Posted on Mar 26, 2016
14 Reasons Chuck Yeager May Be the Greatest Military Pilot of All Time
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Air Force legend Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager turned 93 this year, but don’t let that milestone fool you into believing that he’s too old to be tech-savvy. A couple of years ago he started to tweet about his exploits during his long flying career, which spanned more than sixty years. Here’s an example:
My friend, James “Jimmy” Doolittle, was born on December 14, 1896 in Alameda, California. He promoted me to 2nd lt. then Captain during WWII — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) December 15, 2015
Reading General Yeager’s tweets is like looking back at his life, and what an amazing life it’s been. Here are a few reasons why the private who rose to become a general just might be the greatest military pilot ever.
1. He enlisted to be a mechanic. Within two years, he was a pilot.
2. After being shot down, he aided the French Resistance.
3. He fought to go back into air combat and won.
4. Yeager downed five enemies in a single mission. Two of those without firing a shot.
5. He scored one of the first kills against jet aircraft.
6. He became a test pilot after the war.
7. Yeager broke the sound barrier with two broken ribs
8. He rained on the Navy’s parade.
9. He was cool under pressure.
10. He trained astronauts and test pilots.
11. He was the first pilot to eject in full compression gear and the story is epic.
12. He flew combat missions in the Vietnam War.
13. After retiring, he continued to fly as a consultant for the Air Force.
BONUS: He made a cameo appearance in “The Right Stuff.
My friend, James “Jimmy” Doolittle, was born on December 14, 1896 in Alameda, California. He promoted me to 2nd lt. then Captain during WWII — Chuck Yeager (@GenChuckYeager) December 15, 2015
Reading General Yeager’s tweets is like looking back at his life, and what an amazing life it’s been. Here are a few reasons why the private who rose to become a general just might be the greatest military pilot ever.
1. He enlisted to be a mechanic. Within two years, he was a pilot.
2. After being shot down, he aided the French Resistance.
3. He fought to go back into air combat and won.
4. Yeager downed five enemies in a single mission. Two of those without firing a shot.
5. He scored one of the first kills against jet aircraft.
6. He became a test pilot after the war.
7. Yeager broke the sound barrier with two broken ribs
8. He rained on the Navy’s parade.
9. He was cool under pressure.
10. He trained astronauts and test pilots.
11. He was the first pilot to eject in full compression gear and the story is epic.
12. He flew combat missions in the Vietnam War.
13. After retiring, he continued to fly as a consultant for the Air Force.
BONUS: He made a cameo appearance in “The Right Stuff.
14 Reasons Chuck Yeager May Be the Greatest Military Pilot of All Time
Posted from undertheradar.military.com
American History
Military History
Air Force
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 6
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Read the book Yeager! He talks about Neil Armstrong and other personalities that may or may not be to your liking but he was also lucky to have flown in combat. All pilots who were shot down over German occupied France and made it to safety were not allowed to fly again but he wrote Gen. LeMay and was allowed to fly again. So many great things in his book!
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MSgt John McGowan
The book was very good. I learned a lot in it. But I believe he had to see Ike to go back in combat during WW2. Also wasn't he the first to move a fighter wing to another location!
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Thanks for honoring USAF legend Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager SP5 Mark Kuzinski
His nonchalant attitude to being a test pilot may well have influenced Evel Knievel.
His nonchalant attitude to being a test pilot may well have influenced Evel Knievel.
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He had 20/15 vision too. He was a smart hillbilly and he made up for his lack of education early in his career by attention to detail and reading and testing everything he flew before he got off of the ground too!
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