Biographical Note: Lew Wallick

Lew Wallick was a test pilot for the Boeing Company in the latter half of the 20th century.

Samuel Lewis "Lew" Wallick, Jr. was born in Independence, Montgomery County, Kansas on May 26, 1924 to Samuel L. Wallick and Ethel Rebecca (Appelbaugh) Wallick. He grew up on a farm with his parents and four siblings. He took his first airplane ride at age 12.

His aviation career began in 1943 as a Naval Aviation Cadet, learning to fly in open-cockpit biplanes. He soloed in a Taylorcraft plane on October 15, 1943. He was designated a Naval Aviator in January 1945 and qualified as a carrier pilot on Vought F4U Corsairs. Though he trained during World War II, he never saw combat. He was active with the U.S. Navy until 1945 and then was in the Naval Reserves until 1952.

Wallick attended Kansas State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1949. After graduating he found a job with Beech Aircraft Company, based out of Wichita, Kansas, flying as a pilot on development and certification flight tests of the Beech Bonanza B35 and C35 and the Beech T-34/Model 45 Mentor. In 1951 Wallick left Beech to work for the Boeing Company, first based in Wichita and later in Seattle, Washington. He started out flying multi-engine jets such as the B-47, gaining early multi-engine jet pilot experience. While at Boeing, he graduated from test pilot school through the U.S. Air Force in 1953. As a test pilot he was involved in engineering development and flight testing of the B-47, XB-47D, B-52, 367-80, KC-135, all 707 models, all 720 models, all 727 models, 737 models through the 737-300, 747 models through the 747-300, the 757-200, and 767-200. He was the pilot for the first flight of the 727-100, with Dix Loesch as the co-pilot and M.K. "Shuly" Shulenberger as the flight engineer, on February 9, 1963. He also piloted first flights for the 727-200. He was co-pilot for first flights of the XB-47, 707-300, 720, 737-100, 747SP, 757-200, and 767-200.

By 1970 Wallick was the Chief Experimental Test Pilot for the Commercial Airplane division at Boeing. He became Director of Flight Test in 1974. He retired in 1986 after 35 years in engineering, flight testing, and management. Though he was too old to continue to fly commercially under FAA rules, he continued to fly small private planes for many more years. In 1977, Wallick and Bob Mucklestone acquired a Boeing Model 100/P-12. They led the restoration effort, returning the plane to flyable condition, with Wallick at the controls for its first flights after restoration. The plane was eventually donated to the Museum of Flight.

Wallick was a member of Society of Experimental Test Pilots, the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Quiet Birdmen and various other aviation organizations. He was awarded the American Institute of Aeronautics' Octave Chanute Flight Award in 1983. In 1999 he was inducted into the Museum of Flight's Pathfinder Hall of Fame.

Wallick was married to Ruth Marie Richards with whom he had four children; they divorced in 1976. In 1982 he married Sara Elaine Torkelson who had been his secretary. Wallick's younger brother Jesse also worked for Boeing as a test pilot. Wallick died August 19, 2009 in Enumclaw, Washington.

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