Louis Schalk

Who is Louis Schalk?

Louis Wellington 'Lou' Schalk, Jr was an American aviator. As chief test pilot for the Lockheed Corporation's Skunk Works, he was first to fly the Lockheed A-12.

A native of Alden, Iowa, Schalk graduated from West Point in 1948, training and receiving his pilot's wings at Nellis Air Force Base, then serving with the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing in Germany, then completing flight instructor school at Craig AFB and teaching at Laredo Air Force Base in Texas.

Schalk graduated first in his class at the Experimental Test Pilot School at Edwards Air Force Base in 1954, becoming an Air Force test pilot assigned to Fighter Operations, testing such aircraft as the F-100, F-101, and F-104, under the command of Pete Everest and Chuck Yeager.

He joined Lockheed in 1957, and in 1959 was chosen by Kelly Johnson as chief test pilot for the Skunk Works.

As such, he assisted in the design of the cockpit of the A-12 as well as conducting the unofficial and official first flights of the aircraft and contributing to the resolution of initial instability issues.