A week after the historic flight on October 14th, 1947 the Mach One team were called to the Air Material Command HQ at Wright Field in Dayton, Ohio to brief the Air Force brass on the details of the flight and to receive compliments for a job well done. The accomplishment was still a closely guarded secret and would remain so for several months. A celebration was in order and it took place at the Biltmore Hotel in Dayton on October 20th, 1947. Gathered in the Kitty Hawk Room were (left to right) Major Bob Cardenas (B-29 launch pilot and officer in charge at Muroc), Roy Sandstrom (chief of design engineering on the X-1), Captain James T. Fitzgerald, Lieutenant Bob Hoover (back-up and high chase pilot), Dick Frost (Bell Aircraft project engineer & low chase pilot), Captain Chuck Yeager (prime pilot), Larry Bell (owner of Bell Aircraft Corporation) and Captain Jack Ridley (Flight Test Engineer).

Below are a selection of photographs documenting Chuck Yeagers career in the USAF from the very early days as a maintenance officer until his 2nd "retirement" from the USAF at the 50th anniversary of the first supersonic flight celebrations held at Edwards AFB on October 14th, 1997. Beneath the gallery you will find a photograph of the X-1 team taken during a celebratory meal in Dayton, October 20th, 1947. This photograph is seperate as I felt compelled to name everyone in the photograph in order to help preserve a little piece of history. Enjoy the images!!