Commemorative tire chalks and tail number display . . .
Commemorative tire chalks bearing the names of Capt. David Vincent, 65th Aggressor Squadron pilot; retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager; the F-15D Eagle’s tail number sits in front of the aircraft used to fly Yeager to break the sound barrier at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Oct. 14, 2012. Yeager and Vincent flew over Edwards AFB, Calif., to mark this historic event.
Settling into the F-15D Eagle . . .
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager is assisted in the cockpit of an F-15D Eagle by Senior Airman Anthony Ewing, 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron dedicated crew chief, Oct. 14, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.
Returning to Nellis . . .
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager and Capt. David Vincent, 65th Aggressor Squadron pilot, taxi in under water fired from 99th Civil Engineer Squadron Fire Department trucks after the commemorative flight for the 65th anniversary of Yeager’s breaking of the sound barrier Oct. 14, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Yeager was the first pilot to travel faster than sound in the Bell X-1 rocket research plane named “Glamorous Glennis.”
Heading for the F-15 . . .
Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager and Capt. David Vincent, 65th Aggressor Squadron pilot, walk to an F-15D Eagle Oct. 14, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Yeager and Vincent commemorated the 65th anniversary of breaking of the sound barrier by flying from Las Vegas to Edwards Air Force Base in southern California.
Sharing the moment . . .
Capt. David Vincent, 65th Aggressor Squadron pilot, and retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager share a moment as they prepare for their flight in an F-15D Eagle Oct. 14, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. commemorating the 65th anniversary of Yeager’s historic breaking of the sound barrier flight Oct. 14, 1947.
Discussing the flight on return to Nellis . . .
(Left to right) Col. Peter Ford, Adversary Tactics Group commander, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager, and Capt. David Vincent, 65th Aggressor Squadron pilot, talk after Yeager’s 65th anniversary commemoration flight landed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Oct. 14, 2012. Eighty-nine year old Yeager flew in the 65th AGRS F-15D Eagle to mark his historic flight in the Bell X-1 rocket research plane in 1947.
Meeting and greeting on the flightline . . .
(Center) Col. Barry Cornish, 99th Air Base Wing commander, and (right) Col. Alex Grynkewich, 57th Wing vice commander, greet retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager upon his arrival Oct. 13, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Yeager was the first person to pilot an aircraft faster than the speed of sound Oct. 14, 1947, and he again broke the sound barrier at the age of 89 in an F-15D Eagle from the 65th Aggressor Squadron.
Preparing to depart for commemorative flight . . .
Senior Airman Anthony Ewing, dedicated crew chief, 757th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, prepares to marshal an F-15D Eagle Oct. 14, 2012, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager and Capt. David Vincent, 65th Aggressor Squadron pilot flew the speed of sound marking the 65th anniversary of breaking of the sound.
Also check out the print story at the head of our web site feed – “Sound barrier pioneer celebrates 65 years”
