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- Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager was the first person to break the sound barrier on an airplane in 1947.
- Now the former test pilot has died at the age of 97. His wife confirms it through Twitter.
- NASA chief Jim Bridenstine pays tribute to him for his achievements in aviation. He was recognized in books and movies during his life.
The then 24-year-old US Air Force test pilot achieved great fame in October 1947 when he broke the sound barrier with a rocket-powered aircraft. In his Bell X-1 plane, he accelerated to supersonic speed and flew at a speed of more than 1130 kilometers per hour.
That opened space for us, from satellites to Star Wars.
In 2007, Yaeger said in an interview: “That opened space for us, from satellites to Star Wars.” His record earned him not only the nickname of “the fastest man in the world”, but also fame even in popular culture. Writer Tom Wolfe used him and his comrade in arms as a character in the novel “Heroes of the Nation,” which was later made into a film in the 1980s.
Chuck Yeagers worked for the US Air Force as a mechanic before WWII and then began training as a pilot. When the United States entered the war after 1941, Yeager survived several air missions until the end of the war. The New York Times reported that Yeager shot down five enemy planes in a single day.
“America’s Greatest Pilot”
Yeager’s wife Victoria tweeted that, with deep regret, she had to announce that the love of her life died Monday around 9 p.m. She did not mention what her husband had died of. In the former general’s official version, Victoria Yeager wrote: “Incredible life, well lived, America’s best pilot.”
The US space agency Nasa also recognized his achievements during his lifetime. His death was a “great loss to our nation,” wrote NASA chief Jim Bridenstine. He also described Yeager’s pioneering achievements as “brilliant contributions to aerospace science.”
“As a young naval aviator, I was one of many around the world who admired Chuck Yeager and his incredible accomplishments as a test pilot,” Bridenstine wrote in the statement. “His path paved the way for anyone who wanted to push the limits of human potential, and his accomplishments will guide us through generations.”
