Chuck Yeager, Pilot Who Broke the Sound Barrier, Dead at 97

Chuck Yeager, , Pilot Who Broke the Sound Barrier, , Dead at 97. Yeager's death was confirmed by Victoria Yeager, his second wife, via his verified Twitter account on Monday night. An incredible life well lived, America's greatest pilot, Victoria Yeager, Twitter. Yeager was the first pilot to break the sound barrier on Oct. 14, 1947, flying the rocket propelled jet known as the Bell X-1. He achieved the feat of flying faster than 700 mph after a number of flights in the X-1. . Flying faster than the speed of sound earned Yeager the title of "Fastest Man Alive.". Yeager retired from the U.S. Air Force as a Brigadier General in 1975. In addition to being a test pilot, he served in four wars. His story is featured prominently in the 1983 film, 'The Right Stuff,' about the early years of the U.S. space program