Gus McLeod
{{short description|American pilot and author (born 1954)}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Gus McLeod
|image = North Pole Stearman.JPG
|caption = McLeod's Stearman in the College Park Aviation Museum
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|9|9|mf=yes}}
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|known_for = Subject of an award-winning National Geographic special, Arctic Flyer.
|education = B.A. Catholic University
studied chemical engineering University of Maryland{{cite web|title=Embracing Adventure Two Alumni Show the Way|access-date=29 February 2012|url=http://publicaffairs.cua.edu/cuamag/fall06/features/adventure.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305161619/http://publicaffairs.cua.edu/cuamag/fall06/features/adventure.htm|archive-date=5 March 2012|url-status=dead}}
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|employer = Executive Director, Green L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum, Middle River, Maryland, Proxy Aviation Systems, Inc.{{cite web|author=Gustavus McLeod |url=http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/private/person.asp?personId=54873187&privcapId=22762635&previousCapId=22762635&previousTitle=Proxy%20Aviation%20Systems,%20Inc |title=Gustavus McLeod: Executive Profile & Biography - Businessweek |publisher=Investing.businessweek.com |access-date=2014-02-22}}{{dead link|date=April 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}
|occupation = Chemical engineer, former CIA agent{{cite web|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRECB-2000-pt5/html/CRECB-2000-pt5-Pg6728.htm |title=Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 5 - RECOGNIZING GUS McLEOD |publisher=Gpo.gov |date=2000-05-03 |access-date=2014-02-22}}
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|spouse = Mary
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|children = 3 including Hera
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| television = The Amazing Race 6
}}
Gustavus A. McLeod (born September 9, 1954){{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/2000-04/05/042r-040500-idx.html |title=Death and Daring |work=Washingtonpost.com |date=2000-04-05 |access-date=2014-02-22}} is an American pilot and author whose exploits have been featured in reality television appearances. He was the first person to fly over the North Pole in an open-cockpit biplane.
Biography
McLeod grew up in Corinth, Mississippi, the son of a Methodist minister. McLeod is a 1976 graduate of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.{{cite book |author=Jessie Carney Smith |date=2013 |title=Black Firsts: 4,000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=474 |isbn= 9781578593699}}
On April 17, 2000, McLeod became the first person to fly over the North Pole in an open-cockpit biplane.{{cite web|last=McCord |first=Joel |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2000-05-03-0005030122-story.html |title=After frigid flight, aviator met with warm reception; Pilot reached North Pole after journey in open plane |publisher=Baltimore Sun |date=May 3, 2000 |access-date=September 20, 2022}}
McLeod is an entrepreneur who, in 2004, lived in Laytonsville, Maryland.{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/2004/01/08/adventure-mode/ |title=Adventure Mode - Baltimore Sun |publisher=Articles.baltimoresun.com |date=2004-01-08 |access-date=2014-02-22}} However, in 2004 he was also reported to live in Gaithersburg, Maryland.{{cite web|last=Wang |first=Cynthia |url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1010850,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080320010243/http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,1010850,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 20, 2008 |title=Gus & Hera McLeod - The Amazing Race |publisher=People |date=2013-01-14 |access-date=2014-02-22}}
McLeod and his wife, Mary, have three children.
McLeod was featured in a four-column article in the Smithsonian in April 2003, because he planned to fly his "...Beech 18 solo from the South Pole to the North Pole, a 32,000 mile trip, in about two months".Smithsonian magazine, April 2003, pg 42 Flight of Fancy
The UK aeronautic company Cobham plc reports in an employee newsletter dated June 2005 that McLeod is a former CIA chemist, and is currently a businessman based in Maryland.[http://www.cobham-news.com/09/default.asp?action=pdf&issue=9&cat=6&article=238] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060501145327/http://www.cobham-news.com/09/default.asp?action=pdf&issue=9&cat=6&article=238|date=May 1, 2006}}
=Works=
- Solo to the Top of the World: Gus McLeod's Daring Record Flight, 2003, 245 pages {{ISBN|1-58834-102-X}}
=Appearances=
- Television — Inside Base Camp: Tori Murden and Gus McLeod, 2002
- Television — The Amazing Race 6, Nov 14, 2004
''The Amazing Race''
=The Amazing Race 6=
{{Main|The Amazing Race 6}}
In August 2004, McLeod competed on the sixth season of the CBS adventure reality show The Amazing Race with his daughter, Hera. They were eliminated at the end of the sixth leg, finishing in seventh place.{{cite web | url=https://apnews.com/article/320926b9cacd92640c7dbc4ae44598ef#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20(AP)%20_%20Father,the%20race%20around%20the%20world | title='Amazing Race' Team Axed After Gate Crash | website=Associated Press }}
=The Amazing Race 6 finishes=
- An italicized placement means it is a Gus and Hera's placement at the midpoint of a double leg.
- A {{fontcolor|FireBrick|red}} placement with a dagger ({{dagger}}) indicates that Gus and Hera were eliminated.
Roadblocks performed by Gus are bolded
| class="wikitable unsortable" style="text-align:center;" |
| scope="col" class="unsortable" | Episode
! scope="col" | Leg ! scope="col" | Destination(s) ! scope="col" | Detour choice (underlined) ! scope="col" | Roadblock performance ! scope="col" | Placement ! scope="col" | Notes |
|---|
| scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 1
|1 |Ice climb/Ice search |No roadblock |10th of 11 | |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 2
|2 |Endurance/Accuracy |Hera |3rd of 10 | |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 3
|3 |Count it/Build it |Gus |3rd of 9 | |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 4
|4 |Stack 'em up/Pull 'em up |Gus |7th of 8 | |
| scope="row" style="text-align:center" | 5
|5 |Beers/Brats |Hera |5th of 8 | |
| 6
|rowspan="2"|6 |rowspan="2"|Germany → Hungary |Catapault crash/Cannonball run |Hera |2nd of 7 |rowspan="2"|{{efn|name=Tie1|Leg 6 was a double-length leg, with two Detours and two Roadblocks, shown over two episodes. The placement listed in the top row reflect the order teams arrived at the leg's halfway point.}} |
| 8
|Swim/Paddle |Gus |{{fontcolor|FireBrick|7th of 7}}{{dagger}} |
;Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
Bibliography
- Smithsonian magazine, April 2003, pg 42 Flight of Fancy
External links
- {{IMDb name|1747819}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060901035601/http://centennialofflight.gov/user/news_releases/press_3roads_mcleod.htm Update 19 January 2004]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070105053010/http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/11/prweb306059.htm PR newswire update November 2005]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLeod, Gus}}
Category:American explorers of the Arctic
Category:American non-fiction writers
Category:Catholic University of America alumni
Category:People of the Central Intelligence Agency