Breaking The Sound Barrier | Who Got to Mach 1 First? | 3
American Innovations
Wondery
4.6 • 4.1K Ratings
🗓️ 22 April 2021
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In 1947, Chuck Yeager made history when he flew faster than the speed of sound. But was he really the first to do it? On this episode, Steven talks to aviation historian and retired fighter pilot Dan Hampton, whose book “Chasing the Demon” presents an alternate history of the quest to reach Mach 1.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey, Prime Members, you can listen to American Innovations, |
| 0:03.6 | Add Free on Amazon Music, download the app today. |
| 0:07.0 | Join Wondery Plus to listen to American Innovations one week early |
| 0:11.6 | and add free in the Wondery app. |
| 0:14.0 | Download the Wondery app in your Apple or Google Play mobile app store today. |
| 0:19.0 | Wondery Plus from Wondery, I'm Stephen Johnson and this is American Innovations. |
| 0:50.0 | When the US Air Force announced the Chuck Yeager had become the first pilot to break the sound barrier, |
| 0:56.0 | it changed aviation forever. |
| 0:59.0 | Today, fighter pilots routinely travel at speeds above Mach 1, |
| 1:03.0 | and some planes have even exceeded Mach 5. |
| 1:07.0 | But Yeager didn't do it alone, and some aviation historians even think he probably |
| 1:12.0 | wasn't the first pilot to fly faster than sound. |
| 1:15.0 | One of those historians, Dan Hampton, is here with us today. |
| 1:19.0 | He's a retired US Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, |
| 1:22.0 | decorated combat pilot and bestselling author. |
| 1:25.0 | His books include Viper Pilot, a memoir of Air Combat, and Chasing the Demon, |
| 1:30.0 | a secret history of the quest for the sound barrier and the band of American aces who conquered it. |
| 1:35.0 | Colonel Dan Hampton, welcome to American Innovations. |
| 1:39.0 | Well, it's a pleasure to be here, thanks for the invitation. |
| 1:42.0 | It's really exciting to talk to you about this. We've just heard this story of the kind of historic supersonic flights, Chuck Yeager. |
| 1:49.0 | And so talking to someone who has actually experienced this extraordinary world and who's written about it is a real unique opportunity for us. |
| 1:57.0 | And I just wanted to start with your background, so how and why did you become a military pilot? |
... |
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