William P. Lear and his contributions to radio and aviation

The year 1903 was a momentous one in the history of both wireless communication and aviation. In January of that year, Guglielmo Marconi established two-way wireless communication between the United States and Great Britain. Later the same year, in December, the Wright brothers achieved their first successful powered flight. As we reflect on the astonishing consequences of these events, it seems an appropriate time to remember the life and work of inventor-entrepreneur William P. Lear, who was born in 1902, only a few months prior to these feats by Marconi and the brothers Wright. And Bill Lear was an individual who would change the evolution of both radioelectronics and aviation like no other! Radioelectronics and aviation became the two principal themes of Lear\´s professional career, and he made significant contributions to both technologies. Known especially for his role in the creation of the "Lear Jet", Lear was elected an IEEE Fellow in 1967 in recognition of his "pioneering efforts and continuing contributions to the field of electronics in aircraft communications and automatic flight control systems".