Paul Leo Ortego never said his version of the helicopter was fancy. It wasn't. But that didn't prevent the Alexandria resident's machine from flying with a pilot onboard. Which is something Igor ...

There aren’t many people who know that the first working helicopter was invented by an Alexandria man. His name was Leo Ortego and he is the uncle of Alexandria author M.E. Nevill. The 76-year-old ...

Alexandria author M.E. Nevill wrote "Leo's War" based on stories she heard growing up about her uncle Leo Ortego who invented the first working helicopter.

In 1922, Paul Leo Ortego created the first working helicopter in Alexandria and tested it on the corner of the city's Bolton and Rapides avenues. Ortego piloted the machine between 10 and 15 feet in ...