Holmestead Aviation Library: Test Pilot Stories

Yeager: An Autobiography by Chuck Yeager and Leo Janos (Editor)
Known for being the first man to break the sound barrier in 1947, Chuck Yeager tells the stories of his life - the personal and the adventurous.  From how he met his wife to breaking a rib while riding horseback the day before he flew through the sound barrier.  Still active in aviation today, General Chuck Yeager is the honorary chairman of the EAA Young Eagles Program which introduces young people to the world of flight.

Forever Flying by R. A. "Bob" Hoover with Mark Shaw
Legendary air show pilot Bob Hoover tells his life story. After growing up in Nashville, TN, he survived 16 months in a German POW camp during W.W.II, tested a multitude of civilian and military aircraft and has flown air show for over a quarter century.   Still an active air show pilot, after a 3-year bout with the FAA for unjustly revoking his medical certificate, he is considered by many to be the "best stick and rudder man" ever.

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
The story of how the world of flight testing at Muroc (now Edwards) Air Force Base evolved into the Redstone, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs.  Based on the careers of the first seven astronauts who included Alan Shepard, Gus Grisson and John Glenn the book reveals their triumphs and tragedies as America launched her first men into space.  

The Right Stuff - The Movie available on video.

The Wrong Stuff: Flight on the Edge of Disaster by John Moore
Author John Moore has flown over 104 different types of military, experimental test and civilian aircraft.  He developed his exemplary flying skills as a Navy carrier pilot, which with a little luck, allowed him to survive the test pilot era of his life.   Many of his comrades and fellow pilots were not so lucky.  The Wrong Stuff is about many of these people who had an impact on his life, the emotion, the memories and the risk they faced every day.  Sprinkled with a bit of good humor it is a "must read" for any aviation adventure and history enthusiast.