Chuck Yeager
Brigadier General Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager (born February 13, 1923 Myra, West Virginia) is an American World War II ace and test pilot. Charles Yeager achieved the rank of Brigadier General in the Air Force. He is most famous for being the first person to travel faster than Mach 1, the speed of sound, in level flight.On October 14, 1947, Yeager broke the sound barrier flying the Bell X-1 at an altitude of 45,000 feet.
The X-1 was an experimental rocket plane, nicknamed the Glamorous Glennis after Yeager's wife. This aircraft is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air And Space Museum.
Yeager's career started when he signed up to join the military in 1939. On his first flight, he actually got sick but soon learned to love flying. During the Second World War, Yeager distinguished himself by becoming the first American pilot to become an ace (one who has shot down five enemy aircraft) in one day. He served in the Air Force all the way through the Vietnam War. He never did go to college and often was modest about his background but is considered to be one of the most talented pilots that ever served the United States.
Yeager went on to break other records for speed and altitude.
Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia was named after him.
Yeager was a primary suject of Tom Wolfe's book, The Right Stuff, and of the movie made from it. He was the prototype flier with the right stuff.
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