News Report on Yeager at Nellis Air Show

From: campbell@ufomind.com (Glenn Campbell, Las Vegas)
Date: Tue, 29 Apr 1997 17:24:27 -0800
Subject: News Report on Yeager at Nellis Air Show

From: Steve1957@aol.com
Date: Mon, 28 Apr 1997 11:28:25 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Intercepts Net News: what they unveiled at Nellis was ...

LAS VEGAS -- The Global Air Chiefs Conference and Air Force FIFTY took wing
here Tuesday when Retired Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager unveiled a full-size
replica of the experimental jet that first broke the sound barrier.

Yeager flew the Glamorous Glennis, the orange dart-shaped Bell X-1 rocket
plane, on its record-shattering journey Oct. 14, 1947, less than a month
after the Air Force became a separate service.

The Air Force Flight Test Center, based at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.,
is displaying the X-1 mock-up at the five-day Air Force 50th birthday
celebration and symposium sponsored by the Air Force Association.

Yeager made his historic flight over the Mojave Desert while assigned to
Edwards.  The test center will show the model of his jet at air shows and
other golden anniversary events throughout the year.

"When I first saw the X-1 at Bell, I thought to myself 'It's got speed
written all over it,' " said Yeager, 74.  "And it did!"

The test pilot said the first time he went above Mach 1 was anticlimactic.

"We never planned to go faster than the speed of sound, it just happened on
that day," he said. "I was at the right place at the right time, and got
lucky. When I read on my gauges that I had done it, I was surprised.  I was
kind of disappointed that the plane didn't blow up."

This fall the U.S. Postal Service is releasing a stamp engraved with
Yeager's X-1. The general said that postal patrons won't see his image on
the stamp.

"The post office isn't supposed to issue stamps of people unless they've
been dead for 10 years," Yeager said. "But if you look in the cockpit
windows, you'll see my eyes peeking out."

Yeager said the service has made great strides, both in personnel and
equipment, in the past 50 years.

"You guys have gotten really good," Yeager said.  "Airplanes can do 10 times
more than they could 10 years ago.  Quality of life has improved.  Back in
the old days, we were kind of abused, if that's the right word.  Today, the
Air Force really takes care of its own.

"The Air Force is very close to my heart.  It's very special."