Who Else Looked Up To C huck Yeager As a Kid?

[tsgarp]

C huck was my hero growing up. Anyone else?

Also, mods, minor glitch. Your software seems to have trouble digesting the name C huck. Had to put a space in it to get it through.

[digits_]

...

[Bede]

I did. I read his autobiography as a teen.

Unfortunately I would later learn that he was, to put it mildly, a bit of a jerk.
www.nytimes.com/2019/07/16/us/ed-dwight ... 0p19G=2103

Tldr
Guy is set to be first black astronaut. Yeager deep sixes him. Guy eventually retires and becomes semi famous artist. Yeager says he's glad the guy found his true calling in life.

May be why he never got sent to space.

[RedAndWhiteBaron]

I looked up to Yeager for the same reason I looked up to Jean Luc Picard (not Patrick Stewart... Captain Picard). Both of them proved that a thing is only impossible until it is not, in very different ways.

I had no idea he was such a jerk - but I can still admire the man's accomplishments, his drive, his ambition, and his talent.

He was a great pilot. He was a lousy person. The two are not incompatible.

[ahramin]

That was my experience as well Bede.

[DanWEC]

Sure did. Hey, I'm really glad other people have had the same conflictions I have. It's a big relief reading this.
I read his biography at 13. Dog-eared by the countless reading at 16. Still occupies a prime spot in the den bookcase. He was my literal childhood hero.

But then, as I grew up, it was really hard to reconcile the occasional promo's by Yeager, I never agreed with him ideologically.

Then, I started hearing opinions of him by others. By this time I was an adult who was involved in all sorts of activism, in whatever I felt was right. (That's how it works isn't it? )

The level of cognitive dissonance was enough to crack glass. It's still tough. But, you don't have to agree with people in order to respect them. He did what he needed to. Worked his ass off. Told everyone else to @#$! off, and he's an excellent pilot with an excellent work ethic (Those two go hand in hand.)

I still respect him to the ends of the earth, It's just strange to feel that, as an adult, I don't "like" him.

Not like he'd care. Smooth sailing C.h.u.c.k.

Edit- C H U C K is apparently still censored on this site. It's because of Mr. .. He's also a literal aviation legend, and this site is fucking petty for censoring words. Grow up AvCanada, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Second edit- E l l s w o r t h is censored? Ok. I'm out.

[RedAndWhiteBaron]

C h u c k is censored because of C h u c k Norris, not Yeager.

1st rule about C h u c k? Do not talk about C h u c k
2nd rule? See #1
(10: Print "STOP" 20: GOTO 10)

[AirFrame]

The takeaway is, don't look at your heroes too closely. You may not like what you find.

[albertdesalvo]

.

[flying4dollars]

Only one hero in my life other than my dad; Peter Venkman. Legendary scientist, paranormal exterminator, and ladies man.

[PilotDAR]

I consider Yeager to be inspirational, though that does not mean that I entirely looked up to him. He inspired me as he began from basic airplane mechanic beginnings, and worked hard to advance. I agree that perhaps he was less than team like along the way, and overly self important, and I do not admire those traits. Though I have no idea, I hope that in his later years, he actually mentored and inspired first hand. If so, great. If not, we'll have to draw the better from his inspiring accomplishments, and be the better people/pilots ourselves....

[lownslow]

The takeaway is, don't look at your heroes too closely. You may not like what you find.

I never met the man myself but I know a number of people who did. While it’s fun to retell stories of an accomplished person being a jerk it turns out there may be at least as many stories about him being friendly. My takeaway is that Mr. Yeager had his good days and bad days, just like the rest of us.

[Beefitarian]

General Yeager was pretty funny on facebook. He never hesitated to make a comment on other pilots and his opinion about their skills or lack thereof.

I'm guessing you don't get to be one of the top test pilots at Edwards back in the 1950s without having a higher regard for your own skills than the other pilots trying to climb the ladder.

His opinion on astronauts wasn't a secret. "Spam in a can." Not exactly a complement.

[anofly]

I heard him talk once, live. Among other things he talked about being "jumped" by another P51,and it was fair game where they played at the time. It was post war. He could not shake the fella. thought wow hes good.... turned out to be Bob Hoover... they became friends and this was the introduction he gave Hoover to his turn at the mike.... LOL
I also had a buddy at Oshkosh with his 12 yr old son. Everyone one was fawning and gasping as Yeager was pre flighting a P51.... Kid says whats up dad? Dad says in a whisper, "that is . Yeager" ... kid says (too loud) "Who the heck is . yeager" ... Yeager actually laughed....

[Heliian]

Although he featured prominently in many of the books I read as a kid, I never followed him enough to know him outside of being a test pilot. All of those guys back then were half a second away from certain death and whether it was skill or luck that kept him alive I respect his contribution to modern aviation.

And yes, don't ever meet your heroes.

[rooster]

What was so legendary about him? He was a test pilot. First guy to break the sound barrier, cooool . Is it really that impressive? Let's honor all the test pilots who were first to <insert action here>

[RedAndWhiteBaron]

What was so legendary about him? He was a test pilot. First guy to break the sound barrier, cooool . Is it really that impressive?

Yes. It is.

[rooster]

What was so legendary about him? He was a test pilot. First guy to break the sound barrier, cooool . Is it really that impressive?

Yes. It is.

Meh, I'm more impressed by every day heroes doing things for people in their community. Not some dude who went really fast. Cool story brah!

[RedAndWhiteBaron]

What was so legendary about him? He was a test pilot. First guy to break the sound barrier, cooool . Is it really that impressive?

Yes. It is.

Meh, I'm more impressed by every day heroes doing things for people in their community. Not some dude who went really fast. Cool story brah!

Well by that measure, I too would impress you, albeit much more humbly. I pick up groceries for widows and widowers and take out their garbage. Sometimes I even shovel their driveways and yell at their porch pirates. I am a million times more humble than thou art!

But I'm not risking my life doing any of that (aside from driving in Brampton). C huck did. Many people look up to him because he did what was widely considered to be impossible - or, at least suicidal. I may perhaps be humbler and less of a jerk, but he was braver than I.

My hero? Nelson Mandela. He was also a jerk, and a wanton opportunist. He was also lucky, 20 years of incarceration notwithstanding.

[AirFrame]

What was so legendary about him? He was a test pilot. First guy to break the sound barrier, cooool . Is it really that impressive? Let's honor all the test pilots who were first to <insert action here>

I've read in a couple of places that Yeager's greatest feature was his eyesight. He could see twice as well as any pilot he ever shared sky with, and could pick out enemy aircraft ages before anyone else... Certainly before the enemy could see him, which probably contributed a lot to his success rate in combat. Beyond that, he was also a really good pilot.

Hoover, by Yeager's own admission, may have been a better pilot.