Yeager, Charles ("Chuck") E. (1923–)
United States Air Force test pilot who, on October 14, 1947, piloted the
X-1 on the first supersonic powered flight –
an event he almost missed. The Sunday before his record-breaking mission,
while horseback riding, Yeager hit a fence that had been closed across a
road and cracked two ribs. Instead of informing the flight surgeon and risking
being grounded, Yeager and a friend decided he could fly the plane but would
have difficulty reaching over to lock the cockpit door. His friend cut off
a piece of broomstick, which Yeager used to push the locking mechanism closed
before taking off on his historic flight. Upon his return, only a few were
able to congratulate him immediately on his achievement. The X-1 project
was classified at the time, and his speed record was not made public until
June 1948. In later years, Yeager served in several Air Force positions,
retiring as a brigadier general.
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