The Quest for Mach One: A First-Person Account of Breaking the Sound Barrier

by Chuck Yeager, Bob Hoover, Bob Cardenas

On October 14, 1947, flying the Bell X-1 rocket plane, Chuck Yeager burst through the mythical sound barrier at mach 1.0, to become the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound. Yeager's epic flight was the culmination of hours of work and flying time by a group of dedicated aviation pioneers, and it marked the beginning of flight testing as we know it. Who were these men? What were the aeronautical hurdles they cleared to usher in the space...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670874604
• ISBN13: 9780670874606
• Release Date: October 1997
• Publisher: Penguin Studio
• Length: 142 Pages
• Weight: 2.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.3" x 1.0" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

A 10!Inside story of 1 of world's greatest feats in aviation

For the first time, the exciting inside story of the breaking of the sound barrier as told by Chuck Yeager and his X-1 team members. World renowned stunt pilot Bob Hoover was Yeager's chase pilot that fatefull morning. It is a beautifully illustrated book with 125 photos, many from the authors private collections that have never been seen by the public or published before. It also includes a chapter on famous aviatrix and motion picture stunt pilot Pancho Barnes and her Happy Bottom Riding Club. Pancho offered a free steak to the first man to break the sound barrier (Mach One) and Yeager collected that steak on Oct. 14th 1947. Pancho's Club was the fraternity house for the test pilots, where they could share lessons learned in flying the new jets and to celebrate surviving for one more day & lt;p & gt; It is a brilliant saga of dedication to duty, team work, camaraderie, technical brilliance, unmatched flying skills and heroism. These men are true heroes and role models for todays youth.