Leonard Greene

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Dr. Leonard Michael Greene (1918 - Nov 30, 2006) was an inventor and engineer who holds more than 100 patents, 60 of which are in aviation technology. He was born in New York City, and after receiving his B.S. and M.S. in civil engineering at City University of New York went to work for Grumman Aircraft as an aerodynamics specialist and engineering test pilot.

While working at Grumman he witnessed a plane crash caused by a stalled engine. Around that time, about half off all aircraft accidents were caused due to stalled engines. Greene determined that one of the primary causes of a stalled engine was that a pilot could not easily determine when he was reaching a critical point of an excessive angle of airflow over a wing. As a result he invented the Stall Warning Indicator. This invention received the first Air Safety Award from the Flight Safety Foundation, and a 1947 Saturday Evening Post article opined "It may be the greatest life saver since invention of the parachute." The device is integrated into every current aircraft and is manufactured by the Safe Flight Instrument Corporation, established by Greene in 1946 and located in White Plains, New York.

Dr. Greene has also holds patents in fields such as yachting and technology for the hearing impaired. He was also a noted social activist and co-founded the Corporate Angel Network, a charity that provides to cancer patients otherwise empty seats on corporate jet flights.

In 1977 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Pace University.