William Suitor
From The Space Library
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| Birth Name | William Suitor |
|---|---|
| Occupation | Pilot, Author |
| Nationality | United States of America |
| Notable Works | The Rocket Belt Pilot's Manual |
Educated in the Buffalo New York area, spending 2 years at Erie Tech, William wanted to become a Architect. His studies were interrupted in 1964 by Wendell Moore, a family friend and neighbor who invented the Bell Rocketbelt with, "Hey kid, you want an exciting job?"
William traveled all over the world for Bell demonstrating the Belts, as well as flying and testing numerous versions of personal rocket powered flying machines including the Pogo, 2 Man Pogo, Reverse Pogo, Flying Chair and Apollo Lunar Pogo from 1964 to 1970. After leaving Bell William went to work for Nelson Tyler in Hollywood, California, helping him develop and demonstrate his Rocket Belt, he worked with Nelson until the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.
William married Cheryl Quirk (the Boss' Daughter") in 1967 and raised seven children and lived to tell about it. He and Cheryl now have eleven grand children (and counting).
From 1993 to 1995 he worked with Joe Wright on the RB 2000 Rocket Belt Project flying and testing "Pretty Bird", a story ending in tragedy. The story can be read in the book by Paul Brown, "The Rocket Belt Caper."
In 1997 he began a working friendship with Nino Amarena of San Carlos, Ca. developing his rocket belt "Thunderpack", which made its first successful flights in 2007....just in time for Social Security!
William has traveled and consulted and lectured on the subject of rocketbelts and considers himself a "friend and advisor" to most of the people working on rocketbelts today.
He is an accomplished wood carver and artist and has won numerous awards with his waterfowl and whale art work. For the past two years he and his wife Cheryl have been restoring a 200 year old farm house in Niagara County doing all the work themselves. When that project is finished William intends on "retiring" to his art work in his barn/workshop/studio.
William has been called "the Greatest Rocket Belt Pilot in the World."
William has appeared in the following shows and movies.
"Lost In Space" 1964
007 "Thunderball" 1965
"Gilligans Island" 1966
Super Bowl ONE" 1967
Pro Bowl One 1971
Here Comes Tomorrow 1972
Pabst Beer Commercial 1976
Knoxville Worlds Fair 1982
Opening Ceremonies 1984 Olympics
He holds the speed, altitude and distance records for "First Generation 21 second Rocket Belts". Newer models fly for 35 % longer allowing much greater distance.
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