Chuck Yeager video

Babe Ruth once said it ain’t bragging if you can do it. I have never found him arrogant or full of himself.
 
1RTK1 said:
Babe Ruth once said it ain’t bragging if you can do it. I have never found him arrogant or full of himself.
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It’s pretty arrogant to charge to sign autographs from becoming famous on a government job. Not exactly subtle.
 
Great interview. Never knew about the X-1A test flights (or maybe i forgot...).

Say what you want, The General has every right to brag about his accomplishments. It was that attitude that made him so effective in combat and in test flying.

My Dad was an Army Air Corps ball turret gunner in a '17 during WW2 and then did two tours of Vietnam in the "modern" Air Force. It definitely rubs me the wrong way when some GA pilot wants to bash on The General. He was committed to the Air Force and his duty and put his life on the line for the service far beyond many war vets. He was, and is, and exceptional human being who saved many a '17's air crews lives. His war time accomplishments and his dedication to the Air Force should never be denigrated because someone has their small-minded view of how they think he should act. The fact that some people feel it's right to bash on this particular veteran is beyond me.
 
I think if you've broken the freekin' sound barrier, you've earned the right to pop off a little. :D
 
I like what he said about not having narrow goals, and missing other opportunities as they go by.

I have never seen this video or any part of it. I realize it is about 27 years old, but other times I have seen the General speak, he was either drunk or very pizzed off at someone. This time he sat down and answered the questions and explained things simply enough for this dummy to understand. I was planning to watch about 10 minutes of it, but the General held my attention through the entire video.

Nothing is worse than having to listen armchair folks sit and criticize other people that actually went out and did something with their lives, and listen to those worthless people say how others did it wrong.
 
Read some of the books published by some of the other test pilots and early astronauts of that era. I was a little surprised at what others that were there and doing the job day in and day out thought of some of the more well known and colorful public personalities that came out of that time.
 
Timbeck2 said:
Wow, I had no idea Chuck Yeager had peed in Nate's cornflakes. My apologies.
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Oh it’s been a known thing for a while now that he charges for appearances. It’s not just me.

I mean, the guy flew great and risked his butt, but he’s a total opportunist. Bust some ribs and still take the aircraft up, endangering himself and others, because he knew the fame of being the first? I’ve never had much respect for that particular decision.

It’s become “cool” and folklore and all that crap with the broom handle story, but really, if you guys or I pulled crap like that in a test flight program we’d be keel-hauled at the first opportunity to borrow a Navy vessel and crew to do it.

I also don’t have much of the “idolize people” gene, so there’s that. Hoover is about as close as it gets for me, and I always felt bad for him being carted around at OSH like a prize pony to shady spots out of the way so folks could line up to get autographs. At least recently in his older years.

His airshow days? (And yeah, I saw the Shrike show in person and it was effing incredible!) It was part of the job back then.

If they’re somewhere doing a talk for folks and there willingly and not charging folks for it, I’ll go. I’ll buy their books. Etc. There’s probably a copy of Yaeger around here if it survived the Great Book Purge during the last move. The old house had a huge built in bookshelf system. This one doesn’t.

I thought it was cool that my home airport hosted Sully for their recent airport anniversary “celebration” until I saw they were sucking down $250 a head to listen to him speak and eat whatever the catered dinner was. Holy hell.

$500 for both of us to eat rubber chicken and listen to Sully? I think I’ll put $500 worth of Avgas in the plane and go somewhere.

And honestly, what did Sully have to do with the history of our local airport anyway? I’d rather hear from someone who flew there when it was out in a pasture and nobody lived around it. But that’s me.

Of course there’s degrees of this stuff, too. People sitting through political dinners at $10,000 a plate? YGBFKM. Way worse than Yaeger. But he’s got his General’s stars and plenty of adoring fans, so he doesn’t need me. It’s cool.

But if those are the sorts of humans I’m supposed to be impressed with who “did something with their life”, I’ll pass. Easily.

Dave Theisen said:
I think Chuck likes ForeFlight on his iPad. :) :) :)
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LOL! Tough crowd. I love it! :)

They ask for more money for less each year they’re around too. Hahaha.
 
wilkersk said:
Read some of the books published by some of the other test pilots and early astronauts of that era. I was a little surprised at what others that were there and doing the job day in and day out thought of some of the more well known and colorful public personalities that came out of that time.
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It’s repetitive in many sectors. Lots of people working their asses off on things, a few arrogant pricks demand the limelight.

Think Yaeger ever has any of the X-1 engineers on stage with him to discuss how hard their role was trying to keep the thing from blowing up and turning him into little crispy bits scattered all over the high desert? Thanked them for their efforts? I’ve never seen it.

Hell, ever even seen him on the same stage as the guys who had to haul his butt aloft in the bomber? Maybe he at least did that one at some point in the past. Don’t know.

Some public personalities do. They’re pretty rare.
 
This seems appropriate here (skip past the first minute).
 
denverpilot said:
It’s pretty arrogant to charge to sign autographs from becoming famous on a government job. Not exactly subtle.
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I went to The Gathering of Mustangs and Legends in 2007. The big buzz was why Chuck Yeager wasn’t there. Apparently he wanted his usual autograph fee so the organizers told him to not bother coming then.
 
1+00. Best assessment on the importance of an AOA indicator ever! :D

 
Timbeck2 said:
A lot of did you know stuff. Such as Yeager played the trombone in the high school band. He didn't think Neil Armstrong was a very good pilot, etc.

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Haven't watched it yet, but will. I have a lot of admiration for the guy. You never heard much about him while he was still in the service, just a photo in a textbook in school. Then came the "Right Stuff" and his fame. I don't think he ever sought the limelight, which could explain why he charges for appearances. Probably hates all the attention, no? Wonder if the video will change my mind. One thing's for sure, NASA picked Armstrong because he was the BEST pilot. GA trained, too. That's hard to swallow for a military trained guy. They call us FLAPS (*ing light airplane pilots). I know better.
 
denverpilot said:
His airshow days? (And yeah, I saw the Shrike show in person and it was effing incredible!) It was part of the job back then.
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That was Bob Hoover who flew the Shrike show. The General's backup was Hoover on the famous X-1 flight, and if I recall flew the chase plane.

Go Air Force!
 
denverpilot said:
Oh it’s been a known thing for a while now that he charges for appearances. It’s not just me.
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So? Any person who became famous because they worked in government charges for appearances. At least he did something far more substantial than any number of Sec. States, VP, Presidents, etc. You note this later, that other people charge for event appearances.

denverpilot said:
I mean, the guy flew great and risked his butt, but he’s a total opportunist. Bust some ribs and still take the aircraft up, endangering himself and others, because he knew the fame of being the first? I’ve never had much respect for that particular decision.

It’s become “cool” and folklore and all that crap with the broom handle story, but really, if you guys or I pulled crap like that in a test flight program we’d be keel-hauled at the first opportunity to borrow a Navy vessel and crew to do it.
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Different rules back then. There's a lot that was done back then that wouldn't fly now.

denverpilot said:
I also don’t have much of the “idolize people” gene, so there’s that. Hoover is about as close as it gets for me, and I always felt bad for him being carted around at OSH like a prize pony to shady spots out of the way so folks could line up to get autographs. At least recently in his older years.

His airshow days? (And yeah, I saw the Shrike show in person and it was effing incredible!) It was part of the job back then.

If they’re somewhere doing a talk for folks and there willingly and not charging folks for it, I’ll go. I’ll buy their books. Etc. There’s probably a copy of Yaeger around here if it survived the Great Book Purge during the last move. The old house had a huge built in bookshelf system. This one doesn’t.

I thought it was cool that my home airport hosted Sully for their recent airport anniversary “celebration” until I saw they were sucking down $250 a head to listen to him speak and eat whatever the catered dinner was. Holy hell.

$500 for both of us to eat rubber chicken and listen to Sully? I think I’ll put $500 worth of Avgas in the plane and go somewhere.

And honestly, what did Sully have to do with the history of our local airport anyway? I’d rather hear from someone who flew there when it was out in a pasture and nobody lived around it. But that’s me.

Of course there’s degrees of this stuff, too. People sitting through political dinners at $10,000 a plate? YGBFKM. Way worse than Yaeger. But he’s got his General’s stars and plenty of adoring fans, so he doesn’t need me. It’s cool.

But if those are the sorts of humans I’m supposed to be impressed with who “did something with their life”, I’ll pass. Easily.
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I agree with what you are saying here. I also read this and note that you wrote that Hoover flew the Shrike in airshows (as he did)


denverpilot said:
LOL! Tough crowd. I love it! :)

They ask for more money for less each year they’re around too. Hahaha.
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So does the local CATV service, internet service, etc. etc. etc.
 
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1RTK1 said:
If I recall right Hoover had a lot of respect for Yeager
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And vice versa at least according to the account in Yeager. And there was a third pilot who was a strong engineer that Yeager talked about trusting a whole lot.

All extraordinary pilots. And may or may not be nice human beings. I have no personal knowledge of any of them. Why is it that we demand either perfection or demand damnation in all areas of life at once?
 
jsstevens said:
And vice versa at least according to the account in Yeager. And there was a third pilot who was a strong engineer that Yeager talked about trusting a whole lot.

All extraordinary pilots. And may or may not be nice human beings. I have no personal knowledge of any of them. Why is it that we demand either perfection or demand damnation in all areas of life at once?
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Jack Ridley...who always had a stick of Beemans on him. ;)
 
dtuuri said:
Haven't watched it yet, but will.One thing's for sure, NASA picked Armstrong because he was the BEST pilot. GA trained, too. That's hard to swallow for a military trained guy. They call us FLAPS (*ing light airplane pilots). I know better.
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If you watch the video, you'll understand what Yeager meant about Armstrong not being a good pilot.
 
denverpilot said:
It’s pretty arrogant to charge to sign autographs from becoming famous on a government job. Not exactly subtle.
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A lot of that is his wife. She’s the driving force behind the Yeager marketing. He’s p-wiped and getting senile.
 
I've interviewed Yeager a number of times. We'll probably agree that he has the "right stuff", but he is definitely full of himself. Doesn't take much to turn him from conversational to arrogant. He's quick to badmouth other people.
 
Well I guess when your a bad azz like him you can act however you want! I'd probably be a little cocky if I had his resume. Idk maybe not?
 
CC268 said:
Well I guess when your a bad azz like him you can act however you want! I'd probably be a little cocky if I had his resume. Idk maybe not?
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Perhaps, but the attitude isn’t a requirement of being a badass.

Exhibit A: Bob Hoover
Exhibit B: Jimmy Doolittle

Two of the most badass pilots who ever flew who are/were both humble and the highest caliber of gentlemen the world has seen.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Perhaps, but the attitude isn’t a requirement of being a badass.

Exhibit A: Bob Hoover
Exhibit B: Jimmy Doolittle

Two of the most badass pilots who ever flew who are/were both humble and the highest caliber of gentlemen the world has seen.
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For sure. Humble people are the best people.
 
They don't always choose the best "pilots" for the astronaut programs, they choose the ones that they can work with and tow the company line. They learned early on that exceptional skill is not needed to fly a spacecraft that you have to "wipe the monkey sh/t off the seat" before you can sit down and fly it.
 
Fearless Tower said:
Perhaps, but the attitude isn’t a requirement of being a badass.

Exhibit A: Bob Hoover
Exhibit B: Jimmy Doolittle

Two of the most badass pilots who ever flew who are/were both humble and the highest caliber of gentlemen the world has seen.
Click to expand...

And that’s just naming a couple that attained popularity. For every Chuck Yeager, you’ve got 100 others who did incredible things in military aviation but never got the attention like he did.
 
Lindbergh got a ticker tape parade after one flight. Some fly 50,000 hours without an incident or a nick on the plane and don't get squat. It's just the way it is.
 
dtuuri said:
One thing's for sure, NASA picked Armstrong because he was the BEST pilot. GA trained, too. That's hard to swallow for a military trained guy.
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Armstrong was also a well-trained Navy pilot. Not to take anything away from his piloting skills, but he was chosen to be 'the first' as much for his civilian status (at the time) as his piloting skill.

Nauga,
who knows it's easier to tear down than build up
 
nauga said:
Armstrong was also a well-trained Navy pilot. Not to take anything away from his piloting skills, but he was chosen to be 'the first' as much for his civilian status (at the time) as his piloting skill.
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He was also an X-15 pilot prior to joining NASA. I suspect that takes care of the piloting skill requirements.
 
nauga said:
Armstrong was also a well-trained Navy pilot. Not to take anything away from his piloting skills, but he was chosen to be 'the first' as much for his civilian status (at the time) as his piloting skill.

Nauga,
who knows it's easier to tear down than build up
Click to expand...

I think his test background (X-15) had a lot to do with getting selected also. From interviews with other astronauts, he seemed to have the the total package. Didn’t care for public spotlight but he was “Mr Cool” under pressure. Ejecting in Korea, getting control of a crippled Gemini space craft, ejecting from the LEM trainer, etc. I think if I was going into uncharted waters, like landing on the moon and having to manually find an alternate LZ because prime is no good, I’d want to have Armstrong there.
 
write-stuff said:
He was also an X-15 pilot prior to joining NASA. I suspect that takes care of the piloting skill requirements.
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I thought he was at NACA (later NASA) before and when he flew the X-15.

Nauga,
and the long and winding road
 
nauga said:
Armstrong was also a well-trained Navy pilot. Not to take anything away from his piloting skills, but he was chosen to be 'the first' as much for his civilian status (at the time) as his piloting skill.

Nauga,
who knows it's easier to tear down than build up
Click to expand...
I have to believe when they wanted somebody who knew how to land right--they picked a civilian trained pilot. ;)
 
Brad Smith said:
They don't always choose the best "pilots" for the astronaut programs, they choose the ones that they can work with and tow the company line. They learned early on that exceptional skill is not needed to fly a spacecraft that you have to "wipe the monkey sh/t off the seat" before you can sit down and fly it.
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That is touched upon by Yeager in that video.
 
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