Photo Of The Week: General Chuck Yeager At 89

Chuck Yeager, the first pilot to fly supersonic when he broke the speed of sound in a Bell X-1 at Muroc Army Air Field in 1947, died earlier this week at the age of 97. This photo was taken at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, when General Yeager was 89 years old and shortly before he went for a supersonic spin in the F-15D Eagle behind him. It captures everything that made him the most iconic pilot in aviation history—that sense of pride, courage and ability that translated into a life lived large, and fast. Forget about people not living up to the myths that grew up around them. In this case, the myth couldn’t possibly live up to the man. Thanks, General, for sharing with us a life lived at speeds faster than anyone could have imagined when you were born in a small West Virginia town 97 years ago, and Godspeed.