With his experimental aircraft, Chuck Yeager paved the way for the faster airplanes and supersonic military flights that have become routine. (Handout)
In 1954, Chuck Yeager and Jacqueline Cochran were honored by the Harmon International Aviation Awards for their piloting prowess. (Associated Press)
Actor Sam Shepard portrayed Chuck Yeager in the 1983 biographical drama “The Right Stuff.” (The Ladd Company)
Chuck Yeager’s West Virginia twang became a standard accessory for generations of pilots to come. (Associated Press)
Chuck Yeager unveils a statue of himself on Oct. 14, 1987, the 40th anniversary of his historic flight. (Steven Wayne Rotsch / Associated Press)
Chuck Yeager attends the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget in 1985. (Associated Press)
Chuck Yeager greets the crowd during a 2011 Veterans Day parade in Sacramento. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)
Chuck Yeager went on to test fighter planes for the military at what was later renamed Edwards Air Force Base. (Boris Yaro / Los Angeles Times)
Chuck Yeager greets fellow pilot Bob Hoover, right, in 1997. (Jayne Kamin–Oncea / Los Angeles Times)
Chuck Yeager retired from the Air Force in 1975, when he was 52 years old. (Boris Yaro / Los Angeles Times)
