. Sign Lew's on-line Guest Book at www.Legacy.com 



Published in The Seattle Times on August 23, 2009