Chuck Yeager, flying legend dead at 97

[space cadet]

This US flying legend hated Indira Gandhi and IAF - Times of India

India News: Flying legend Chuck Yeager, who made noise on behalf of Pakistan, is remembered for breaking the sound barrier

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Ingraham describes a US Embassy in Pakistan where staff was increasingly preoccupied with the deepening India-Pakistan crisis and meetings became more frequent and more tense. "We were troubled by the complex questions that the conflict raised. No such doubts seemed to cross the mind of Chuck Yeager. I remember one occasion on which Farland asked Yeager for his assessment of how long the Pakistani forces in the East could withstand an all-out attack by India. 'We could hold them off for maybe a month' he replied, 'but beyond that we wouldn't have a chance without help from outside?' It took the rest of us a moment to fathom what he was saying, not realising at first that "we" was West Pakistan, not the United States," Ingraham writes. When Ingraham asked him to be be a little more even-handed in his comments, he says Yeager gave him a withering glance and snapped "Goddamn it, we're assigned to Pakistan. What's wrong with being loyal?!”

 

[Gripen9]

This US flying legend hated Indira Gandhi and IAF - Times of India

India News: Flying legend Chuck Yeager, who made noise on behalf of Pakistan, is remembered for breaking the sound barrier

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Ingraham describes a US Embassy in Pakistan where staff was increasingly preoccupied with the deepening India-Pakistan crisis and meetings became more frequent and more tense. "We were troubled by the complex questions that the conflict raised. No such doubts seemed to cross the mind of Chuck Yeager. I remember one occasion on which Farland asked Yeager for his assessment of how long the Pakistani forces in the East could withstand an all-out attack by India. 'We could hold them off for maybe a month' he replied, 'but beyond that we wouldn't have a chance without help from outside?' It took the rest of us a moment to fathom what he was saying, not realising at first that "we" was West Pakistan, not the United States," Ingraham writes. When Ingraham asked him to be be a little more even-handed in his comments, he says Yeager gave him a withering glance and snapped "Goddamn it, we're assigned to Pakistan. What's wrong with being loyal?!”

My father met him once. He came to inspect a wreckage of a downed IAF Su-7 in 71. My father would always refer to him as Sir Charles... never chuck. He was also instrumental in getting approval and then supervised installation of AIM-9B onto PAF F-6 (chinese Mig-19s) as a way of circumventing US sanctions imposed on Pakistan post 1965.

Fair weather and tailwinds Gen Yeager.

 

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