31:
580:
617:
206:
division to the experimental research division. Woolams became chief test pilot when
Stanley was promoted to vice president of engineering. In September 1942, he became the first person to fly a fighter aircraft coast to coast over the
584:
539:
298:
late in the afternoon at speeds over 400 miles per hour (640 km/h) when it suddenly and inexplicably crashed into the water, breaking apart upon impact. His body was recovered four days later. After the wreckage of
303:
was recovered, it was believed a canopy failure was the cause of the crash and
Woolams' death, however, eyewitnesses on the ground claimed to have seen the tail separate from the aircraft, causing the crash.
642:
632:
622:
247:
jet airplane, he would join formation with unsuspecting pilots flying propeller-driven fighters and to their surprise, wave at them while wearing a
182:. He served on active duty for approximately eighteen months, after which he returned to the University of Chicago and graduated with a degree in
637:
627:
553:
515:
294:
on August 29, after obtaining a disappointing qualifying speed of 392 miles per hour (631 km/h). Woolams was testing the plane over
315:, insisted that Woolams would have raced if it was the other way around. The day after Woolams' death, Johnston went on to win the 1946
468:
396:
154:
aircraft. He set a world record for altitude and was the first person to fly a fighter jet non-stop across the United States.
612:
388:
179:
503:
224:
199:
231:. Woolams was originally scheduled to fly the X-1 faster than the speed of sound, but that honor would go to
442:
212:
175:
30:
607:
602:
268:
473:
275:
163:
311:
as whether to continue with the race or not, but
Woolams' teammate and fellow Bell test pilot,
549:
511:
507:
392:
437:
243:
Woolams was known as a bit of a practical joker. While flying the still unknown experimental
384:
228:
171:
316:
535:
344:
572:
596:
308:
291:
287:
208:
195:
167:
135:
57:
35:
545:
521:
376:
312:
295:
248:
232:
76:
497:
134:(1917–1946) was the senior experimental test pilot and later chief test pilot at
203:
252:
216:
279:
183:
588:
415:
223:
and the only pilot to fly the rocket-plane at Bell's research facility at
220:
151:
119:
618:
Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in the United States
541:
Area 51: An
Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base
256:
244:
147:
143:
139:
267:
Woolams died on August 30, 1946, in the crash of the modified
282:, Ohio, that were to occur the next day. Woolams flew the
219:
for Bell in 1944. Woolams was the first pilot to fly the
202:
as a test pilot. Woolams was soon transferred from the
211:
without stopping. In the summer of 1943, he set a new
114:
99:
91:
83:
65:
43:
21:
643:Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1946
438:"Jack Woolams Establishes an Altitude Record"
8:
274:race-plane during a practice flight for the
215:of 47,600 feet (14.500 m). He became chief
371:
369:
367:
365:
170:, California, and raised in the suburb of
29:
18:
259:, and then fly away leaving them behind.
462:
460:
477:. Vol. 57, no. 149. p. 3
336:
162:Woolams was born on February 14, 1917 (
633:United States Army Air Forces soldiers
410:
408:
623:Military personnel from San Francisco
499:The Jet Race and the Second World War
467:Feinen, Edward N. (August 31, 1946).
7:
194:After college, Woolams was hired by
38:chief test pilot Jack Woolams (1943)
573:This Day in Aviation - Jack Woolams
496:Pavelec, Sterling Michael (2007).
469:"Test Pilot Killed in Plane Crash"
166:), to Leonard and Elsa Woolams in
14:
178:for two years before joining the
16:Chief test pilot at Bell Aircraft
583: This article incorporates
578:
381:Tex Johnston, Jet-Age Test Pilot
138:during the introduction of the
1:
389:Smithsonian Institution Press
307:There was internal debate at
638:University of Chicago alumni
628:People from Ross, California
345:"United States Census, 1930"
180:United States Army Air Corps
659:
504:Greenwood Publishing Group
190:Career and flight records
125:
107:
28:
589:United States Government
323:, the identical twin of
225:Pinecastle Army Airfield
286:from Cleveland back to
174:. Woolams attended the
118:First pilot to fly the
585:public domain material
538:(2011). "Chapter 12".
443:Edwards Air Force Base
132:Jack Valentine Woolams
23:Jack Valentine Woolams
176:University of Chicago
613:American test pilots
84:Cause of death
474:Indianapolis Times
391:. pp. 85–99.
276:National Air Races
555:978-0-316-19385-6
517:978-0-275-99355-9
416:"X-1 Biographies"
198:chief test pilot
129:
128:
54:February 14, 1917
650:
582:
581:
560:
559:
532:
526:
525:
493:
487:
486:
484:
482:
464:
455:
454:
452:
450:
434:
428:
427:
425:
423:
412:
403:
402:
385:Washington, D.C.
383:(1st ed.).
373:
360:
359:
357:
355:
349:FamilySearch.com
341:
263:Death and legacy
229:Orlando, Florida
172:Ross, California
72:
53:
51:
33:
19:
658:
657:
653:
652:
651:
649:
648:
647:
593:
592:
579:
569:
564:
563:
556:
536:Jacobsen, Annie
534:
533:
529:
518:
495:
494:
490:
480:
478:
466:
465:
458:
448:
446:
436:
435:
431:
421:
419:
414:
413:
406:
399:
375:
374:
363:
353:
351:
343:
342:
338:
333:
317:Thompson Trophy
265:
241:
213:altitude record
192:
164:Valentine's Day
160:
109:Aviation career
79:
74:
70:
69:August 30, 1946
61:
55:
49:
47:
39:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
656:
654:
646:
645:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
595:
594:
576:
575:
568:
567:External links
565:
562:
561:
554:
527:
516:
488:
456:
429:
404:
397:
361:
335:
334:
332:
329:
264:
261:
240:
237:
191:
188:
186:in June 1941.
159:
156:
127:
126:
123:
122:
116:
115:Famous flights
112:
111:
105:
104:
101:
100:Known for
97:
96:
93:
89:
88:
85:
81:
80:
75:
73:(aged 29)
67:
63:
62:
56:
45:
41:
40:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
655:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
600:
598:
591:
590:
587:from the
586:
574:
571:
570:
566:
557:
551:
547:
543:
542:
537:
531:
528:
523:
519:
513:
509:
505:
501:
500:
492:
489:
476:
475:
470:
463:
461:
457:
445:
444:
439:
433:
430:
417:
411:
409:
405:
400:
398:1-56098-013-3
394:
390:
386:
382:
378:
377:Johnston, Tex
372:
370:
368:
366:
362:
350:
346:
340:
337:
330:
328:
326:
322:
318:
314:
310:
309:Bell Aircraft
305:
302:
297:
293:
292:Niagara Falls
289:
288:Bell Aircraft
285:
281:
277:
273:
270:
262:
260:
258:
254:
250:
246:
238:
236:
234:
230:
226:
222:
218:
214:
210:
209:United States
205:
201:
197:
196:Bell Aircraft
189:
187:
185:
181:
177:
173:
169:
168:San Francisco
165:
157:
155:
153:
149:
145:
141:
137:
136:Bell Aircraft
133:
124:
121:
117:
113:
110:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
86:
82:
78:
68:
64:
59:
58:San Francisco
46:
42:
37:
36:Bell Aircraft
32:
27:
20:
577:
546:Little Brown
540:
530:
522:Google Books
520:– via
498:
491:
481:11 September
479:. Retrieved
472:
449:20 September
447:. Retrieved
441:
432:
420:. Retrieved
380:
354:20 September
352:. Retrieved
348:
339:
324:
320:
313:Tex Johnston
306:
300:
296:Lake Ontario
283:
271:
266:
249:gorilla mask
242:
233:Chuck Yeager
193:
161:
131:
130:
108:
77:Lake Ontario
71:(1946-08-30)
60:, California
608:1946 deaths
603:1917 births
506:. pp.
239:Personality
204:test flight
200:Bob Stanley
92:Nationality
87:Plane crash
597:Categories
422:14 January
331:References
253:bowler hat
217:test pilot
158:Early life
103:Test pilot
50:1917-02-14
280:Cleveland
184:economics
379:(1991).
321:Cobra II
221:Bell X-1
120:Bell X-1
95:American
325:Cobra I
319:in the
301:Cobra I
284:Cobra I
272:Cobra I
552:
514:
418:. NASA
395:
255:, and
150:, and
257:cigar
550:ISBN
512:ISBN
483:2022
451:2020
424:2013
393:ISBN
356:2020
269:P-39
245:P-59
148:P-59
144:P-63
140:P-39
66:Died
44:Born
508:133
290:in
278:in
227:in
152:X-1
599::
548:.
544:.
510:.
502:.
471:.
459:^
440:.
407:^
387::
364:^
347:.
327:.
251:,
235:.
146:,
142:,
558:.
524:.
485:.
453:.
426:.
401:.
358:.
52:)
48:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
