Broken Ribs Before Breaking the Sound Barrier

October 13, 2014/Victoria Yeager

October 12-13, 1947: In Chuck Yeager’s own words:

Sunday night (October 12, 1947), after eating dinner at Pancho’s, Glennis and I decided to go riding. Glennis suggested a race back to the corral.

As I got very close, in the lead, I saw someone had closed the gate.

My horse and I pulled about 3 g’s trying to avoid the fence. Well…. my horse pulled 3, I flew over the fence and cracked a couple of ribs.

We didn’t want to go to the base doc – they’d ground me.

So the next day, we go to the local vet. He patches me up and says, “Don’t do nothin’ strenuous.”

I go to Ridley and tell him, “We got a problem.”

Ridley contemplates this, went into the hangar, found a broom. and sawed off the end.

Major General Charles Elwood « Chuck » Yeager, born in 1923. He was the first man to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947, flying the experimental Bell X-1 at Mach 1 at an altitude of 45,000 ft (13,700 m). In front of the Bell X-1, rocket-powered aircraft. Photo : US Air Force.

We practiced me sitting in the X-1 and closing the door with the broomstick with my left hand.

It works on the ground.

Tomorrow is the big day. Let’s hope it works tomorrow in flight.

c. GCYI

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