Chuck Yeager, pilot who broke the sound barrier, dies at 97 by Pete Muntean, Hollie Silverman and Joe Sutton

Legendary Air Force pilot Chuck Yeager, the first person to break the sound barrier, dies at 97

US Air Force officer and test pilot Chuck Yeager, known as “the fastest man alive,” has died at the age of 97.Yeager broke the sound barrier when he tested the X-1 in October 1947, although the feat was not announced to the public until 1948.His second wife, Victoria, confirmed to CNN Monday night that Yeager had passed after she tweeted fromYeager’s verified Twitter account that the World War II flying ace had died.”An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest pilot,” she tweeted.

“This is a sad day for America,” John Nicoletti, Yeager’s friend and ground crew chief, told CNN Monday night. “After he broke the sound barrier, we all now have permission to break barriers.”Nicoletti said Yeager had gone through some physical challenges in recent years and had a fall that led to complications and other issues due to his age.Yeager resided in Northern California but died in a Los Angeles hospital, Nicoletti said.”Yeager was never a quitter,” Nicoletti recalled of his friend. “He was an incredibly courageous man.” To read more go to the link below:

https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/07/us/chuck-yeager-death/index.html