Aviator of the Year PDF.

LEON
O.
RIGGS
2010 INDIANA AVIATOR OF THE YEAR
By Adam L Hill, grandson
“I’m proud of this baby!” said Le Riggs of his
highly modified P&W 450 HP Stearman on
July 4, 1973 while performing in the Dayton,
Ohio Air Show. To the right is a copy of the
detailed card he taped to the dash of his
plane every time he performed in an air show,
including July 4, 1973. “The card was my air
show cheat sheet,” says Le. “The length of
my show was typically twelve minutes and
the card helped me stay organized during
those twelve minutes.” “Mr. Upside Down,”
as some of those pilots on the air show
circuit referred to Le for his obsession with
flying inverted, not only excelled as a pilot,
but he also has been quite successful in life,
business and philanthropy.
Leon O. Riggs (“Le”) was brought into this
world on May 10, 1929 in Indianapolis,
Indiana by Grandma Luckett, a mid-wife who
lived down the street. He grew up with five
siblings and two parents who were loving,
caring and dedicated to the well-being of
everyone. His parents, Ollie Riggs and
Dorothy Katherine (Bruce) Riggs, owned and
operated Riggs Market in the near eastside
of downtown Indianapolis
on the corner of Davidson
and New York – specifically
in the 800 block of East
New York Street. Naturally,
Le worked for his parents
in the grocery business
and has fond memories
of interacting with the
locals on a daily basis.
Perhaps an insight into
Le’s frugal upbringing is a
story he remembers while
working for his parents. “I
remember we had a bunch
of strawberries that had
gone bad and we couldn’t
sell. Instead of simply
throwing them out, my dad
made strawberry jam out of them and then
sold the jam. That’s just how he was; he
would not waste anything.”
aerobatics the moment he performed that
snap roll,” recalls Le. Shortly thereafter,
Le influenced and assisted his two younger
brothers with obtaining their pilot’s licenses.
They both went on to become commercial
airline pilots – one with the Flying Tigers and
the other with American Airlines.
Prior to traveling the Midwest performing in air
shows, Le put his pilot’s license to use and
opened up a very successful life insurance
company in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Le
juggled his family life in addition to operating
his insurance company for the better part
of five years. Ultimately he figured out he
wanted to be back in Indiana full time and
sold his interest in the insurance company.
In addition, Le’s father owned and operated
a couple saloons on the near eastside of
downtown. Actually, at the age of 12, he and
a friend (Darrell Williams) began working in
one of the saloons as “lookouts” for certain
gambling activities taking place inside the
saloon. “We would sit outside the saloon
and wait around for the police,” recalls Le.
“We would sit on the front steps and watch
fights on the corner, too.” At the age of 16,
Le was given his own saloon to operate,
which he did while going to high school and
obtaining his pilot’s license.
He purchased his first plane – a Waco
biplane – for a whopping $300! He began
teaching himself how to be a pilot and
how to do stunts while thousands of feet
in the air. Perhaps his first and most fond
memory is when a local instructor took him
into the air and did a snap roll, which is a
series of horizontal spins. “I was hooked on
Upon his return, Le got much more involved
with aerobatics and began using his plane
for business. He worked as a crop duster
throughout the state of Indiana. He also
opened a banner towing company – Sky
Ads – where he would fly to various events
and tow a banner behind his plane as an
advertisement for local businesses. He
began a skywriting business as well, which
is where he honed in on his skills as a stunt
show pilot.
He traveled across the Midwest in his
Stearman, a beloved stunt planes of that
era and even today, especially for aerobatic
pilots. Le would perform extremely difficult
and daring aerobatics. Perhaps his most
well-known stunt was his own special
“LECEVAK” – a modification of the fantastic
“LOMCEVAK.” He would go into a smoking
series of rolls, loops, “8’s”, snaps, stalls,
and low level inverted flight patterns, while
12 • INDIANAPOLIS AIR SHOW 2010 • www.IndyAirShow.com
the daring Wendy Knight “rode the wing.” Le
would travel the Midwest with Wendy and
dazzle fans with the LECEVAK and death
defying wing-walking act.
“I loved aerobatics and really everything
about being in an airplane,” says Le. “Those
- Super Decathlon plane in hopes of getting
in the air again. For the meantime, however,
the plane is getting a lot of use from Michael
and Michael Jr. Michael Jr., 19, has already
obtained his pilot’s license and just finished
his first year in Indiana State University’s
aviation program. Michael Sr. is a few
short hours shy of obtaining his pilot’s
license as well. “I just hope they can
enjoy flying as much as I have,” says
Le. “The only restriction I place on them
is they can’t do aerobatics until they’re
8,000 feet in the air!”
Le took his expertise in aerobatics to
the business world where he has been
extremely successful. Perhaps his history
in the alcohol industry helps describe
his entrance as an owner and operator
of what is now one of the largest liquor
store chains in Indianapolis and Indiana:
United Package Liquors and United Fine
Wine & Spirits. Upon returning full time
to Indiana, Le took some of the proceeds
from the insurance company sale and
opened up his first liquor store on Capital
Ave. in downtown Indianapolis in 1964.
That store was the first of many liquor
stores to come. In fact, Le now employs
approximately 200 people at 24 liquor stores
in Indianapolis and 4 stores in Kentucky.
“We now have 28 liquor stores and hopefully
we can keep going,” says Le.
Shortly after opening his first liquor store, Le
delved into the commercial real estate sector
as well. “I was tired of paying someone else
to use space in a building” recalls Le. Thus,
he started LOR Corporation. His formula
was simple – he would purchase a piece
or property or an existing strip center, rent
available space to various other businesses,
and put a United Package Liquors store in the
same center. “Instead of paying someone
else, I was paying myself so to speak.” LOR
Corporation now owns and operates 39 strip
centers in the greater Indianapolis area and
owns real estate in Kentucky.
United Package Liquors is expected to bring
in gross sales in 2010 of around $35 million.
LOR Corporation and related entities currently
have assets totaling approximately $75
million. Le is quite modest when speaking
about the success of his businesses and
gives credit to others, saying “I have great
people who work for me and feel very lucky.
Le has been a consistent donor to multiple
charities in the community. “To help others
in our community gives me perhaps more
pleasure than anything else in life,” says Le.
This was reiterated when he formed United
Hope Foundation in 2005. United Hope was
formed in an attempt to provide donations to
multiple organizations. Prior to its formation,
however, Le experienced reluctance from
local businesses to accept donations that
were proceeds of alcohol sales. Thus,
once again finding a way, Le went another
route and used United Hope to donate to
similar organizations. Since 2005, United
Hope has contributed over a half million
dollars to local organizations and individuals
in Indianapolis, focusing mainly on those
who are experiencing extreme financial
hardship. In addition to multiple other
donations, United Hope has purchased cars
for individuals who need to work and don’t
have a means of transportation, paid rental
payments for various families and bought
groceries for individuals. United Package
Liquors, LOR Corporation and United Hope
also put on the Indy’s Wine & Brew Festival
and Greens for Hope golf outing each year.
Le has also been a very large contributor
to the Indianapolis Air Show since 2000,
donating both money and time.
Le has two children, five grandchildren and
one great grandchild. “My dad has taught
our entire family the value of dedication and
has instilled in all of us that we are never too
tall to reach down and lend a helping hand,”
says Le’s daughter, Cindy Lynn (Riggs) Hill.
memories are some of the best memories of
my life and I will never forget them.”
Not only did Le influence his brothers to
become pilots and perhaps allow them
to share his fond memories, he also has
influenced his son and grandson: Michael
Lee Riggs and Michael Lee Riggs, Jr. He
recently purchased an American Champion
www.IndyAirShow.com • INDIANAPOLIS AIR SHOW 2010 • 13