Chuck Yeager and other test pilots.

Hey everyone,

You may wonder how Chuck Yeager figures into space exploration, but his contributions can't be ignored. Yeager was born in 1923 in West Virginia. At the outbreak of World War II, he joined the Air Force and became a pilot. As a fighter pilot, he quickly showed his ability in the air, but he was shot down during a mission over France. Yeager found the French resistance and made some bombs for them before crossing into safe territory and heading back to England. Once he came back, he argued to fly again even though the current policy did not allow it due to his work with the French resistance. After gaining clearance, he flew again and became an ace in one day. On that day, he had five victories and would record 11.5 before the end of the war. During the war, he flew 61 missions.

After the war, he was able to choose his position and chose Wright Field near his home. It was here that he became a test pilot, but he eventually relocated to what is now Edwards Air Force Base. Then, on October 14, 1947, Yeager broke the sound barrier flying the X-1 (an experimental plane). While he would continue to break records for speed and altitude, astronauts would soon blow the records away. However, Yeager would continue to fly and fight for many years and eventually train astronauts. While other test pilots would fly rocket ships, the effects of such extreme speeds and altitudes were first tested with pilots such as Yeager. Other test pilots whose names will never be known attributed greatly to the pursuit of men in space, and many gave their lives for it. They didn't build the ships, but they had the balls to fly them with the knowledge that they were risking their lives. While Yeager is the most famous, he is not the only one who should be revered.