charleseyeager

MiG-15 of the the People's Republic of North Korea after defection by Kom Suk No, and flight tested on Okinawa by an American team of Chuck Yeager, Tom Collins, and AFFTC head COL Al Boyd. The USAF-style buzz number on the nose - TC-616 - was derived from the first name initials of the first two American pilots: "Tom" and "Chuck." The marking on the tip of the vertical fin relates to the USAF's Air Research & Development Center (ARDC). The aircraft nows resides in the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, restored to her PRNKAF markings.

This MiG-15bis ("Red 2057", c/n 2015357) was flown to Kimpo by North Korean defector No Kum-Sok. Among the very first American pilots to fly this MiG-15 and evaluate its performance was none other than US Air Force Test Pilot Chuck Yeager. See film here: YouTube - Zeno's Warbirds - US Air Force film: 'We Flew The MiG'" The aircraft is now on exhibit at the National Museum of the US Air Force ("Air Force Museum") in Dayton, Ohio. See here: www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=275 Photo Credit: Flickr user Phil Blinkhorn [http://www.flickr.com/photos/philbky/16207909558/]

MiG-15 of the the People's Republic of North Korea after defection by Kom Suk No, and flight tested on Okinawa by an American team of Chuck Yeager, Tom Collins, and AFFTC head COL Al Boyd. The USAF-style buzz number on the nose - TC-616 - was derived from the first name initials of the first two American pilots: "Tom" and "Chuck." The shield on the mid-fuselage appears to be that of the 81st Fighter Bomber Wing - I have no idea of the circumstances surrounding its application, since that was a USAFE (European-based) unit... The aircraft nows resides in the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, restored to her PRNKAF markings.

Great pic. Haven’t seen this one in the Glamorous Glennis lineup before! 👍

On September 18, 1947, the National Security Act of 1947 created the United States Air Force (USAF) as a separate military branch. The USAF traces its roots to the early 1900s and the United States Army and the Aeronautical Division of the Signal Corps. One month later, Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager would break the sound barrier flying the Bell X-1, which he named "Glamourous Glennis" after his wife.

I met Chuck Yeager in the wee hours of the morning at Burbank Airport, in an FBO. He and I were the only two people there. That was Saturday, February 8, 1986, when he piloted a Piper Cheyenne 400 LS from Burbank Airport to La Guardia Airport in New York in 5 hours, 23 minutes. The man I met was a very approachable, humble guy. I wished him luck, as we parted.