Legendary Sikorsky test pilot H.E. ‘Tommy’ Thompson looping a Sikorsky S-52, May 9th, 1949. This is the first documented loop of a helicopter. Tommy did some loops at altitude that day, and when Igor Sikorsky heard about it, he asked Tommy to do it again at a lower altitude so that it could be filmed. Tommy then did the loops you see here. Incredibly, he appears to be around 40 feet above ground on entry and exit. He was astoundingly courageous and skilled. The S-52 was powered by a 245hp Franklin engine that was weak and unreliable compared to modern helicopters. Tommy also set the world speed record at the time in this same helicopter by flying at 129 mph. Tommy Thompson died in 2003. His legacy and impact live on at Sikorsky and in the entire helicopter industry.