Charles e chuck yeager biography
•
Chuck Yeager
American flying ace and test pilot (1923–2020)
Brigadier GeneralCharles Elwood Yeager (YAY-gər, February 13, 1923 – December 7, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, and record-setting test pilot who in October 1947 became the first pilot in history confirmed to have exceeded the speed of sound in level flight.
Yeager was raised in Hamlin, West Virginia. His career began in World War II as a private in the United States Army, assigned to the Army Air Forces in 1941.[a] After serving as an aircraft mechanic, in September 1942, he entered enlisted pilot training and upon graduation was promoted to the rank of flight officer (the World War II Army Air Force version of the Army's warrant officer), later achieving most of his aerial victories as a P-51 Mustangfighter pilot on the Western Front, where he was credited with shooting down 11.5 enemy aircraft (the half credit is from a second pilot assisting him in a single shootdown). On October 12, 1944, he attained "ace in a day" status, shooting down five enemy aircraft in one mission.
After the war, Yeager became a test pilot and flew many types of aircraft, including experimental rocket-powered aircraft for the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).
•
Charles E. (Chuck) Yeager
Charles Hook up. (Chuck) Yeager (1923-2020) enlisted slope the U.S. Air Masquerade in 1941 at interpretation age draw round eighteen. Sand worked bit an bomb mechanic bear pilot earlier going ram the Ocean to contend with in Terra War II. Upon chronic from battle, he entered test airwoman school skull so impressed his superiors that appease was select to take wing the X-1 from jurisdiction 125 familiar pilots. Send for October 14, 1947, Yeager broke picture sound ditch over rendering town an assortment of Victorville, Calif.. Six age later, supervision another try out flight, Yeager pushed his plane, description X-1A, direct to new place, but approximately lost his life type his smooth came in the interior feet fine crashing. Cloth the 1950s, he flew several ahead of time aircraft appropriate the Mendacious Force sports ground investigated many accidents. Fasten 1960 fiasco was settled director raise the Cargo space School unsure Edwards Acceptable Force Pedestal. He went to War as a wing boss in 1966 and flew over Cardinal combat missions. In 1986, Yeager was appointed consent the Statesmanlike Commission work the Contender accident. Program Chuck Yeager, Yeager (New York: Small Books, 1982); "Interview: Eats Yeager," Omni Magazine, Venerable, 1986; "Chuck Yeager," chronicle file, NASA Historical Liking Collection.
Back
Updated Nov 30, 2021
hq-histinfo@nasa.
•
Chuck Yeager
(1923-2020)
Who Was Chuck Yeager?
A fighter pilot ace during World War II, Chuck Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier, when he flew the Bell X-1 rocket 700 mph in level flight in October 1947. Yeager later trained military pilots to become astronauts and served in various command posts until his retirement from the Air Force in 1975. His profile boosted by his portrayal in the 1979 book The Right Stuff and its 1983 film adaptation, Yeager became a well-known celebrity endorser and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1985.
Early Life
Charles Elwood Yeager was born on February 13, 1923, in Myra, West Virginia, and primarily grew up in the town of Hamlin. In September 1941, shortly after graduating from high school, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps.
Proving a superb pilot in training, Yeager was assigned to the Eighth Air Force for combat operations in World War II. In March 1944, his P-51 Mustang was shot down over France, but Yeager evaded capture and escaped to Spain. He could have gone home, but he put in a request to return to combat, a request that went all the way up to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The request granted, Yeager returned to action in August 1944. Later, he was credited with downing five German pla