Chuck Yeager re-enacts sound barrier flight on its 65th anniversary

AP via Fox News ^ | 10/14/12 | AP

[DFG]

Sixty-five years after becoming the first human to fly faster than the speed of sound, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager is still making noise.

This time the 89-year-old Yeager, who was featured in the movie "The Right Stuff," flew in the back seat Sunday of an F-15 Eagle instead of the experimental rocket plane, Bell X-1, he piloted on the historic flight.

The F-15 took off from Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas and broke the sound barrier at more than 30,000 feet above California's Mojave Desert where Yeager achieved the feat on Oct. 14, 1947.

[DFG]

I went an airshow at Edwards AFB in 1987 to see Yeager on the 40th anniversary of his record setting flight.

[szweig]

It’s a crying shame (if not a sin) that Yeager never flew in the shuttle.

[mindburglar]

Maybe, if they had Captain’s picks like the Ryder Cup. Other than that he’d just be some small man’s political prop.

Giants don’t do that.

[sam_paine]

It’s a crying shame (if not a sin) that Yeager never flew in the shuttle.

As cargo or as a pilot? I don't see why a pilot would be excited about the Shuttle.

Spam in a can that glides like a rock.

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Spam in a can? Don’t use Spam in a derogatory manner.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Worked weapons in the Air Force at Edwards and was also at that air show. Day before they told us “the General ( Yeager ) wants to drop some bombs.” So he flew an F-4 with practice bombs. We went out to the end of runway to put safety pins in the bomb dispensers as procedure. We got back to the shop and they told us “the General says thanks.” They also said that he was at another bldg and if we hurried we might meet him. We hurried to get there but he just left.

[Slump Tester]

Meeting Chuck Yeager was one of the high points of my late father's life. Dad was an engineer and was being forced into early retirement. (With all the emotions of feeling old, useless and being put out to pasture.)

At the time, I think Chuck was in his early 60's, and was the ONLY man Northrop entrusted to fly their multi-million dollar F-20 Tigershark prototype.

It really boosted Dad's spirits and made him realize that age doesn't mean everything, it's what you have under your belt and upstairs that matters.

[isthisnickcool]

SIR, OVER THERE.

IS THAT A MAN?

YEAH, YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT IT IS.

[OldMissileer]

Yeager was the Wing Commander at Seymour Johnson AFB when my oldest brother was stationed there.

[golf lover]

Chuck Yeager was a better man than any of the original astronauts. Passed over because he did not have a college education. We got stuck with a John Glenn who gave Clinton a pass! Showed lots of intergity. Rewarded with a shuttle flight at age 77.