The Flight

        On October 14, 1947, over the Mohave Desert, the Glamorous Glennis ran its first successful sound barrier test.

        To allow for maximum speed, the Bell X-1 which Yeager was piloting was dropped from a Boeing B-29 bomber. At an altitude of 43,000 feet, the mothercraft would give the aircraft the boost it would need to surpass the Mach 1 sound barrier.

        The testing started with three glide flights, then Yeager began powered flights in August of 1947. Pitch problems with aerodynamics due to immense speeds quickly made the piloting extremely difficult for Yeager, and during one flight he momentarily lost control of the craft completely. A mechanic and crew member working with Yeager eventually suggested moving the plane's horizontal wing just slightly, to regain the craft's control.

        To Yeager's delight, this helped immensely. At .83 Mach, he tested this and found it worked. He continued to build speed and reached .93 Mach.  As he passed Mach 1, a sonic boom rained out across the Mohave Desert as the sound barrier was officially broken for the first time in aviation history.