Original 1947 AP Wire Photo showing famed Lockheed test pilot Tony LeVier rounding a pylon during qualification for the Thompson Trophy Race at the Cleveland National Air Races. The attached AP caption identifies LeVier of La Cañada, California, flying a Lockheed P-38 Lightning at 366 miles per hour while qualifying for the $30,000 Thompson Trophy Race on August 25, 1947. LeVier is noted in the caption as flying the same aircraft in which he finished second in the 1946 Thompson Race. A desirable aviation image featuring one of the most recognized American test pilots and the iconic twin-boom P-38 Lightning. Measures approximately 6¼" x 9¼". Condition shows newsroom handling wear, tape remnants, light creasing, edge wear, and age-related imperfections. From a Pennsylvania newspaper archive. Please see photos.
