General Chuck Yeager USAF Ret: Dead at age 97.

On the morning of October 14, 1947, a small, rocket-powered aircraft flew its way into the history books with Chuck Yeager as the pilot. On that day, the myth of an impenetrable sound barrier was broken and forever changed the way the world viewed powered flight. Over the next 70 years, Air Force pilots would push the limits of speed, testing the boundaries of engines, aerodynamics, and the human body.