Flying with Chuck Yeager
Before Testing the MiG 15 – Korea – Chuck Yeager
This evening this was one of many stories General Yeager related to me: While prepping to test the MiG in Korea, a staff car came up. Gen Boyd got out. Pouring w/rain. Gen Boyd to me: Come here I want you to meet somebody. It was a 4 star general. 4 star general to me:…
Read MoreFlying Pennsylvania Ave, Wash., DC for General/Mamie Eisenhower
General Yeager had agreed to serve as Grand Marshal for the National Memorial Day Parade 2012. He was honored to accept on behalf of and representing veterans to honor those who had died. Just before the Parade started, he was asked to speak. So that is how General Yeager came to be standing in front…
Read MoreTest Pilot School – 1949 – Will I pass?
General Yeager tells his story: On the way back to Edwards, and to face the “firing squad” at TPS, from France, we stopped off in Madrid. At dinner, I said: “General Boyd-” but he interrupted. “Chuck, we’re after hours now. Call me ‘Al.’” I said….”General Boyd, the two of us can be stuck together on…
Read MoreThe French Engineers Just Shook Their Heads
From Chuck Yeager: A couple years after I broke the sound barrier, someone forced the issue and General Boyd was forced to order me back to test pilot school to complete the standard and evaluation course. The instructors knew I was not an academic and couldn’t wait to fail me, the pilot who broke the…
Read MoreThe Hell There Ain’t….
General Yeager told me this story July 10, 2013: Jack Ridley was itching to fly the X-1 after we succeeded in breaking the sound barrier. Finally, when he got his chance, he asked if I would fly chase. Almost every flight in the X-1 had an issue from electricity going out, to no radio, to…
Read More“Chuck, I can’t see in here!”
General Yeager: I never lost a pilot while flying chase, but there were many close calls. From Carl Bellinger: Flying chase was an art that not many test pilots bothered to perfect. There’s no glory flying chase – no goal assist, no brownie points. But a skilled and dedicated chase pilot often meant the difference…
Read MoreYeager Will Get it (P-80) Back (in one piece)
I wasn’t so thrilled when I was shot down to say the least, but because I survived and was an evadee, after the war, I got my pick of airbases. I chose Wright Field in Dayton, OH because it was the closest to home, Hamlin, West Virginia. There was an opening as Maintenance Officer in…
Read MoreHow Can I Bust my Butt, How can I Prevent It? Chuck Yeager’s Advice Re Flying: Rule 1:
From Chuck Yeager: I used to & still do think: How can I bust my butt? How can I prevent it? The X-1 did not have any redundancy re ejecting the fuel. If you didn’t eject all the fuel before landing, you were landing a bomb with gear not stressed for the weight – so…
Read MoreFrom Chuck Yeager. 1944 Shot down France
March 4, 1944 1st daylight raid over Berlin. Weather was stinkin’. Only 2 P-51s guarding a box of bombers. They hit their targes. I shot down my first enemy aircraft (a/c). Woo hoo. I was out of ammo returning home. I espied the stragglers of the bombers in formation heading home. I called ahead. “Can…
Read MoreNo fly day
General Yeager and I planned to eat lunch and then go fly. We did a couple errands after lunch since we were early – plane was booked. When we got to the airport, it was 108 degrees. Wow! Hot! The diamond has a bubble canopy that bakes you and it had been closed for a…
Read MorePracticing landings & Patty Wagstaff
Patty Wagstaff slipping sideways to runway. Landings.
Read MorePlane crash – cartwheel at Oshkosh
Just heard about a plane crash at Oshkosh – plane broke in two but remarkably the pilot and passenger were not badly hurt. General Yeager had stopped me from a bad practice I had developed last summer when approaching a runway too fast and too high – slowing down the aircraft too much by raising the…
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