General Yeager speaks at Smithsonian

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman J.G. Buzanowski
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON --  One of the most famous test pilots of all time, retired Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, spoke to 500 aviation enthusiasts at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on Oct. 4.

It was the 25th time in the past 26 years General Yeager has held the lecture. Those in attendance watched a 26-minute film biography on the “Fastest Man Alive” and then heard the general talk about his career, achievements and opinions.

“I’ve had a lot of fun flying airplanes,” General Yeager said. “But there’s also the fun of accomplishing the mission.”

General Yeager’s most famous mission saw him become the first man to break the sound barrier Oct. 14, 1947, in the Bell X-1.

“No plane in the world had been past .84 Mach. There was no instrumentation for that kind of flying,” General Yeager said about the flight. “We knew very little about the effect (it would have) on control systems.”

In fact, the X-1 -- named the “Glamorous Glennis” after then-Captain Yeager’s wife -- was built to withstand 18 Gs, or 18 times the force of gravity, he said. Space shuttle astronauts encounter 3 Gs during takeoff.

The general also spoke about the importance of the discoveries made during his time as a test pilot. One was the importance of a flying tail that was not fixed, but that had rudder control.

“It took France, Great Britain and the Soviet Union years to figure that out,” General Yeager said. “It’s amazing how much test programs paid off for us.”

The life of a test pilot was not without its risks. There were several times when he came close to death while flying, but always managed to walk away from the jets he flew.

“The reason I’m here today is I knew more about the egress systems than the guys who designed them,” General Yeager said. “I always teach people to know everything they can about all the systems on their planes, especially the egress system.”

After the lecture, the general answered questions from the audience.

On the importance of studying Air Force history, he said, “If we don’t study history, we’ll make the same stupid mistakes.”

On flying combat missions in World War II and Vietnam, his response was, “There was no difference between the dedication of the pilots -- in both, we had a job to do.”

Asked if there were any planes he wanted to fly but did not, he said, “I’ve flown everything up to the F/A-22 [Raptor], so probably that one.”

General Yeager last flew an active military aircraft in October 2002 but has not given up his life as a pilot. In fact, he’ll be flying a P-51 Mustang -- like the ones he flew during World War II -- at the Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., Open House and Air Show on Oct. 22 and 23.

“I’ve been flying for 60 years, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” General Yeager said.