RIP Chuck Yeager

[Robert]

This guy was a boyhood hero of mine. Watch the movie The Right Stuff to learn about him.

In WW2 he became a fighter ace, and shot down a Messerschmidt jet in his piston-engined Mustang.

In 1947 he was the first man to break the sound barrier, despite a broken rib from a riding accident.

In 1963 he attempted the world altitude record of 105,000 feet, and just missed being killed when his jet got into difficulty.

He was not chosen for the space program because he didn’t have a degree.

He flew a hundred combat missions in Viet Nam.

He taught the PAF fighter tactics.

He retired as a Brigadier-General.

He died yesterday, aged 97.

 

[Giannis]

Rip Legend. He was pretty active on twitter.

 

[Technics 1210]

RIP. Legend indeed.

 

[Shah]

General Yeager was posted with the Pakistan Air Force in 1970. No
other air force had that distinction. In his autobiography, he said, he
flew with "hot shot PAF pilots who breathed flying". Among the most
memorable times of his life was being in Pakistan.

 

[Shah]

In his book, General Yeager said, "I opted to stay in Pakistan during 1971 war.
The PAF whipped the ***** of Indian pilots in the sky. I went out
several times a day in a chopper and counted the wrecks of shot
down Indian jets. I documented them by serial numbers, identified
their components, engines, rocket pods on Soviet Su-7 / MiG-21".

"The Pakistani army would cart off these items for me, and when the
war ended, it took two big US Air Force cargo planes to carry them
to the States for analysis by our intelligence".

"I also flew and picked up shot down Indian pilots and took them to
prisoner-of-war camps for interrogation, about the equipment they
were flying and tactics their Soviet instructors taught them. I wore my
flying suit all the time, and it was amusing when the Indians saw my
name tag and asked me. Are you the Yeager who broke the sound
barrier? They couldn't believe I was in Pakistan".

"Indians flew numerous raids against Pakistan air fields, but were
always in panic, missing their targets. Though one hit my Beech
Queen aircraft that had US Army marking and big American flag on
the tail. I had parked it at Islamabad airport, on the second day of
the war, I thought of moving it close to Iran border out of range of
Indian jets. A moment later, the damned air-raid siren went off. My
Beech Queen was totaled. It was the Indian way of giving Uncle
Sam the finger".

"I stayed in Pakistan for 18 months with wife Glennis and daughter
Susie. They were excited to learn Urdu language. They enjoyed
horse riding and trekking in the mountains. We saw the fabulous
K-2 mountain, awesome and beautiful as any on earth. Pakistani
hospitality was overwhelming. It was one of the most enjoyable
times of my life".

 

[Robert]

In his book, General Yeager said, "I opted to stay in Pakistan during 1971 war.
The PAF whipped the ***** of Indian pilots in the sky. I went out
several times a day in a chopper and counted the wrecks of shot
down Indian jets. I documented them by serial numbers, identified
their components, engines, rocket pods on Soviet Su-7 / MiG-21".

"The Pakistani army would cart off these items for me, and when the
war ended, it took two big US Air Force cargo planes to carry them
to the States for analysis by our intelligence".

"I also flew and picked up shot down Indian pilots and took them to
prisoner-of-war camps for interrogation, about the equipment they
were flying and tactics their Soviet instructors taught them. I wore my
flying suit all the time, and it was amusing when the Indians saw my
name tag and asked me. Are you the Yeager who broke the sound
barrier? They couldn't believe I was in Pakistan".

"Indians flew numerous raids against Pakistan air fields, but were
always in panic, missing their targets. Though one hit my Beech
Queen aircraft that had US Army marking and big American flag on
the tail. I had parked it at Islamabad airport, on the second day of
the war, I thought of moving it close to Iran border out of range of
Indian jets. A moment later, the damned air-raid siren went off. My
Beech Queen was totaled. It was the Indian way of giving Uncle
Sam the finger".

"I stayed in Pakistan for 18 months with wife Glennis and daughter
Susie. They were excited to learn Urdu language. They enjoyed
horse riding and trekking in the mountains. We saw the fabulous
K-2 mountain, awesome and beautiful as any on earth. Pakistani
hospitality was overwhelming. It was one of the most enjoyable
times of my life".

Seriously? I thought that war ended in heavy defeat for Pakistan? Weren't they mainly using old F-86 Sabres against the Indian MiG-21s?

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Seriously? I thought that war ended in heavy defeat for Pakistan? Weren't they mainly using old F-86 Sabres against the Indian MiG-21s?

India would have conquered whole Pakistan if it were a heavy defeat.

Although India possessed a stronger army than Pakistan's, I believe, PAF has been a superior factor in almost all clashes.

Here's an old school BBC footage of PAF pilots...

https://youtu.be/7_3YIaYuDc8