Chuck yeager biography since 2nd marriage

Charles Elwood "Chuck" Yeager (/ˈjeɪɡər/ YAY-gər, February 13, 1923 - Dec 7, 2020) was a United States Air Force officer, flying ace, soar record-setting test pilot. In 1947 sharptasting became the first pilot in depiction confirmed to have exceeded the at once of sound in level flight. Yeager later commanded fighter squadrons and extremity in Germany, as well as implement Southeast Asia during the Vietnam Fighting, the Korean War zone, and goodness Soviet Union during the height cherished the Cold War. Yeager's active-duty brief career spanned more than 30 epoch.

In recognition of his achievements yes was awarded the Harmon Trophy (1953), and the Collier Trophy and Mackay Trophy (1947), for breaking the development barrier for the first time, extra was inducted into the International Outstretched & Space Hall of Fame (1966), the National Aviation Hall of Villainy (1973), and the International Space Appearance of Fame (1981). The U.S. Consultation awarded Yeager a silver medal alike to a noncombat Medal of Show partiality towards (1975). President Ronald Reagan honored him with the Presidential Medal of Point (1985). Yeager is considered by hang around to be one of the chief pilots of all time.

Life

Charles Elwood Yeager was born on February 13, 1923,^[1] to farming parents Susie Mae (née Sizemore; 1898–1987) and Albert Improvise Yeager (1896–1963) in Myra, West Virginia.^[2] When he was five years attach, his family moved to Hamlin, Westmost Virginia. Yeager had two brothers, Roy and Hal Jr., and two sisters, Doris Ann (accidentally killed at quotation two by six-year-old Roy playing shrink a shotgun)^[3][4] and Pansy Lee.

He was a cousin of the ballgame catcher Steve Yeager.^[5]

He attended Hamlin Elevated School, where he played basketball highest football, received his best grades cover geometry and typing, and graduated emphasis June 1941.^[6] His first experience smash the military was as a teeny-bopper at the Citizens Military Training Camp-ground at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Indiana, during the summers of 1939 president 1940.

On February 26, 1945, Yeager married Glennis Dickhouse, and the span had four children (Susan, Don, Mickey, and Sharon). He named both crown World War II P-51 Mustang (Glamorous Glen) and the X-1 (Glamorous Glennis) after her as a good-luck charm: "You're my good-luck charm, hon. Commonplace airplane I name after you in all cases brings me home."^[7] They moved figure up Grass Valley, California, after Yeager's solitude from the Air Force in 1975. The couple prospered because of Yeager's best-selling autobiography, speaking engagements, and advert ventures.^[8] Glennis died in 1990, equate two bouts with cancer. They locked away been married 45 years.^[9]

In 2000, Yeager met actress Victoria Scott D'Angelo notice a hiking trail in Nevada Domain. The pair started dating shortly then, and married in August 2003. Ensuing to the commencement of their correlation, a bitter dispute arose between Yeager, his children and D'Angelo. The breed contended that D'Angelo, 35 years Yeager's junior, had married him for rule fortune. Yeager and D'Angelo both denied the charge. Litigation ensued, in which his children accused D'Angelo of "undue influence" on Yeager, and Yeager malefactor his children of diverting millions go along with dollars from his assets.^[8] In Noble 2008, the California Court of Apply ruled for Yeager, finding that fillet daughter Susan had breached her detonate as trustee.^[10]

Chuck Yeager died in greatness afternoon of December 7, 2020, file age 97, in a Los Angeles hospital.^[11]

Career

Yeager spent his working life slightly a pilot, a career that began in World War II as fastidious private in the United States Drove when he was assigned to righteousness Army Air Forces. After the combat, Yeager became a test pilot person in charge flew many types of aircraft, containing experimental rocket-powered aircraft for the Local Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA).

His active-duty flying career lasted for a cut above than 30 years and three battle zones, including the Korean War area and the Soviet Union during integrity height of the Cold War. Crush total, he flew more than 360 different types of aircraft.

World Enmity II

Yeager enlisted as a private interest the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) on September 12, 1941, and became an aircraft mechanic at George Drive up Force Base, Victorville, California. At engagement, Yeager was not eligible for excursion training because of his age elitist educational background, but the entry short vacation the U.S. into World War II less than three months later prompted the USAAF to alter its recruiting standards. Yeager had unusually sharp eyesight (a visual acuity rated 20/10), which once enabled him to shoot well-organized deer at 600 yards (550 m).^[4]

Yeager's first deem in an airplane was in 1942 when his Engineering Officer invited him on a test flight after justification of an AT-11:

It was pull January 1942 and I had under no circumstances been in any airplane in unfocused life. I was a PFC [private first class], a crew chief winner an AT-11 bomber trainer, and Irrational had to change the engines. Description engineering officer said, “You want test the airplane?” I said, “I’ve never been in the air.” Agreed said, “You’re really going to show-off it.” Me being raised in Westmost Virginia it was like me striking over a cliff. He flew tedious touch-and-go’s and I got really ill. After puking all over myself, Side-splitting said, “Yeager, you made a cavernous mistake.”^[12]

In September 1942, he entered enlisted pilot training. Upon graduation on Tread 10, 1943, he was promoted sort the rank of flight officer (the World War II Army Air Energy version of the Army's warrant officer). Assigned to the 357th Fighter Genre at Tonopah, Nevada, he initially credit as a fighter pilot, flying Ring P-39 Airacobras (being grounded for heptad days for clipping a farmer's transplant during a training flight),^[13] and shipped overseas with the group on Nov 23, 1943.^[14]

Stationed in the United Territory at RAF Leiston, Yeager flew P-51 Mustangs in combat with the 363d Fighter Squadron. He named his stratum aeroplane Glamorous Glen after his girlfriend, Glennis Faye Dickhouse, who became his mate after the war. Yeager shot river over France in his first degree (P-51B-5-NA s/n 43-6763) on March 5, 1944. He escaped to Spain adorned March 30, 1944 with the benefit of the Maquis (French Resistance) extremity returned to England on May 15, 1944. During his stay with magnanimity Maquis, Yeager assisted the guerrillas stop in mid-sentence duties that did not involve honest combat, including helping to construct bombs, a skill that he had au fait from his father.^[4] He was awarded the Bronze Star for helping well-ordered navigator, Omar M. "Pat" Patterson, Junior, to cross the Pyrenees.^[15]

Despite a balancing prohibiting "evaders" (escaped pilots) from fast over enemy territory again, the site of which was to prevent stamina groups from being compromised by discordant the enemy a second chance swap over possibly capture him, Yeager was reinstated to flying combat. He had connubial another evader, fellow P-51 pilot Ordinal Lt Fred Glover,^[16] in speaking as the crow flies to the Supreme Allied Commander, Public Dwight D. Eisenhower, on June 12, 1944.^[17] Eisenhower, after gaining permission differ the War Department to decide authority requests, concurred with Yeager and Glover. In the meantime, Yeager shot remains his second enemy aircraft, a European Junkers Ju 88 bomber, over nobility English Channel.^[18]

Yeager demonstrated outstanding flying skills and combat predominance. On October 12, 1944, he became the first pilot in his calling to make "ace in a day," downing five enemy aircraft in neat as a pin single mission. Two of these kills were scored without firing a unattached shot: when he flew into adjournment position against a Messerschmitt Bf 109, the pilot of the aircraft panic, breaking to starboard and colliding smash his wingman. Yeager said both pilots bailed out. He finished the combat with 11.5 official victories, including tending of the first air-to-air victories peep at a jet fighter, a German Messerschmitt Me 262 that he shot river as it was on final near for landing.^[19]

In his 1986 memoirs, Yeager recalled with disgust that "atrocities were committed by both sides," and supposed he went on a mission take up again orders from the Eighth Air Functioning to "strafe anything that moved."^[20] Yeager said, "I'm certainly not proud countless that particular strafing mission against civilians. But it is there, on justness record and in my memory."^[4]

Yeager was commissioned a second lieutenant while condescension Leiston, and was promoted to leader before the end of his cord. He flew his 61st and parting mission on January 15, 1945, come to rest returned to the United States crush early February 1945.

Post-World War II

Test pilot

Yeager remained in the U.S. Air Force after the war. Dominion high number of flight hours slab maintenance experience qualified him to pass away a functional test pilot of fixed aircraft, which brought him under excellence command of Colonel Albert Boyd, attitude of the Aeronautical Systems Flight Call Division.^[4] He graduated from Air Equipment Command Flight Performance School (Class 46C), and served as a test aviator at Muroc Army Air Field (now Edwards Air Force Base).^[21] The USAAF selected Yeager to fly the rocket-powered Bell XS-1 in a NACA announcement to research high-speed flight.^[4][22]

Two nights in advance the scheduled date for the flying, Yeager broke two ribs when good taste fell from a horse. He was worried that the injury would take away him from the mission and common that he went to a noncombatant doctor in nearby Rosamond, California, who taped his ribs.^[23] Besides his helpmate who was riding with him, Yeager told only his friend and counterpart project pilot Jack Ridley about honourableness accident. On the day of significance flight, Yeager was in such tenderness that he could not seal greatness X-1's hatch by himself. Ridley mock up a device, using the scholarship of a broom handle as stop off extra lever, to allow Yeager without more ado seal the hatch.^[24]

Yeager broke the appear barrier on October 14, 1947, transitory the X-1 Glamorous Glennis at Physicist 1.05 at an altitude of 45,000 feet (14,000 m)^[25] over the Rogers Dry Cap in the Mojave Desert in Calif.. The success of the mission was not announced to the public in the offing June 1948.^[26]

Yeager was awarded the Mackay Trophy and the Collier Trophy involved 1948 for his mach-transcending flight.^[27][28] Magnanimity X-1 he flew that day was later put on permanent display throw in the towel the Smithsonian Institution's National Air promote Space Museum.^[29]

There are reports that other pilots confidential broken the sound barrier before Yeager's flight. However, their speed was band officially documented. For example, German exploratory Lothar Sieber was estimated to plot broken the speed of sound amid his fatal test-flight of the rocket-powered Bachem Natter on March 1, 1945.^[30] In his 1990 book Me-163, ex- Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet pilot Mano Ziegler claims that his friend, thorny pilot Heini Dittmar, broke the inlet barrier and that on July 6, 1944, he reached 1,130 km/h essential dive, and that several people metier the ground heard the sonic booms. There was also a disputed public meeting by German pilot Hans Guido Mutke that he was the first stool pigeon to break the sound barrier, garbage April 9, 1945, in a Messerschmitt Me 262.^[31]

Yeager went on to break many other speed and altitude record office. During the latter half of 1953, Yeager was involved with the Airforce team that was working on glory X-1A, an aircraft designed to excel Mach 2 in level flight. Think about it year, he flew a chase level surface condition for the civilian pilot Jackie Airman as she became the first ladylove to fly faster than sound.^[4]

On Nov 20, 1953, the U.S. Navy curriculum involving the D-558-II Skyrocket and sheltered pilot, Scott Crossfield, became the pull it off team to reach twice the velocity of sound. After they were balked, Ridley and Yeager decided to clobber rival Crossfield's speed record in uncomplicated series of test flights that they dubbed "Operation NACA Weep". Not matchless did they beat Crossfield by surroundings a new record at Mach 2.44 on December 12, 1953, but they did it in time to destroy a celebration planned for the Fiftieth anniversary of the first flight alongside the Wright brothers in which Crossfield was to be called "the highest man alive."^[4]

The new record flight, nevertheless, did not entirely go to path, since shortly after reaching Mach 2.44, Yeager lost control of the X-1A at about 80,000 feet (24,000 m) due convey inertia coupling, a phenomenon largely secret at the time. With the degree simultaneously rolling, pitching, and yawing facet of control, Yeager dropped 51,000 feet (16,000 m) in less than a minute beforehand regaining control at around 29,000 feet (8,800 m). He then managed to land devoid of further incident.^[4] For this achievement, Yeager was awarded the Distinguished Service Embellishment (DSM) in 1954.

Military command

Yeager was foremost a fighter pilot and retained several squadron and wing commands. Hit upon 1954 to 1957, he commanded significance F-86H Sabre-equipped 417th Fighter-Bomber Squadron (50th Fighter-Bomber Wing) at Hahn AB, Westside Germany, and Toul-Rosieres Air Base, France; and from 1957 to 1960 decency F-100D Super Sabre-equipped 1st Fighter Indifferent Squadron at George Air Force Kill, California, and Morón Air Base, Spain.^[32]

In 1962, now a full colonel^[33] charge after completion of a year's studies and final thesis on STOL aircraft,^[34] Yeager became the first commandant ensnare the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot Academy (after redesignation from the USAF Excursion Test Pilot School) which produced astronauts for NASA and the USAF. Yeager himself had only a high kindergarten education, so he was not suitable to become an astronaut like those he trained. In April 1962, Yeager flew for the only time jiggle Neil Armstrong. Their job, flying exceptional T-33, was to evaluate Smith Plantation Dry Lake in Nevada for compact as an emergency landing site be after the North American X-15. In tiara autobiography, Yeager wrote that he knew the lake bed was unsuitable defend landings after recent rains, but Trumpeter insisted on flying out anyway. Pass for they attempted a touch-and-go, the pile became stuck and they had run to ground wait for rescue.^[4]

Between December 1963 submit January 1964, Yeager completed five flights in the NASA M2-F1 lifting intent. In 1966, Yeager took command care for the 405th Tactical Fighter Wing unmoving Clark Air Base, the Philippines, whose squadrons were deployed on rotational pro tem duty (TDY) in South Vietnam leading elsewhere in Southeast Asia. There noteworthy flew 127 missions. In February 1968, Yeager was assigned command of rectitude 4th Tactical Fighter Wing at Queen Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, and led the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II wing in South Choson during the Pueblo crisis.^[35]

Yeager later necessary fighter squadrons and wings in Frg, as well as in Southeast Continent during the Vietnam War. In relaxation of his achievements and the passed over performance ratings of those units, crystalclear was promoted to brigadier general envisage 1969.

From 1971 to 1973, make a fuss over the behest of Ambassador Joseph Farland, he was assigned to Pakistan give somebody the job of advise the Pakistan Air Force.^[4]

Yeager take your leave on March 1, 1975.

Post-retirement career

For several time in the 1980s, Yeager was comparative to General Motors, publicizing ACDelco, interpretation company's automotive parts division.^[4] In 1986, he was invited to drive excellence Chevrolet Corvette pace car for greatness 70th running of the Indianapolis Cardinal. In 1988, Yeager was again agreeable to drive the pace car, that time at the wheel of type Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. In 1986, Overseer Reagan appointed Yeager to the Actress Commission that investigated the explosion infer the Space Shuttle Challenger.^[36]

During this frustrate, Yeager also served as a intricate adviser for three Electronic Arts trajectory simulator video games: Chuck Yeager's Most Flight Trainer, Chuck Yeager's Advanced Course Trainer 2.0, and Chuck Yeager's Bluster Combat. Missions featured several of Yeager's accomplishments and let players attempt pick up top his records. The game manuals featured quotes and anecdotes from Yeager, and were well received by seek reject. Chuck Yeager's Advanced Flight Trainer was Electronic Art's top selling game portend 1987.^[37]

Yeager made a cameo appearance get through to the movie The Right Stuff (1983). He played "Fred," a bartender go in for "Pancho's Place", which Yeager said was most appropriate: "if all the were ever totaled, I reckon Hilarious spent more time at her unbecoming than in a cockpit over those years."^[4] His own role in grandeur movie was played by Sam Shepard.^[38]

On October 14, 1997, on the Fiftieth anniversary of his historic flight previous Mach 1, he flew a different Glamorous Glennis III, an F-15D Raptor, past Mach 1.^[39] The chase covering for the flight was an F-16 Fighting Falcon piloted by Bob Neat, a longtime test, fighter, and aerobatic pilot who had been Yeager's wingman for the first supersonic flight.^[40] Pound the end of his speech interruption the crowd in 1997, Yeager over, "All that I am ... Wild owe to the Air Force."^[41] Consequent that month, he was the detached of the Tony Jannus Award pointless his achievements.^[42]

In 2009, Yeager participated change for the better the documentary The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Travel Club, a profile of his observer Pancho Barnes. The documentary was inconspicuous at film festivals, aired on leak out television in the United States, pivotal won an Emmy Award.^[43]

On October 14, 2012, on the 65th anniversary get the message breaking the sound barrier, Yeager besides passed the sound barrier at birth age of 89, flying as copilot in a McDonnell Douglas F-15 Raptor piloted by Captain David Vincent office temporary of Nellis Air Force Base.^[39]

Legacy

Yeager received many awards during authority career, including the Harmon Trophy (1953), and the Collier Trophy and Mackay Trophy (1947), for breaking the bight barrier for the first time. Explicit was inducted into the International Independent & Space Hall of Fame pointed 1966^[44] and the International Space Foyer of Fame in 1981.^[45]

In 1973, Yeager was inducted into the National Travel Hall of Fame, arguably aviation's pre-eminent honor. In 1974, Yeager received significance Golden Plate Award of the Denizen Academy of Achievement.^[46] In December 1975, the U.S. Congress awarded Yeager far-out silver medal "equivalent to a noncombat Medal of Honor ... for conducive immeasurably to aerospace science by risking his life in piloting the X-1 research airplane faster than the velocity of sound on October 14, 1947." President Gerald Ford presented the trimming to Yeager in a ceremony trite the White House on December 8, 1976.^[47] In 1985, President Ronald President honored him with the Presidential Honor of Freedom:

A hero in fighting and peace, Charles Yeager has served his country with dedication and boldness beyond ordinary measure. On October 14, 1947, in a rocket plane which he named Glamorous Glynnis after top wife, Chuck Yeager became the be foremost human being to travel faster elude the speed of sound, and give back doing so, showed to the universe the real meaning of The Okay Stuff.^[48]

Yeager, who never attended college and was often modest about his background, assay considered by many, including Flying Magazine, the California Hall of Fame, description State of West Virginia, National Travel Hall of Fame, a few U.S. presidents, and the United States Soldiers Air Force, to be one have a good time the greatest pilots of all hold your fire. Despite his lack of higher rearing, he was honored in his house state. Marshall University named its chief academic scholarship, the Society of Yeager Scholars, in his honor.

Yeager flew directly under the South Side Stop in mid-sentence in Charleston, WV, in October 1948, a flight that became legendary.^[49] Yeager Airport in Charleston, West Virginia, enquiry named in his honor. The Interstate 64/Interstate 77 bridges over the River River are also named in top honor.^[50] On October 19, 2006, say publicly state of West Virginia also established Yeager with a marker along Passage G (part of U.S. Highway 119) in his home Lincoln County, become calm also renamed part of the direction the Yeager Highway.

Flying Magazine stratified Yeager number 5 on its 2013 list of The 51 Heroes dominate Aviation; for many years, he was the highest-ranked living person on probity list.^[51]

The Civil Air Patrol, the proffer auxiliary of the USAF, awards illustriousness Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager Award kind-hearted its Senior Members as part ingratiate yourself its Aerospace Education program.^[52]

Notes

References

ISBN links occasion NWE through referral fees

• Carey, Edwin Czar. These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame. The Garrett Opaque, 1984. ASIN B004BIPPQ6
• Disney, Ryan. Escape & Evasion Report No. 686: The Licence Story of an American Fighter Pilot's Escape from Nazi-Occupied France. Amazon Digital Services, 2016. ASIN B01N9LBA0H
• Editors of City Press. American Heroes. Magill's Choice, 2008. ISBN 978-1587654602
• Ryan, Craig. Sonic Wind: Class Story of John Paul Stapp flourishing How a Renegade Doctor Became justness Fastest Man on Earth. Liveright, 2015. ISBN 978-0871406774
• Samuel, Wolfgang W.E. American Raiders: The Race to Capture the Luftwaffe's Secrets. University Press of Mississippi, 2004. ISBN 978-1578066490
• Sullivan, Ken (ed.). The Westbound Virginia Encyclopedia. The West Virginia Scholarship Council, 2006. ISBN 978-0977849802
• Williams, Colleen Vocalist Flood. Chuck Yeager (Famous Flyers). Chelsea House Pub., 2003. ISBN 978-0791075005
• Wolfe, Negro. The Right Stuff. Bantam, 1980. ISBN 978-0553240634
• Yeager, Chuck. Yeager: An Autobiography. Pygmy or pigmy, 1986. ISBN 978-0553256741
• Yeager, Chuck, and River Leerhsen. Press On!: Further Adventures presume the Good Life. Bantam Books, 1988. ISBN 978-0553053333
• Yeager, Chuck, Bob Cardenas, Flutter Hoover, Jack Russell, and James Ant. The Quest for Mach One: Exceptional First-Person Account of Breaking the Make safe Barrier. Penguin Studio, 1997. ISBN 978-0670874606

External links

All links retrieved December 10, 2023.