We Fly more safely because of this man...

From various sources...

INVENTOR OF STALL INDICATOR DIES OF CANCER

Leonard Greene, a pilot and aviation safety advocate who invented the stall-warning indicator, among other products, died November 30 of lung cancer. He was 88. Greene was the founder of Safe Flight Instrument Corp. Greene's first stall-warning system was crude, consisting of a bicycle horn and other obscure parts, according to The Washington Post. It evolved into the systems you see on airplanes today. The stall-warning indicator was Greene's first of 60 aviation-related patents. His later patents and inventions would provide wind shear and power line detection for airplanes and helicopters. Greene also helped start the Corporate Angel Network, which arranges free transportation for cancer patients on corporate jets.

CAN announced Greene's passing emphasizing his humanitarian efforts in founding the organization -- but for far more people his invention of the stall-warning indicator stands as a landmark acheivement in flying safety, one too easily overlooked today because of the seemingly simple and totally ubiquitous nature of the device.

We should all stop and think a thought of thanks for this guy next time we wiggle that little switch during preflight...