Chuck Yeager Retired US Air Force General and renowned test pilot Date of Birth: 13.02.1923 Country: USA

1. Biography of Chuck Yeager
2. Early Life
3. Early Career
4. Breaking the Sound Barrier
5. Military Achievements
6. Later Years

Biography of Chuck Yeager

Chuck Yeager, born on February 13, 1923, is a retired Brigadier General of the United States Air Force and a renowned test pilot. At the age of 24, in 1947, he became the first pilot to break the sound barrier during a flight. Despite his modest and shy nature, Brigadier General Yeager was promoted to the rank of Major General in the Air Force 20 years after his achievements during military operations.

Early Life

Yeager was born to farmers Susie May and Albert Hall Yeager in Myra, West Virginia, and graduated from high school in Hamlin, the same state. He had two brothers, Roy and Hal Jr., and two sisters, Doris Ann (who died in childhood from an accidental gunshot by Roy) and Pansy Lee.

Early Career

His career began during World War II when he enlisted as an aircraft mechanic in the United States Army Air Forces. After serving as a technician, Yeager was sent to train as a military pilot in September 1942, after which he was commissioned as a lieutenant and became a fighter pilot flying the "P-51 Mustang" aircraft.

Breaking the Sound Barrier

Following the war, he tested various aircraft, including jet-powered ones. Yeager became the first person to break the sound barrier on October 14, 1947, during a test flight in the "Bell X-1" and "Mach 1" at an altitude of 13,700 meters (45,000 feet).

Military Achievements

On June 22, 1969, Chuck Yeager was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General and was appointed Deputy Commander of the 17th Air Force. In 1971, Yeager was sent to Pakistan to provide instructions to the Pakistani Air Force on how to ensure security during the arrival of Ambassador Joe Farland. During the intense war in Bangladesh, Yeager's twin-engine "Beechcraft" was shot down during an airstrike on the Chaklala airbase. This incident infuriated the pilot, and he demanded retaliation from the United States. Despite Pakistan's surrender in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, Yeager remained in Pakistan until March 1973, and later recalled his time in the country as the best period of his life.

Later Years

During his time in Pakistan, Yeager spent most of his time flying the "F-86 Sabre" as part of the Pakistani Air Force. He also undertook several expeditions to Mount K2, took leisure trips on the Swat River, and hunted in the northern region of the country. Over the years, Yeager learned the Urdu language during his stay in this eastern country.

On February 26, 1945, Yeager married Glennis Dickhouse, with whom he had four children. In 1990, his wife passed away.