December 26, 2020 Issue, Page 8 of 8

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December 26, 2020 Stafford connection with famous pilot, Chuck Yeager, who passed away this month An American icon, and one “I was the commander of the of the most famous pilots USAF Flight Test Center when to ever grace the skies, U.S. Yeager celebrated the 30th an- Air Force Captain Charles E. niversary of his historic flight.” “Chuck” Yeager, passed away When author, Bill Moore, re- December 7th. Yeager was an cently asked Stafford about the Air Force officer, flying ace, photo of him and Yeager, Staf- and record-setting test pilot ford replied, “It’s the fastest who in 1947 became the first man alive giving instructions person to break the sound bar- to the first supersonic man.” rier, becoming the first pilot to Stafford had set the all-time exceed the speed of sound in human speed record returning level flight. from his mission to the moon The successful flight was on Apollo 10 in 1969. accomplished by Yeager on ‘The achievements obtained October 14, 1947, flying the by these two incredible pilots Bell X-1, Glamorous Glennis is truly astounding. Yeager (named for his wife, Glennis), flew over 200 different aircraft at Mach 1.06 (700 mph) at an and Stafford flew 126 aircraft/ altitude of 43,000 feet over thehelicopters and 5 spacecraft Rogers Dry Lake in the Mo- (the Gemini, Apollo Command jave Desert. The flight was top Module, Apollo Lunar Module, secret, and the success of the the Soviet Soyuz and the Apol- mission was not announced lo Soyuz docking module.) publicly until June 1948. Stafford also flew on three In that same June 1948, a different types of rocket boost- young 18-year-old named Tom ers including the Titan II, the Stafford, would graduate from Saturn V Moon rocket and the Weatherford High School, and Saturn 1B. Yeager broke the depart for the U.S. Naval Acad- sound barrier at Mach 1 and emy. The news of Chuck Yea- Stafford returned from the ger, and his accomplishment Moon on Apollo 10 at Mach would make many young mili- 36. tary men excited for the future In December 1975, the U.S. of aviation. Congress awarded Yeager a sil- After an illustrious career ver medal "equivalent to anon- with the Navy, Air Force, and combat Medal of Honor ... “for NASA, General Stafford would contributing immeasurably to become the Commanding Gen- aerospace science by risking his eral of Edwards Flight Test life in piloting the X-1 research Center in 1975, the location of airplane faster than the speed Yeager’s Mach 1 flight. of sound on October 14, 1947." Major General Thomas Stafford with Brigadier General (Retired) Charles E. Yeager, seated in a Lockheed F-104 Every five years to com- President Gerald Ford present- Starfighter at Edwards AFB, 14 October 1977, the 30th anniversary of his historic flight breaking the sound barrier. memorate the anniversary of ed the medal to Yeager in a cer- (Associated Press Photo) the X-1 flight, Chuck Yeager emony at the White House on an honor bestowed to certain admirable efforts and contri- Space Medal of Honor is on Bell X-1 aircraft. Plan your vis- would return to Edwards Air December 8, 1976. Force Base and make a super- Stafford would receive the astronauts who in the perfor- butions to the welfare of the display at the Stafford Air and it today! The museum is open sonic flight over the base on prestigious Congressional mance of his duties has distin- Nation and of mankind." Space Museum, as well as a 7 days a week, located on I-40, October 14th. Stafford stated, Space Medal of Honor in 1993, guished himself by exceptional Stafford’s Congressional full-scale replica of Yeager's Exit 84 in Weatherford, OK! DEPENDS ON IT. CHOOSE ACTIVE RESPONSIBILITY EVERY DAY SSM HEALTH ST. ANTHONY FOR A SAFER OKLAHOMA.