• Flying faster than sound was a major obstacle in developing aircraft, including spacecraft. As Yeager says, "It wasn’t a matter of not having airplanes that would fly at speeds like this. It was a matter of keeping them from falling apart."


• Yeager began flying in the Air Force as during World War II. He enlisted right out of high school and flew fighter planes in Europe. He later helped train astronauts, but was not qualified to become one because he did not have a college degree.


• Of his record breaking flight, Yeager said, "“Sure, I was apprehensive. When you’re fooling around with something you don’t know much about, there has to be apprehension. But you don’t let that affect your job.”

1. Who is Chuck Yeager, and what did he do that was important to the development of high speed flight?


2. What is the sound barrier, and why was it an obstacle for high speed flight?


3. When and Where did Yeager become the first pilot to break the sound barrier?


4. W hy was Yeager not qualified to be an astronaut, despite being one of the most decorated pilots in the U.S. ?


5. How did Yeager's test flights contribute to the space program?

1. Why do you think Chuck Yeager rose to become such a prominent figure in American life?


2. What did you find most impressive about Yeager's life?

1. Use this PowerPoint lesson by ShareMyLesson to review the history of transportation and where Chuck Yeager fits in. You can also check out this lesson that has students building paper gliders to explore aerodynamics.


2. NASA continues to explore and expand our knowledge of the universe, in part thanks to Yeager's contributions. To find out what NASA has accomplished this past year, you can check out this lesson .

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