RUSS SCHLEEH

Schleeh, Col. Russell E. "Russ" February 19, 1919 - May 6, 2012.

In 20 years with the Air Force, "Russ" Schleeh flew and tested virtually every bomber in the American Air Force up through the B- 52 Stratofortress and also fighters up through the Lockheed 104 Starfighter. Born a competitor and gifted athlete, he earned a football scholarship to Washington State College. But, in 1940, when the Civilian Pilot Training Program offered him a chance to fly, he jumped at it. As an apprentice aircraft and engine mechanic, he earned room and board and 15 minutes of flight time per day. As an aviation cadet in 1941, Schleeh requested fighters at every opportunity, but the Army had other plans.

Reporting to his first commander, Lieutenant Colonel Curtis LeMay of the 305th Bombardment Group, he quickly reconsidered his request for a transfer to fighters. In 1943 LeMay flew alongside Russ on 8 to 10 different occasions in Russ' B-17 named "Wham Bam". Russ continued to fly "Wham Bam" for 28 combat missions long after Le May was forbidden to accompany him. On a mission to St. Nazaire, France, while other bomber groups used evasive tactics and achieved poor bombing results, LeMay led their formation straight and level through heavy flak. The 305th inflicted heavy damage without losing an airplane, and their "precision" tactics soon became the standard for Eighth Air Force. Before leaving England, Schleeh got a rare opportunity to fly many RAF fighters and bombers, and in addition, he flew both a captured German FW 190 and a Messerschmitt 262 jet fighter.

That's all it took to spark his interest in flight test! After graduating from the Flight Performance School in 1947, he soon became the Chief of Bomber Flight Test and later Chief of Fighter Test at Wright Field, Ohio. As he put it, "I felt I had finally arrived...." A year later, a shortage of qualified pilots required his return to bombers. When a YB-49 Flying Wing crashed, killing Captain Glen Edwards, Schleeh took over the testing program. Later, during a high-speed taxi test, the YB-49's nose gear collapsed and the unorthodox bomber broke apart and burst into flames. His own back broken, Schleeh, in disgust, suggested to the fire chief that he "let it burn." Upon recovery he continued testing along with his close friend Chuck Yeager at Edwards Air force Base and aviatrix Pancho Barnes' "Happy Bottom Riding Club". They were part of "The Right Stuff."

After 8 years of flight test, Schleeh went to the Strategic Air Command, first as General LeMay's aide and later as Commander of the 4017th Combat Crew Training Squadron at Castle AFB, California. There he began racing unlimited hydroplanes and, in 1956, won the National High Point Championship. Retiring in 1962, he joined Douglas Aircraft and played a key role in winning several Air Force contracts, including the KC-10 Tanker. An avid outdoorsman, he enjoyed hunting, fishing, tennis, and off-road motorcycling. Up to the very end of his life Russ maintained a close friendship with Chuck Yeager as well as with a group of Southern California aviation / motorsports engineers and designers including Dan Gurney, Boeing's Dr. Bob Liebeck and Bob Smith.

Russ died at home in Mission Viejo, California with his wife, Mary, daughter, Brandy, son-in-law, Ken and step-daughter, Kay by his side. His final resting place, MiraMar National Cemetery.