As I began my learning curve and duties of a test pilot, I became immersed in the challenge of being first to crack the sound barrier, especially since I worked in Aerodynamics much of my time at Chance Vought Aircraft. I had been hired as an engineering test pilot.

The barrier in design of future planes was the aircraft speed in ratio to the speed of sound, called the “mach number,” named after an Austrian physicist. When aircraft speeds reached more than 80% (mach .80+), all aerodynamic formulae went off the board, but when the mach number came back to about 1.2, the formulae returned.

What happened between .8 mach and 1.2 mach, no one knew at that time. Some thought one answer was to tape your whole body to keep it from exploding. But one thing was for sure – test pilots from everywhere were bidding on the risk, proposing fees of $30,000 – $50,000 and up.

Chuck Yeager, an Air Force pilot, was the one who broke the sound barrier on Oct 14, 1947. He did it for army pay, and the problem was solved. I call Chuck Yeager a modern day Columbus. Like Columbus, Chuck Yeager opened a new frontier – this time for high-speed jets.

If you hear that sonic boom overhead as modern jet fighters fly by, you can thank Yeager and the engineers who believed it could be done.

Later in my life, in other industries, I have found "an edge" exhilarating and important. If reading His Edge leads you to develop "an edge," you will have captured the esprit of the esprit de corps found in the successful people around you.
~Wayne Harding _______________________________________________________________