Those attributes served Yeager well in World War Two. Wolfe said Yeager was blessed with 'the right stuff' that made him a legendary test pilot but Yeager said it was more a matter of luck, better-than-average vision and a thorough knowledge of his planes. He considered them mere passengers 'throwing the right switches on instructions from the ground.' Author Tom Wolfe was so impressed by the mien of the rough-hewn man from Hamlin, West Virginia, that he made Yeager a prominent character in 'The Right Stuff,' his 1979 book about the early days of the space program. space program because he never went to college but he was hardly heartbroken not to become an astronaut. Yeager was passed over for the burgeoning U.S. Army Air Corps in 1941 just to work on the engines of airplanes, not to fly them. Yeager, an unlikely candidate to become one of the most famous aviators in history, joined the U.S. An incredible life well lived, America’s greatest Pilot, & a legacy of strength, adventure, & patriotism will be remembered forever,' Victoria Yeager said in the tweet. 'It is w/ profound sorrow, I must tell you that my life love General Chuck Yeager passed just before 9pm ET. Yeager's death was announced on his twitter account by his wife, Victoria. Chuck Yeager, the steely 'Right Stuff' test pilot who took aviation to the doorstep of space by becoming the first person to break the sound barrier more than 70 years ago, died on Monday at the age of 97.

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