EAA Warbirds of America has chosen Stallion 51′s Lee Lauderback as its 2013 inductee into the 2013 EAA Sport Aviation Hall of Fame.
Lauderback was selected by the Warbirds Nominating Committee and approved by the board of directors during EAA AirVenture Oshkosh. The 2013 EAA Sport Aviation Hall of Fame ceremony will be held Thursday, Nov. 14, at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Lauderback began flying in 1966 at the age of 15. Shortly after graduation from college, he started to work for the noted professional golfer and businessman, Arnold Palmer. For 17 years, he headed up Palmer’s flight operations as chief pilot and director of flight operations, piloting his Learjet, C-I, C-II, C-III series Citation Jets, and MD500E helicopter.
Today, Lauderback is chief instructor and a demonstration pilot in the P-51 Mustang. In addition, he is also one of the pilots for the USAF Air Force Heritage Flight Program and has been a civilian instructor for the Navy Test Pilot School at Patuxent River, Md., where test pilot students and instructors can fly the Mustang.
Lauderback is a certified flight and ground instructor for airplane (single and multi-engine), instrument, helicopters and gliders, as well as an FAA Pilot Proficiency Examiner and acceptance flight-tester in various warbirds, helicopters, and turbojets. He also serves the Warbird community as a Specialty Aircraft Examiner, providing FAA check-rides in 12 different Warbird aircraft.
Amassing in excess of 20,000 flight hours in all types of aircraft and helicopters, including over 8,800 hours in Mustangs, Lauderback has also had a chance to fly an F-15 Eagle, F-16 Viper, and F/A-18 Hornet. He has over 2,000 hours in sailplanes and has competed in many soaring contests and held several sailplane records. When he is not flying in an aircraft, he is often found flying hawks and falcons as an accomplished master class falconer.
Lauderback’s company, Stallion 51 Corp., offers a wide range of services, including initial and recurrent training programs in the P-51, T-6 Texan and L39 TurboJet, Unusual Attitude Training, aircraft management, aircraft sales and FAA medical certifications. Lauderback’s company also organized and managed the “Gathering of Mustangs and Legends” in 1997 and 2007.
The EAA Sport Aviation Hall of Fame was established to honor the outstanding achievements of men and women who share the spirit of EAA’s founder Paul Poberezny: A passion for the freedom that flight offers. Those inducted into the Hall of Fame are selected by their peers for the myriad of contributions made to their particular realm of flight and aviation as a whole.
Representing homebuilders, Warbirds of America, International Aerobatic Club, Vintage Aircraft Association, and ultralights, Hall of Fame inductees capture the spirit of EAA and its community, according to officials.
For more information: Warbirds-EAA.org
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Congratulations to Lee, we met at Cessna Acft Co. Wichita, back when he was flying for Arnold Palmer. Palmer was moving to the Citation III with the purchase of S/N 001 at the time.
Congratulations Lee!