7 thoughts on “Legend Has It: The Passing of Chuck Yeager

  1. Somewhat related. One of my grandfathers was a pilot. He flew the mail wing. He was a founding pilot of Eastern Airlines, he was a Democrat and a member of the first airline pilot union and he negotiated with folks who would become very powerful CEOs. He knew astronauts–I personally met Frank Bormann, who he used to work for, at a company event. I still have the guy’s signed business card. Smithsonian Magazine tried for a long time to interview my grandfather and he just shut the door in the guy’s face each time.

    What did my grandfather think was his most important achievement? He bought the same bi plane that Eddie Rickenbacker bought but paid several dollars less back in the early days of flying. They don’t make men like Chuck or my grandfather anymore….they really don’t.Report

  2. The book The Right Stuff was certainly my introduction to the legend of Check Yeager. I still remember the lightbulb going off when Wolfe observed that his laid-back twang is the reason airline pilots all sound like that.Report

  3. He’s a tremendous legend in my old hometowns in the Antelope Valley of California, where Edwards Air Force Base is located. Yeager is memorialized in a mural on the side of a building, and there’s a street on base named for him. He’s an icon of America and will be greatly missed.Report

  4. Well done! My favorite quote of his:
    “If you can walk away from a landing, it’s a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it’s an outstanding landing.”Report

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