Yeager is by the far the most enjoyable history lesson anyone could wish for. The autobiography tells the story of Chuck Yeager, the world’s greatest pilot and first man to break the sound barrier. The story, told by General Yeager himself, has the perfect balance of humor and action. Witty anecdotes and suspenseful flight sequences keep the reader engrossed. The book is a multi-million bestseller for a reason.
Chuck Yeager was born in 1923 in West Virginia. He learned to always do his best and be honest. Chuck’s father taught Chuck and his brother Roy to hunt and fish at early ages. Chuck’s sharp hunting eyes and amazing hand-eye coordination were key elements of his piloting prowess early on. Not only did Chuck have piloting skill, but he also understood the engineering and mechanical aspects of planes due to tinkering with engines and pumps his father used. Despite his heroism, Chuck still thinks of himself as the kid he was growing up and attributes who he is to his upbringing in rural West Virginia.
Chuck speculated that if there was a “best pilot” he was certainly in the running. During World War II Chuck was an ace fighter pilot. After the War, in 1947, Yeager was assigned to test the rocket powered X-1 jet. Later in 1947, Chuck broke the sound barrier in the X-1. In 1952, Chuck set a new air speed record of 1,650 miles per hour, about twice the speed of sound. Chuck purposely set this record just days before a special was to air on television about the previous record holder. He was known as the fiercest pilot; he could wax anyone in a dogfight regardless of who had the better plane. Some of Chuck’s military decorations and awards include a Silver Star, a Distinguished Flying Cross, and a Purple Heart. His civilian awards include the MacKay, Harmon, and Collier Trophies; the Presidential Medal of Freedom; and a peacetime Congressional Medal of Honor. Before he retired he was youngest pilot ever inducted into the Aviation hall of fame in Dayton, Ohio. Chuck was the best for two simple reasons: he loved to fly, and he flew more than anyone else.
Throughout his years in the Air Force Chuck flew some of the most dangerous and experimental planes. In one incident, Chuck was flying towards the sun and could not see his instrument panel.
Chris Hadfield was born in 1959 in Sarnia, Ontario. He was raised on a corn farm in Milton, Ontario and became an astronaut for the Canadian Space Agency(CSA). Chris Hadfield is an inspiration to all aspiring Canadians who want to be an astronaut and has shown people that even with small beginnings they can become famous and significant to Canada. This sudden surge in popularity allowed for Chris Hadfield to increase the interest towards a career as an astronaut. He was the head astronaut at the CSA so he could share his experiences and was the first Canadian to do many things in space.
Billy Bishop’s path to greatness was not an easy one. He encountered many challenges throughout his young life that recognized him as a fiercer fighter pilot and a true hero. Billy Bishop faced an incredibly tough task to achieving his dream of becoming Canada’s greatest ace. Bishop had a tough life at Owen Sound Collegiate. He would be the subject to many jokes and preferred the company of girls. However his anger and fists won him acceptance on the school ground. He was a good natured boy born on February 8th, 1984. In 1911, at the age of 17, his parents sent him Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario due to his mediocre marks in school which his father knew would not allow him to get accepted to the University of Toronto. He was not an academic student and in his third year of high school was found cheating on a class exam which would later be the subject to many controversie...
Chuck Yeager and John Glenn are probably the most memorable of the nine pilots in The Right Stuff. Chuck Yeager was a hillbilly from West Virginia, who by the age of 22 had 13 1/2 "kills" in World War II. Yeager made a name for himself by being the first man to reach Mach 1, the speed of sound.
Norris Goff was born in Cove, Arkansas, May 30, 1906. (www.me.net/stemple/ page1.htm) His parents were Rome and Dora Goff. (Cate, Micheal, 190) He lived on Reine Street. His father worked as a wholesale grocer. (Williams, Troy, 70) When Norris was in high school, he was quarterback for the football team. He graduated in 1924. He then went to the University of Arkansas and the University of Oklahoma.
In 1913, at the age of 15, Wiley Post saw his first real life airplane in flight at the county fair in Lawton, Oklahoma. Post immediately fell in love with the Curtiss “pusher” plane, and soon after he enrolled himself in the Sweeney Automobile & Aviation School in Kansas City. After graduation, Post returned to Oklahoma to work at the Chickasaw & Lawton Construction. Post quickly grew tired of his construction job and turned his attention back to what he really had a passion for; aviation. Eager to become a pilot, Post enrolled himself at the Students' Army Training Camp located at the University of Oklahoma where he was taught the fundamentals of radio technology/communication. Due to Germany’s defeat, Post did not get to become a pilot for the United States Army Air Services and was once again he was out of work. Post then pursued work in oil fields in Oklahoma. While working in the oil fields, he took a second job with the Burrell Tibbs' Flying Circus, where he originally worked as a parachute jumper and later learned how to fly. During the fall of 1926, Post was injured in the oil fields when a piece of metal struck his left eye leaving it permanently blind. With the money he received for his injury, Post purchased his f...
Doolittle was the most accomplished aviator of his generation, from his PhD in aeronautics to his daring stunt flying ca...
Claire Lee Chennault was born to John and Jessie Lee Chennault on September 6, 1890 in Commerce, Texas. In his historic life, he earned 17 medals which includes the Distinguished Service Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster. From becoming a school teacher to general, he was discharged from service twice due to disagreements with other higher ranking officers and commander of the Flying Tigers. The man even has an air base named after him due to his successful career; Chennault Air Base in Lake Charles.
It was November of 1898 that one of our country’s most influential aviators would come bright-eyed into this world. Wiley Hardeman Post was born in a small Texas town. When the boy was just five years old his family uprooted and moved to yet another small town near Maysville, Oklahoma. It was in that tiny Oklahoma town where they would start their new lives. Wiley’s general disregard and lackadaisical attitude towards the academics led to his withdrawal from school in only the eighth grade.
In about 120 seconds of fighting there were between eight to ten thousand rounds of ammunition expelled, about twenty-two enemy KIA, twenty to twenty-five holes in an OH-6, and no holes in Lt. Hugh Mills Jr. or his crew chief Parker (Coonts, 1996). Hugh Mills Jr. was a twenty-one year old lieutenant when he started his first of two tours in Vietnam as an aero scout pilot with The Big Red One. He was inducted in the Army Aviation Hall of Fame in 2011 as one of the most decorated Vietnam War helicopter pilots during his two tours. In those two years, he flew over 3,300 combat hours while developing new tactics for U.S. Army aero scout pilots. According to his AAAA Award he was “shot down 16 times and wounded three times, earning numerous decorations for valor, including three Silver Stars, the Legion of Merit, four Distinguished Flying Crosses and three Bronze Stars, one in valor for ground combat.” During his Vietnam tours, Lt.
Douglas MacArthur was one of the most famous American Generals. He commanded troops in the Southwest Pacific during World War II (1939-1945). He also commanded the successful occupation of Japan after the war, and was in charge of the United Nations forces during the Korean War(“Douglas MacArthur Biography”). MacArthur was talented, outspoken, and in the eyes of many, egotistical. Douglas MacArthur was one of the most influential generals in United States history.
On January 23, 1951 a hero named Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger was born.(“Editors,Chesley”) He had an impressive background. He went to school at U.S. Air Force Academy from 1969-1973, Sully then served as a fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force until 1980 when he joined Pacific Southwest Airlines as a commercial pilot. Little did he know in 2009 he would be a hero to many.(“Editors,Chesley”) Chesley Sullenberger is a hero because he is honorable, brave, and intelligent.
Tom Wolfe’s book, “The Right Stuff,” is a 1979 fascinating non-fiction account of the early days of the U.S. space program. It also describes the men who aided in launching the first manned flights. It is a novel about the people who had “the right stuff” a combination of talent, heroism, athleticism and the bravery who started as test pilots and those who became the famous mercury astronauts. Legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager is one of the primary characters, whose bravery in the space became the epitome of the risky missions done by the pilots. Chuck Yeager continually set the new airspeed as well as altitude records while flying the experimental planes. Wolfe places the events in a precise political
In the movie Cassidy, the leader and ace of the group warns Rawlings of the skill and record of the Black Falcon. Although the altercations of Rawlings and the Black Falcon may not have been exactly accurate the Black Falcon was an ace German aviator and was supposedly based off Oswald Boelcke who was thought by many to be the most influential patrol leaders of his time. Throughout his flight career Oswald acheved many metals and honors according to Thorsten Petsch's Air Ace Oswald Boelcke.¹ Some of these include a life-saving badge, and the Blue Max which was the best award that could be earned because of bravery in Prussia. After some forty successful air fights(dogfights) Boelcke parished after he ran into his own mate. He was so highly regarded that his enemys refered to him as their brave and chivalrous opponent upon his death. Boelcke was even said to have inspired and trained well known fighter pilot Manfred von Richthofen. As recorded by Ducksters Oswald led a group of elite German fighters that included Manfred who he taught everything he knew about
grew up to create an automobile Tucker that was years ahead of its time. He was
Brigadier General Robin Olds Jr. was an officer in the Army Air Corps and later an Air Force pilot from 1943 to 1973. From an early age, Olds was surrounded by great fighter pilots who mentored his leadership abilities. He character was also influenced by his father; Robin Olds Sr. Olds’ character was tested time after time as a cadet at West Point and as an Air Force Officer at the squad and wing levels. Robin Olds was a leader of character because of early influences and training, experience as a fighter pilot in World War Two, and his leadership skills as a wing commander in Vietnam.