Navy pilot Scott Crossfield became the first aviator to reach twice the speed of sound (Mach 2) using the D-558-II Skyrocket transonic research airplane. 14 th, 1947, Yeager broke the sound barrier while flying the X-1, which he named “Glamorous Glennis” (after his first wife).ĭuring the Korean War (1950 – 1953), he returned to active military service, and resumed test piloting after the conclusion of hostilities. By 1947, he was selected to fly the Bell XS-1 as part of the program for high-speed flight conducted by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics‘ (NACA) – the precursor to NASA. “Fastest Man Alive”Īfter the war, Yeager remained with the USAAF as a test pilot. On February 26th, 1945, Yeager married his first wife, Glennis Dickhouse, and the couple would have four children. The encounter made Yeager the first in his group to become an “ace in a day.”īy war’s end, Yeager had achieved the rank of Captain and was credited with 11.5 official victories, including one Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter which he shot down as it was attempting to land. He also attributed much of his success to the ‘G’ suit (which kept him from blacking out) and the Mustang’s K-14 gun sight. In his after-action report, Yeager claimed five kills and reported firing off 587 rounds of his Mustang’s. 109 and the pilot was forced to bail out after losing control. He shot up the wings and tail of this Me. 109 cut its throttle and tried to pull behind, but Yeager rolled his plane and made a hard turn to get back on the fighter’s rear. 109 and fired a burst into its path, causing it to explode in midair. Yeager then opened fire on the first, causing it to burst into flames as it fell. According to Yeager’s after action report, both pilots bailed out. One of the German pilots panicked and broke to the right and collided with another. Credit:Īfter dropping his external fuel tanks, Yeager moved into firing position and was the only pilot in his squad who was in range. P-51 Mustangs flying in formation over Europe. Yeager and his squad fell in behind the enemy formation and followed them for a few minutes. It was here that Yeager spotted twenty-two Messerschmidt 109s crossing in front of his squadron at a distance of about 2.4 km (1.5 mi). While other squadrons remained close, the 363rd flew 80 to 160 km (50 to 100 mi) ahead to intercept any German fighters.Īccording to Yeager’s after action report, the engagement began while he and his squad were flying at an altitude of about 7600 meters (25,000 ft) over Steinhuder Lake – about 50 km (30 mi) southeast of Bremen. It happened during a bombing raid on Bremen, where Yeager was leading the 363rd Squadron as part of the bombers’ escort. 12 th, 1944, Yeager became a fighter ace after shooting down five enemy fighters in a single day. With the help of the French Resistance (the Maquis), he was smuggled through Spain and returned to England about two months later. Yeager shot down one fighter before being shot down himself on his either sortie over France. While stationed at RAF Leiston, Yeager and his fighter wing flew P-51 Mustangs in sorties against the German Air Force (the Luftwaffe). After much training to become a fighter pilot, Yeager was shipped with the 357th Fighter Group to the UK in November of 1943. A few months later, the US entered World War II, and Yeager became eligible for flight training. 12 th, 1941, and became an aircraft mechanic at George Air Force Base, in Victorville, California. Yeager enlisted as a private in the USAAF on Sept. Chuck Yeager, exceeded the speed of sound in history’s first supersonic flight. In 1941, he graduated high school and began his military service with the US Army Air Forces (USAAF).Ī Bell XS-1 (tail no. Chuck Yeager was born Charles Elwood Yeager in 1923 in West Virginia, to farming parents Susie Mae and Albert Hal Yeager. However, Yeager’s accomplishments go far beyond what he achieved as a test pilot and pioneer aviator. 14th was the seventy-third anniversary of Yeager’s historic flight with the Bell XS-1. He is perhaps best known for being the first man to break the sound barrier, as well as the first pilot to travel over twice the speed of sound (Mach 2). In addition to his family, Yeager also leaves behind a legacy that is virtually unparalleled in the history of flight, comparable only to men like Neil Armstrong and Yuri Gagarin. Yeager is interred at Arlington National Cemetery outside of Washington D.C. He was 97 years of age and is survived by his second wife, Victoria Yeager (nee Victoria Scott D’Angelo), and his three children, Susan, Don, and Sharon. On Dec.7th, 2020, World War II flying ace and legendary test pilot General Chuck Yeager passed away while in hospital in Los Angeles.
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