Aviation Appreciation Friday! 🛫👨✈
Introducing #5 of the series:
Chuck Yaeger, The First Person to Break the Sound Barrier!
Early Life & World War II:
Chuck Yaeger was born on February 13, 1923, in Myra, West Virginia, Yeager grew up in a modest household during the Great Depression. Yeager's path into aviation began during World War II when he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces in 1941.
Yaeger began as an aircraft mechanic at George Air Force Base in California on September 12, 1941. At the time of his enlistment, Yaeger was unable to begin flight training due to his age and educational background. However, just a short three months later, after the United States’ official entry into the war, the USAAF altered its recruiting requirements and he was able to begin his flight training.
On March 10, 1943, Yaeger graduated from Class 43C and received both his pilot wings as well as a promotion to flight officer at Luke Field in Arizona. He was assigned to the 357th Fighter Group and shipped overseas with them on November 23, 1943.
In March 1944, his P-51 Mustang was shot down over France. Yaeger managed to evade capture and fled to Spain. He returned to the states in early 1945, having completed 60 successful aerial missions during the war. In fact, during one of his missions, he was credited with downing five German planes in a single day.
Breaking the Sound Barrier:
Yaeger remained in the United States Armed Forces after the war, becoming a test pilot at Muroc Army Air Field, now Edwards Air Force Base in California. He married Glennis Faye Dickhouse in February 1945. The lady that would later inspire the name of the Bell X-1 rocket Yaeger would complete his successful mission to break the sound barrier in, “Glamorous Glennis”.
After graduating the Flight Performance School, Yaeger was selected to fly the rocket-powered Bell X-1 in a NACA program to research high-speed flight. On October 14, 1947, Chuck Yaeger broke the sound barrier in level flight at Mach 1.05 at an altitude of 45,000 feet. Despite this historic feat’s accomplishment, the flight was deemed classified and was not released to the public for nearly eight months, in June 1948. Following the release of the successful mission to the public, Yaeger was awarded the Mackay Trophy and Collier Trophy by President Truman in the White House.
In 1953, Yaeger flew a Russian MiG that had fallen into the hands of the United States by a North Korean defector, No Kum-sok, making him the first American to do so.
In December of that year, he set a new speed record. Pushing past Mach 2 in a Bell X-1A, he reached the speed of 1,650 miles an hour. Once again, Yaeger was called to the White House where President Eisenhower awarded him with the Harmon International Trophy.
Continued Military Service Following his Achievements:
In 1954, Yaeger was dispatched to Europe as Commander of the 417th Fighter Bomber Squadron.
In 1962, he was selected to head the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School to train astronauts.
It wasn’t until 1966 that Yaeger returned to combat operations. He was assigned as Commander of the 405th Fighter Wing based in the Philippines.
Yaeger was promoted to brigadier general in 1969 and also became Vice Commander of the 17th Air Force stationed in Germany.
From 1971 to 1973, Yaeger served as a U.S. Defense Representative to Pakistan at the behest of Ambassador Joseph Farland.
In 1973, he was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame and he also became the Director of Aerospace Safety at Norton Air Force Base in California.
In 1975, Yaeger retired from the Air Force after completing his final active-duty flight.
Photo Credit: The Aviationist
Later Years & Pop Culture References:
Chuck Yaeger made an appearance in the film, The Right Stuff, in 1983. The film is based on the book by the same name, written by Tom Wolfe. Yaeger plays a bartender named ‘Fred’ that worked at Pancho’s Palace.
Yaeger has also been referenced several times in the Star Trek Universe:
- A fictional type of starship bears his namesake, the ‘USS Yaeger’.
- A flight-maneuver called the ‘Yaeger Loop’ was added in his honor.
- Director of Star Trek: Enterprise, Rick Berman, said he envisioned Captain Jonathan Archer, the lead character, as being “halfway between Chuck Yaeger and Han Solo”.
On October 14, 1997, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his breaking the sound barrier, Yaeger took to the skies again and pushed past Mach 1. He also replicated this feat in 2012, to mark the 65th anniversary of the historic date at age 89.
Yaegar passed away on December 7, 2020, at age 97.
Throughout his illustrious career, Yeager continued to push the boundaries of aviation, serving as a test pilot, flying combat missions in Europe and Vietnam, and mentoring aspiring aviators. His legacy as a hero of the skies endures as a testament to the power of perseverance and innovation.
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