Len Povey

A self taught pilot, Povey’s official introduction came in 1922 in the Army Air Service, where he was one of the first enlisted pilots.

After a Miami air show in 1934, he was invited to inspect Cuba’s air facilities and pilots, and later he became head of the Cuban Air Force. He originated the Cuban Eight aerial maneuver.

During World War II, he served as vice president of Eastern Aviation. Most recently, he served as director of public relations for Stevens Aviation in Greenville.

Len Povey: Date of First Flight, May 1922; Date of Solo, 1923; Solo A/C: Hisso-Jenny

Every airshow fan knows the story of Len Povey and the "Cuban Eight. Most don't know Len was a resident of Highlands NC and worked as a consultant for Stevens Aviation in Greenville SC.

Here, Len poses in a circa 1937 photographic with a 1,000HP Curtis Hawk in Cuba when he headed and reorganized the Cuban Air Force for General Bastita. This is the aircraft in which he developed the "Cuban Eight." Len was a member of the Charlotte NC Hanger of the Quiet Birdmen, having joined the national organization in 1929. He was also a two-time member of the "Caterpillar Club and was inducted into the OX-5 Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame in 1973.

The "Cuban Eight"
http://espanol.geocities.com/aviacuba/Mil1-3-e.html

During the year of 1936, Len Povey brought his Curtiss Hawk to the "All American Show" at Miami, Florida for acrobatic competition and by accident invented a new revolutionary and exciting maneuver.

Povey was going to make as an extra maneuver three aileron rolls in the top of a loop. Realizing that in the top of the loop he had 140 mph, too much speed to perform the loops he decided to continue the loop and immediately a half roll and repeated the maneuver in other to make a flat "8". Upon landing, James Doolitle (later a General of great fame on account of the Tokio Raid from the Carrier Hornet) who was one of the judges questioned Povey. Asked if that was his extra maneuver, to what Povey replied, that it was, when asked about the name of such maneuver, Povey casually replied "a Cuban 8". This maneuver became one of the most important maneuvers of coordination for future pilots. Other figures derived are the "Inverted Cuban Eight", The "Half Cuban Eight" and the "Inverted Half 8 Cuban Eight".