The first time I ever saw a jet, I shot it down.

There's no such thing as a natural-born pilot.

Rules are made for people who aren't willing to make up their own.

I was always afraid of dying. Always. It was my fear that made me learn everything I could about my airplane and my emergency equipment, and kept me flying respectful of my machine and always alert in the cockpit.

All that I am ... I owe to the Air Force.

The first time I ever saw a jet, I shot it down.

At 42,000' in approximately level flight, a third cylinder was turned on. Acceleration was rapid and speed increased to .98 Mach. The needle of the machmeter fluctuated at this reading momentarily, then passed off the scale. Assuming that the off-scale reading remained linear, it is estimated that 1.05 Mach was attained at this time.