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Author
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Topic: Space Cover 557: Chuck Yeager: A Tribute
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Bob M
Member Posts: 1802
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 04-04-2020 03:03 PM
   
Space Cover of the Week, Week 557 (April 5, 2020) Space Cover #557: Chuck Yeager: A TributeCharles E. "Chuck" Yeager was born in Myra, West Virginia on February 13, 1923. He began his distinguished military career as a private in the US Army Air Force, but became a fighter pilot after displaying exceptional flying skill. Seeing aerial combat in WWII, he flew 64 combat missions, becoming an ace with 12 1/2 enemy kills, with five Messerschmitt Me 109's shot down in one day. Earlier, shot down himself and wounded, he escaped capture and returned to combat. Becoming a test pilot after the war, on October 14, 1947, flew the Bell X-1 rocket plane to 768 mph, becoming the first pilot to break the sound barrier. Later involved in the lifting body aircraft program at Edwards AFB, flew the M2-F1 five times, becoming the second pilot to fly a lifting body. He retired from the USAF in 1975 and in 1985 received the Presidential Medal of Freedom award. I had the great fortune to meet Gen. Yeager in 1999 at the Kissimmee airport at a big P-51 Mustang fly-in and the photo above shows me with him and the FDC he nicely signed for me.  The top cover is the first cover in the Smithsonian's Milestones of Flight 100 cover series and is notated on the back that it was flown at supersonic speed at EAFB and, presumably, on the 25th anniversary of the X-1 flying faster than the speed of sound. Gen. Yeager was kind to sign it and the cover below for me thru the mail. The cover below marks one of the M-2 lifting body flights and is cacheted with an official NASA/EAFB public affairs rubber stamp cachet. For many years Gen. Yeager was a gracious and cooperative signer TTM, but with the advent of the Internet and public sales of his and other pilots' and astronauts' autographs, stopped signing for years, except for a time for extremely high prices. Our thanks to Gen. Yeager, for his service to our country and for his kindness to so many sincere space/aviation autograph collectors. |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1297
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
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posted 04-04-2020 07:06 PM
This a cover I did for the 40th anniversary and first day of issue of the stamp. |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1608
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 04-05-2020 01:34 PM
Here is a cover from Yeager's last flight in the M2-F1 lifting body, hand cancelled on the flight date January 30, 1964 at Edwards. The servicer wrote in the names of the two pilots who made flights that day, and Yeager graciously autographed it at an airshow in Louisville, KY in 1994.
Records show that Yeager had performed 33 ground tow flights of the M2-F1 in November and December, 1963. Then, as Bob mentions above, he performed five air tow (towed up to about 9,000 feet altitude behind a C-47 cargo plane and released) flights, one on December 3, 1963, and two each on January 29 and January 30, 1964. |
Ken Havekotte
Member Posts: 3357
From: Merritt Island, Florida, Brevard
Registered: Mar 2001
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posted 04-15-2020 09:24 AM
Below are my first Yeager-signed covers from the early 1950's, Bob, that I have recently acquired, originally from the Harry Gordon collection.I have never had an opportunity in meeting Gen. Yeager as you have, but when writing to the legendary test pilot during the 1970's, he was always very kind and cooperative, especially with autograph requests that I can recall. The top entry below is indicated as a flown test flight of Convair's new XF-92A Delta Wing Experimental Transsonic Jet Interceptor. The "Jet Air Mail" cover was flown at Edwards AFB in Feb. 1953, and has been signed by the first sonic speed breaker when he was an Air Force major. The postmark cancel on the airmail envelope is hard to make out, however, it can be determined that its from Edwards AFB, CA, though. The second cover below is another Yeager-mostly likely flown jet airmail cover. The cancel on it is clearly readable in June 1956 using a military APO postal service from the army. It's a flown F-86H Sabre Jet on an overseas flight signed by Yeager when he was a Lt. Colonel, but I have no further information about this particular flight.  |
ChrisCalle
Member Posts: 182
From: Ridgefield, CT
Registered: Jan 2009
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posted 05-10-2020 12:00 AM
Here is a cover I designed for the October 14, 1997 issue of the First Supersonic Flight stamp. The cachet artwork was published in an article in Reader's Digest magazine about Chuck Yeager. |
cvrlvr99
Member Posts: 180
From: Arlington, TX
Registered: Aug 2014
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posted 05-30-2020 05:30 PM
Having Yeager's autograph on a few covers. I had him sign a sheet of the Bell X-1A stamps that came out on the third and last time I saw him. Soon after that, Scott Crossfield had a local appearance. The two signatures on this represent the first man to exceed the speed of sound and the first man to exceed twice the speed of sound. On the cover that Dennis got for me, for a flown cover signed by Yeager when he again broke the sound barrier 50 years later, I got his chase pilot, Bob Hoover to sign that as well. He was supposed to make the flight that Yeager did, but was pulled off because he buzzed the tower a little before the flight. |
Pete Sarmiento
Member Posts: 77
From: Fort Washington, MD, USA
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 06-08-2020 05:50 PM
Moons ago, I was a young docent then at the National Air and Space Museum and met Chuck Yeager. Asked him whether it possible to have a picture with him in front of the Apollo 11 spacecraft, and he said, why not! Later I mailed the photograph to him and ask him to autographed it for me. He did.I made a mini-poster for the First Day of Issue of the Flight of the Bell X-1 postage stamp. I have the privilege of getting Chuck Yeager's autograph and Brig. Gen. Robert Cardenas, USAF Retd. He was the pilot of the B-29 which carried the X-1 in flight.  
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albatron
Member Posts: 2804
From: Stuart, Florida
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 06-19-2020 03:59 PM
Thanks for sharing that Pete. I noticed Yeager used his sharpie to line out Cardenas "in charge." The simple truth, Cardenas, a Major, was in charge of the program at Muroc/Edwards. Yeager being a Captain, but he never wished to acknowledge that. That's a very nice piece and true piece of history. It's a shame you were never able to add Bob Hoover, the chase pilot. |
Pete Sarmiento
Member Posts: 77
From: Fort Washington, MD, USA
Registered: Mar 2006
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posted 06-24-2020 09:50 AM
I could not find out where he retired from and his mailing address. I have his autograph earlier in his life but not with Yeager. Thanks for your comments.
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albatron
Member Posts: 2804
From: Stuart, Florida
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 06-27-2020 11:55 AM
It's a beautiful piece with or without it. Wish I'd known I'd have been happy to have helped. |
ejectr
Member Posts: 1875
From: Killingly, CT
Registered: Mar 2002
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posted 06-27-2020 02:32 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Pete Sarmiento:
Later I mailed the photograph to him and ask him to autographed it for me. He did.
Interesting he is opening a piece of peppermint candy in the photo...
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micropooz
Member Posts: 1608
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 06-27-2020 07:51 PM
Probably because he couldn't find any Beeman's...  |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1608
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 12-08-2020 08:20 AM
And now he's gone.   |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 47660
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 12-08-2020 08:40 AM
I met and spoke with Chuck Yeager on several occasions over the years and after assisting his office once about 20 years ago, they surprised me with these two covers: |
micropooz
Member Posts: 1608
From: Washington, DC, USA
Registered: Apr 2003
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posted 12-10-2020 03:29 PM
Wow, Robert! That X-1A 25th Anniversary flown cover is VERY hard to find! Still looking here... |
machbusterman
Member Posts: 1789
From: Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland
Registered: May 2004
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posted 01-05-2022 06:21 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
I met and spoke with Chuck Yeager on several occasions over the years and after assisting his office once about 20 years ago, they surprised me with these two covers
I have the the same two covers which I got from "The Yeager Collection" in early 2000 which was run by his then secretary Cindy. I'm guessing it was Cindy you dealt with Robert? |
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