Yeager Breaks the Sound Barrier in His Final Military Flight

Almost 50 years to the day after he became the first person in history to pilot a jet faster than the speed of sound, retired Brig. Gen. Charles “Chuck” Yeager flew his final military mission Sunday, re-creating for tens of thousands of spectators the historic flight that helped launch the space age.

At precisely 10 a.m., a resounding boom rolled across an expansive dry lake at Edwards Air Force Base as Yeager, at the controls of an F-15 fighter jet, broke the sound barrier for what he said would be the last time.

“It’s nice to go out on top,” Yeager, 74, said in his familiar West Virginia drawl. “These planes sure are fun. They’re a pleasure to fly.”

Yeager, who has said he will never again fly for the military, broke the sound barrier three times last week, as part of a 50th birthday party for the Air Force, which was formed out of the Army Air Corps in October 1947.

Braving traffic jams that stretched for miles, more than 750,000 visitors turned out Saturday and Sunday for a neck-stretching aerial display of stunt-flying and skydiving featuring more than 90 new and vintage aircraft.

Judging from Sunday’s audience, however, the show clearly belonged to Yeager.

“This is living history. I shook his hand and it was incredible. It’s like meeting Lincoln,” said Paul Frishman, who drove from Las Vegas to witness Yeager’s flight.

“You look at all these sports stars today who are revered and called heroes. Well, they haven’t done anything like this man did. He’s a true hero,” Frishman said.

In addition to his work as a test pilot, Yeager was a P-51 ace in Europe during World War II, flew combat missions in Vietnam and has commanded operational Air Force units throughout the world. His name became a household word after his exploits were mythologized in the book and movie, “The Right Stuff.”

All told, his military career spanned 55 years.

On Sunday, Yeager was in fine mettle, throwing a jab at President Clinton by commenting that George Bush “was one president who knew the meaning of duty”--and showing no hint of the nostalgia expressed by many spectators.

He popped open the cockpit of his F-15, gave a small wave to the crowd and bounded down the steps of his jet. Later, dressed in a green flight suit and white baseball cap, Yeager signed autographs and spoke modestly of his personal accomplishments.

“It wasn’t that much different than 50 years ago. I just fly the airplane and it does the work, “ Yeager said.