Happy 96th Birthday, Chuck Yeager!

The legendary test pilot, Chuck Yeager, turns 96 today. Although he may be a bit slower these days he remains very active managing his foundation, traveling to select events from his home in California, and maintaining an interesting presence on Twitter. Yeager  is a World War II and notable test pilot but he best remembered for his landmark achievement in aviation when he flew his Bell X-1 beyond the sound barrier and into history on the shoulders of scores of aerospace pioneers who helped him reach that speedway in the sky.

Thanks to my interest in aviation history I had the opportunity to attend several of Yeager's presentations at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and actually talk with him a few times. He was always confident, friendly and entertaining with his common sense personality punctuated by humor that boiled up frequently. In addition, he dealt with fame well, being comfortable with his achievement and its accompanying limelight. At the same time, genuine or not, you always got the feeling he could be equally happy in a rocking chair on someone's front porch. Regardless, he's certainly earned the right to rock or rocket.

Readers can learn more about the man and the early years of the nation's military aviation and aerospace history in Yeager: An Autobiography, an outstanding read originally published in 1985. A valuable companion book providing context and additional history on the nation's early manned space program is Tom Wolfe's 1979 classic, The Right Stuff.






Sources

Photos and Illustrations:
Cover photo, Yeager: An Autobiography, General Chuck Yeager and Leo Janus, Bantam, 1985.

Text:

www.wikipedia.com
www.chuckyeager.com