"Last Flight" of Brig Gen Charles E. Yeager, USAF (Ret)
Brig Gen Chuck Yeager, the first person to break the sound barrier (October 14, 1947), and a SETP Fellow, passed away on December 7, 2020, at age 97.
Brigadier General Charles E. "Chuck" Yeager, USAF (Ret), the first human to exceed the speed of sound, passed away on December 7, 2020, at the age of 97.
Born February 13, 1923, Yeager flew 64 combat missions in WWII, shooting down 13 German aircraft — including 5 in a single day. He attended the Experimental Flight Test Pilot School, graduating in 1946.
On October 14, 1947, at age 24, Yeager flew the Bell X-1 past Mach 1 over Edwards AFB — the first human to officially exceed the speed of sound. He conducted over 40 research flights in the Bell X-1, and on December 12, 1953, flew the Bell X-1A at 1,650 mph, becoming the first military pilot to exceed Mach 2.
On December 10, 1963, flying an NF-104, Yeager lost control at 108,700 feet — and became the first pilot to emergency-eject while wearing a full pressure suit. He later served as Commandant of the USAF Test Pilot School and retired on March 1, 1975.
Over his career, Yeager flew 341 military aircraft types and accumulated approximately 18,000 hours, including time in the SR-71, F-15, F-16, F-18, and F-20 Tigershark.
A SETP member since 1968 and Fellow since 1975, Yeager participated in SETP's 2003 centennial of flight celebrations.