To read the tribute to SFC Marcus Muralles, please click here
Sunday, October 14, 2007
One From the History Books
How many of you know what the Bell X-1? Here... let me help:
Still nothing? Have you never seen The Right Stuff???? Well... sixty years ago today, Charles Elwood Yeager did the one thing that scientists were afraid could never be done- he flew the Glamorous Glennis faster than the speed of sound.
And just in case you think that's all General Yeager has done, you'd be sadly mistaken. As a fighter pilot during World War II, he was shot down over enemy territory, helped the resistance in Spain (in a non-combat capacity, although he did make bombs for him), helped a wounded airman cross the Pyrenees to safety, and had 11.5 official victories (kills), including an "ace in a day." (He had one additional kill, but it was credited to his wingman because he was not yet cleared for combat after his return to England after his escape. After the war, he became an Air Force test pilot, then he commanded several different fighter squadrons. Prior to his retirement as a Brigadier General, he was vice-commander of the Seventeenth Air Force.
You thought he stopped then, didn't you? After all, he "retired," right? Wrong. He still flew as a consultant for NASA and the military (for a salary of $1 per year and all the flight time he wanted- the $1 entitled him to the benefits package). He continued to break records- this time for light civilian craft where he flew them faster and longer than ever before. He also lectured on aviation issues. He was given a retirement promotion to Major General by President G. H. W. Bush.
On Oct. 14, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his Bell X-1 flight, he flew another Glamorous Glennis (this time a F-15D Eagle) past Mach 1 once again, supposedly his last military flight.
Until a couple of weeks ago, that is. On September 21st, 2007, he flew an f-16 over the speed of sound to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his flight into the history books.
Is it selfish of me to hope that he'll fly again in 2017?
And just in case you think that's all General Yeager has done, you'd be sadly mistaken. As a fighter pilot during World War II, he was shot down over enemy territory, helped the resistance in Spain (in a non-combat capacity, although he did make bombs for him), helped a wounded airman cross the Pyrenees to safety, and had 11.5 official victories (kills), including an "ace in a day." (He had one additional kill, but it was credited to his wingman because he was not yet cleared for combat after his return to England after his escape. After the war, he became an Air Force test pilot, then he commanded several different fighter squadrons. Prior to his retirement as a Brigadier General, he was vice-commander of the Seventeenth Air Force.
You thought he stopped then, didn't you? After all, he "retired," right? Wrong. He still flew as a consultant for NASA and the military (for a salary of $1 per year and all the flight time he wanted- the $1 entitled him to the benefits package). He continued to break records- this time for light civilian craft where he flew them faster and longer than ever before. He also lectured on aviation issues. He was given a retirement promotion to Major General by President G. H. W. Bush.
On Oct. 14, 1997, the 50th anniversary of his Bell X-1 flight, he flew another Glamorous Glennis (this time a F-15D Eagle) past Mach 1 once again, supposedly his last military flight.
Until a couple of weeks ago, that is. On September 21st, 2007, he flew an f-16 over the speed of sound to commemorate the 60th anniversary of his flight into the history books.
Is it selfish of me to hope that he'll fly again in 2017?
