The Right Stuff

They don't build them like Chuck Yeager anymore.

I'm not too sure if they did back then, but they're not even allowed to try now.

Brave beyond any reasonable doubt.

In his book The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe writes about the impact Chuck Yeager had. His accent, style and speech patterns, the whole thing about staying cool as a cucumber under pressure, the way all pilots talk today, Wolfe goes into incredible detail but basically, that all came from Chuck Yeager.

His autobiography is a great read. I especially remember the way he spoke how good his eyesight was and one time he and his wingman encountered a couple of dozen German fighters that Yeager saw 50 miles away. To Yeager it was like a kid in a candy store and he couldn’t wait to mix it up. I think that was the day he shot down five enemy planes

Not pretty enough for the astronaut corps, however. Thanks military-industrial complex.
R.I.P. General Yeager. 

Yeah but pretty enough to be played by Sam Shepard in the movie. Plus he still has that fighter pilot gleam in his eye even at 89!  

Not sure how much dramatic license Tom Wolfe took, he is known for his incredible research but still has to make a story so who knows, but its hard to tell if it was Yeager the system took a pass on - or the other way around. In any case I think its pretty clear where Tom Wolfe comes down on that one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqPkIgBqMCY

Damn, that is one fine movie.