James Patton

Working at NASA's Langley Research Center in Virginia, research pilot James Patton Jr. (center, in the goldenrod-colored jumpsuit) in the 1970s and 1980s conducted years of research that helped lead to spin-resistant designs for small, general-aviation aircraft. Behind him is a low-wing spin research aircraft, and on the ground are two model aircraft of the same configuration (one radio-controlled and the other for use in a spin tunnel). According to NASA, Patton once estimated that he had done 8,000 spin turns.