General Chuck Yeager Cadet SQ patch.
Dec. 8, 2020
The following is a statement from NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on the passing of Gen. Chuck Yeager:
“Today's passing of Gen. Chuck Yeager is a tremendous loss to our nation. Gen. Yeager's pioneering and innovative spirit advanced America's abilities in the sky and set our nation's dreams soaring into the jet age and the space age. He said, ‘You don't concentrate on risks. You concentrate on results. No risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done.’
Image above: Photo of Chuck Yeager, taken in the 1990s. In 1947, Yeager became the first pilot to fly faster than the speed of sound. Image Credits: Air Force Test Center History Office.
“Among many firsts in more than 60 years in aviation, Chuck was the first man to fly at the speed of sound, and his achievements rival any of our greatest firsts in space. Not content to rest on his laurels, he went on to break his own record and travel at Mach 2.44. But even before that he was serving his country heroically in World War II. Long after he became a legend in his own time, he continued to serve his country through the military and later in his ongoing work to test new aircraft.
Image above: Chuck Yeager, first man to break sound barrier on the X-1 aircraft. Image Credits: Air Force Test Center History Office.
“Chuck's bravery and accomplishments are a testament to the enduring strength that made him a true American original, and NASA's Aeronautics work owes much to his brilliant contributions to aerospace science. As a young naval aviator, I was one of many around the world who looked up to Chuck Yeager and his amazing feats as a test pilot. His path blazed a trail for anyone who wanted to push the limits of human potential, and his achievements will guide us for generations to come.”
Chuck Yeager - Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Yeager
Aeronautics: https://www.nasa.gov/topics/aeronautics/index.html
Images (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Bettina Inclán/Matthew Rydin.
R.I.P., Orbiter.ch
