Chuck Yeager

[rwdfresno]

When people say he suppose to have ego and be arrogant he's a fighter ace/test pilot. I say Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes Rolling Eyes . Does that make mean, rude and spiteful OK Question Question
I know and have known many successful fighter pilots/aces. All were friendly, courtious, helpful and exceptionally decent people. It's a h*ll of a list Harley Brown, Gen Jim Hill, Cy Gladen, John Tilley, Frank O'Connor, Max Lamb, Blake Moranville, Hub Zemke, Bill Harris, Charlie Stimpson, Oscar Coen, Jim Howard the list is long and distinguished.
BTW George Welch broke the sound barrier first in the XP-86 Sabre!

I agree with the idea that there is never a good excuse to be rude to people. I guess I just have never been one to idolize people. I admire certain accomplishments or I admire certain of a persons actions. I admire Yeager's accomplishments and only after I met him and had the opportunity to get to know him could I ever admire him as a person. I never make the assumption that if you are a famous fighter pilot that you are going to be a nice guy. In fact I tend to do the opposite. I am usually pleasantly surprised if they are down to earth. I was not really making an excuse for him, more of an explanation to why that may be the case.

Last edited by rwdfresno on Wed Sep 12, 2007 2:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[mjanovec]

This guy flew 208 different types of aircraft over his career, fought for our country in WWII, broke the sound barrier, when no one else could.

While I respect Yeager's accomplishments, I do not believe the sound barrier was something that only Yeager could break. As someone else pointed out, he was in the right cockpit at the right time. Granted, it took a fair amount of skill to accomplish that feat, but there were a number of other pilots just as capable of doing the same thing.

The sad thing is, that by all accounts, it appears Yeager's wife has poisoned him to his own family and friends. There are very good friends of his that essentially no longer talk with him, because of the barrier set up by his wife. These friends include many names that people here would recognize. I had dinner with one such friend a few weeks back and when the subject of Yeager's wife came up, this man grew quiet and just shook his head, saying "It's so sad." It's clear that his own friendship with Yeager had been poisoned when his new wife came on the scene.

One person asked why Jack Roush re-painted his P-51 from Glamorous Glennis to Gentleman Jim. The short story (as I have heard it) is that Yeager's wife (and perhaps Yeager himself) insisted that they were owed money to have the aircraft painted that way. I have also heard from people who work for NASA Dryden and the Air Force say the Yeager's have insisted they own copywrite for ANY images taken of Yeager, even though those organizations do not recognize copywrite on images that they themselves took.

As for the Crossfield incident, many people are upset that Yeager chose the worst possible moment to speculate that Crossfield acted recklessly on his final flight. Instead of saying something respectful, he took the opportunity to make one final shot at his perceived rival. He acted without any class whatsoever on that day.

While I don't believe any man should be idolized, I feel there are other test pilots out there more worthy of our admiration and respect. And while I respect the accomplishments that Yeager made (especially his WWII service), I find I no longer have the same level of admiration for him that I do for many of his fellow test pilots.

Last edited by mjanovec on Wed Sep 12, 2007 5:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[ZeamerB17]

I will retract my previous statement that he has an excuse to be rude and arrogant. There really is no excuse for that, no matter who you are and what you've accomplished.
On another note, has anyone ever seen anything signed by Yeager and "Glamorous" Glennis?

Dave

[Jack Cook]

He also refused to sign a little wooden toy-airplane for a little boy in a wheelchair who was dreaming of becoming a pilot himself one day.

nice guy
read this thread about the new P-51 in Yeager's markings and other various opinions of him
http://www.aafo.com/hangartalk/showthread.php?t=3122&highlight=chuck+yeager

[Jase]

Well, MustangDriver, as I said in a previous thread, I'm honestly glad that Charlie is nice to you. You should feel proud, because you are in a VERY small minority. (Wonder what you've got that he wants, or what he thinks you can do for him?)

For me, I've personally witnessed that particular individual making an a$$hat out of himself on multiple occasions. Refusing to sign an autograph for a little kid, screaming and cursing at folks because his rental car was 50 feet from the airplane....the list goes on.

And how pathetic is it that he begged to have that -51 painted in GG colours so that he'd get free press out of it?

To me, the saddest thing is that Charlie's showing his a$$ has turned many kids off from airshows or the military.

What a pathetic person he is. And ya know what, if he doesn't *like* people, well, nobody is forcing him to show up at airshows and hawk his book.

[bipe215]

You can see from all these comments and from other sources, that when the General is being paid to be somewhere or if someone is doing something for him he's a great guy. If not, he's a jerk. Again, out of all the test pilots and fighter pilots of the era, he's near the bottom of my list of guys I'd like to meet.

Steve G

[T J Johansen]

One person asked why Jack Roush re-painted his P-51 from Glamorous Glennis to Gentleman Jim. The short story is that Yeager's wife (and perhaps Yeager himself) insisted that they were owed money to have the aircraft painted that way. I have also heard from people who work for NASA Dryden and the Air Force say the Yeager's have insisted they own copywrite for ANY images taken of Yeager, even though those organizations do not recognize copywrite on images that they themselves took.

I guess there's a Mustang owner in Texas that might get an invoice for the use of the GG name pretty soon then...

T J

Last edited by T J Johansen on Wed Sep 12, 2007 4:18 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[marine air]

True story #1, Several years ago, when Yeager made his firstappearance at Oshkosh in the 1980's , the year the" Right Stuff" miovie and book came out , I had never heard of him. He really wasn't doing anything. I mean there was Hoover doijng his routine, Boyington and others selling books, and Paul Poberezny performing in the P-64 and P-51. He was pretty much forgotten about.
I asked my instructor about him as my instructor had flown Spitfires in the Eagle Squadrons in WW.II. He told me this story;
Col. Haun had his first comand at Dayton AFB, and he recieved a call that a VIP would be parking on their ramp and would need a staff car. Later Capt. Yeager pulled up in a P-80 and hopped in! It was highly unusual that a Lt. Col would be driving a Captain around anywhere and you were supposed to be a Colonel or above in rank to rate one.
Capt. Yeager continued to blather on about himself about how he had recently broke the sound barrier, which was "really something" and had also recently had a surgical procedure (vasectemy) and how clever he was.
Colonel Haun smiled approvingly never mentioning that he had the same "clever Procedure" before the war. He said Yeager was quite arrogant and full of himself.
I told Colonel Haun that a lot of people had said he was arrogant at Oshkosh and what he thought of that and he said " He has every right to be, he's an ace and broke the sound barrier!"

[Jack Cook]

I guess there's a Mustang owner in Texas that might get an invoice for the use of the GG name pretty soon then

The maybe the owner should send the bill for the paint job to CY???

[ZeamerB17]

It's always sad to find that one's heroes have feet of clay. I guess some "heroes" are more worthy of admiration than others.

Dave

[Jack Cook]

I guess some "heroes" are more worthy of admiration than others.

Like say for example Jay Zeamer

[ZeamerB17]

You said it, buddy!!

Dave

[michaelharadon]

This thread, to me, makes the point that kindness trumps ego every time, no matter who you are.

[JBoyle]

Never met the man....but I have several of his autograpgs courtsey of thew AFFTC PA office. They said (this was 10 years ago) that whenever he'd go to Edwards, he's stop by the PA office to sign autograph requests.

A few weeks ago on the "other" forum a lot of British guys were saying how big a jerk he was (a few even suggested that he wasn't the first to break the sound barrier, and if he did it weas no big deal).
So I suggested what many here have done, accept his accomplishments but remember he's a man who, like us all, has shortcomings.

I was solidly hooted down. It seems they think all Commonwealth aces were perfect gentlemen all the time (obviously none touched a drop and were virgins on their wedding nights ). When I pointed out that an English friend said Douglas Bader was a bit of a handfull, they shut up.

I leaned a long time ago that everyone you admire have flaws (gee, think back I bet even you parents did!).
A sign of maturity is to accept and bbasically get over it.

[Bill Greenwood]

As for breaking the sound barrier, I am no expert, but the stories I have read of the F-86 exceeding Mach I a few days before Yeager seem pretty convincing.