Chuck Yeager is dead

There aint half been some clever bastards.
Post science, nature, technology and all geek stuff here.
Post Reply
Burning Petard
Posts: 4050
Joined: Fri Feb 12, 2016 5:35 pm
Location: Near Bear, Delaware

Chuck Yeager is dead

Post by Burning Petard »

I will leave it to others with more knowledge than I of the actual conditions for which he achieved so much to comment on his life.

But I am bothered by the headline in wikipedia, and many of the news announcements of his death: First man to exceed the speed of sound, leaving out the caveat "in level flight'"

"Mach I" was achieved and exceeded by many before Yeager, but in a power dive. Even the twin prop P-38 could do it. After the experience, those who survived created from their experience 'The Sound Barrier', and many little bits of knowledge that contributed to the success of Yeager and Bell X1.

snailgate

Big RR
Posts: 14050
Joined: Thu Apr 15, 2010 9:47 pm

Re: Chuck Yeager is dead

Post by Big RR »

Well, he was a hell of a pilot and from what I recall, a nice guy. I met him many years ago when I was in Civil Air Patrol, and he spent a good amount of time chatting with us and answering our flight questions; he understood aerospace science pretty well (at least as well as we did and, though we were in high school, many of us spent a lot of time studying it through classes and on our own) and could explain it well. Honestly, I didn't realize he was still alive, but the paper said he was 97 (making him a lot younger than I am now when I met him--and I thought he was an old guy).

User avatar
Long Run
Posts: 6717
Joined: Sat Apr 17, 2010 2:47 pm

Re: Chuck Yeager is dead

Post by Long Run »

What a life, and a long one at that given his occupation.

User avatar
Econoline
Posts: 9555
Joined: Sun Apr 18, 2010 6:25 pm
Location: DeKalb, Illinois...out amidst the corn, soybeans, and Republicans

Re: Chuck Yeager is dead

Post by Econoline »

Image
People who are wrong are just as sure they're right as people who are right. The only difference is, they're wrong.
God @The Tweet of God

MGMcAnick
Posts: 1342
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:01 pm
Location: 12 NM from ICT @ 010º

Re: Chuck Yeager is dead

Post by MGMcAnick »

I read his biography when it first came out. He was also mentioned in the movie The Right Stuff. Apparently he didn't have the right stuff because he lacked a college diploma. BS. He could have out flown any of the Mercury or Gemini astronauts. Of course that begs the question, did those guys really fly? They had NO control over those early capsules.
Yeager is not mentioned in the Disney channels new series by the same name, unless I just missed it, but I still say he had the right stuff in spades.
A friend of Doc's, one of only two B-29 bombers still flying.

User avatar
Bicycle Bill
Posts: 9015
Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2015 1:10 pm
Location: Surrounded by Trumptards in Rockland, WI – a small rural village in La Crosse County

Re: Chuck Yeager is dead

Post by Bicycle Bill »

MGMcAnick wrote:
Sat Dec 12, 2020 1:41 pm
I read his biography when it first came out. He was also mentioned in the movie The Right Stuff. Apparently he didn't have the right stuff because he lacked a college diploma. BS. He could have out flown any of the Mercury or Gemini astronauts. Of course that begs the question, did those guys really fly? They had NO control over those early capsules.
Yeager is not mentioned in the Disney channels new series by the same name, unless I just missed it, but I still say he had the right stuff in spades.
Anybody that's got the balls to strap themselves into something brand-spanking new, fresh off the theoretical drawing board, never been flown/driven/tried before and say something like "OK, let's kick this thing in the ass and see what happens..." has definitely got the right stuff in my book.
Image
-"BB"-
Yes, I suppose I could agree with you ... but then we'd both be wrong, wouldn't we?

MGMcAnick
Posts: 1342
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:01 pm
Location: 12 NM from ICT @ 010º

Re: Chuck Yeager is dead

Post by MGMcAnick »

Also consider that Yeager had broken two ribs the night before his mach 1 ride in a horseback riding accident. That'll teach him to gallop in the dark.
A friend of Doc's, one of only two B-29 bombers still flying.

Post Reply