Register

Chuck Yeager Breaks Sound Barrier on 65th Anniversary

Chuck Yeager
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • At 89 years old, Brigadier General Chuck Yeager completed a celebratory flight, breaking the sound barrier to mark the 65th anniversary of his historic first supersonic flight.
  • The flight took place on October 14, 65 years to the minute after his original record, over Edwards Air Force Base.
  • Yeager piloted an F-15D with Captain David Vincent, stating the F-15 is his favorite airplane, in contrast to the Bell X-1 he flew originally.
See a mistake? Contact us.

On October 14, Brigadier General Charles “Chuck” Yeager completed a celebratory flight to mark the anniversary of his historic first supersonic flight. In pure Air Force fashion, Yeager, now 89, broke the sound barrier 45,000 feet over the Edwards Air Force Base at 10:24 a.m., 65 years to the minute after his original flight.

But this time Yeager didn’t have to strap himself into Glamorous Glennis, the Bell X-1 in which he went supersonic the first time. Instead, he climbed into an F-15D at Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas with 65th Aggressor Squadron pilot Captain David Vincent.

Pia Bergqvist

Pia Bergqvist joined FLYING in December 2010. A passionate aviator, Pia started flying in 1999 and quickly obtained her single- and multi-engine commercial, instrument and instructor ratings. After a decade of working in general aviation, Pia has accumulated almost 3,000 hours of flight time in nearly 40 different types of aircraft.

Ready to Sell Your Aircraft?

List your airplane on AircraftForSale.com and reach qualified buyers.

List Your Aircraft
AircraftForSale Logo | FLYING Logo
Pilot in aircraft
Sign-up for newsletters & special offers!

Get the latest stories & special offers delivered directly to your inbox.

SUBSCRIBE