Yeager Achieves Supersonic Flight

14 October. Preparations for the flight began as the sun  peeked over the eastern shore of the lake, bathing the desert in a soft orange glow, complementing the saffron XS-1 surrounded by technicians. There was one well kept secret from all those present except Jack Ridley and Walt Williams-Yeager had two broken ribs, courtesy of a horse that had thrown him over the weekend. Stoically, Yeager had had the ribs taped by a civilian doctor to avoid being grounded by a military one.

He confided to Ridley and Williams, however, and Ridley had cut the pilot a short length of broom handle to help him lock the plane's entrance hatch in place! The B-29 launch crew knew of the fall but not of the broken ribs, and they presented him with glasses, a rope, and a carrot. That morning, after preflighting the aircraft, Yeager met with Williams and Beeler; they stressed caution, warning the young test pilot not to exceed an indicated mach number of 0.96 unless absolutely certain, from the behavior of the plane, that he could do so safely.