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From: doug@terak.UUCP (Doug Pardee)
Newsgroups: net.aviation
Subject: Aviation Consumer vs. "Yeager"
Message-ID: <953@terak.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 30-Dec-85 16:36:08 EST
Article-I.D.: terak.953
Posted: Mon Dec 30 16:36:08 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 1-Jan-86 04:22:35 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: Calcomp Display Products Division, Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Lines: 37

Aviation Consumer magazine recently ripped into Chuck Yeager's
autobiography, "Yeager".

Calling Gen. Yeager "unsafe at any speed", AC expressed considerable
alarm that future pilots might be tempted to emulate his style.

A copy of the book found its way under my Christmas tree, and having
read it I feel that AC is way out of line.  They could just as readily
complained that Yeager set a bad example because his favorite activities
revolved around killing and destruction.

There is no indication that Yeager ever held a civilian pilot's license,
and the only reference to him flying a civilian plane was when he
copiloted Jackie Cochran's Lodestar on a spy mission to Moscow.  All the
rest of his life, he piloted either combat aircraft or research
aircraft.

For both of those kinds of flying, taking risks is absolutely mandatory.
The USAF would look rather poorly upon a fighter pilot refusing to go on
a mission because he might not make it back :-)  As a civilian pilot, I
wouldn't think of taking off if there was any question of running out of
fuel; but the Air Force had nuke-armed F-86's stationed in Germany which
could not carry enough fuel to get back to friendly territory after
hitting their targets.

Ditto for test flying.  Not much is going to be accomplished unless
the pilot is willing to take a chance.

I don't recall reading of any instance in which Yeager risked the life
of a passenger; his chancy flying was always solo.

I found the book to be a fascinating look at the life of a man to whom
death was simply the result of losing a game of mortal combat.  His Air
Force flying activities provided a perfect "productive" outlet for his
insatiable need for mortal combat with other people and machines.
-- 
Doug Pardee -- CalComp -- {hardy,savax,seismo,decvax,ihnp4}!terak!doug