70th Anniversary of Supersonic Flight

[paullangford]

To celebrate the 70th anniversary of Capt. Charles Yeager’s supersonic flight on Oct. 14, 1947, Edwards Air Force Base is launching flight formations over three Santa Clarita schools next Friday.

The milestone celebration pays tribute to the team of Air Force and NASA test pilots and engineers who made supersonic flight a reality 70 years ago.

In honor of this event, Edwards Air Force Base will launch two flight formations over dozens of Southern California schools to promote STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).

Air Force Captain Charles E. “Chuck” Yeager and the rocket-powered Bell X 1, which he dubbed the “Glamorous Glennis.” On October 14, 1947, Captain Yeager piloted the X-1 to Mach 1.06 (approximately 700 mph at 42,000 feet), becoming the first man to break the so-called “sound barrier.” (U.S. Air Force Photo courtesy AFFTC History Office)
In Santa Clarita, students at Dr. J. Michael McGrath Elementary School, Valley View Elementary School and Leona Cox Elementary will have a chance to see the second formation of four fighter aircrafts flyover between noon and 1 p.m..

This formation will include an F-15 Eagle, an F-16 Fighting Falcon, an F-22 Raptor and an F-35 Lighting II flown at an 1,000 AGL (Above Ground Level) for most of the flight.

The flyovers are part of a two-day event, Oct. 13 and Oct. 14, that include a Team Edwards Family Day, a formal ceremony, a 70th Air Force Birthday Ball and a Run with History half-marathon, 10K and 5K event.