Herbert H. Hoover

Herbert Henry Hoover (May 18, 1912 – August 14, 1952) was an American NACA experimental test pilot who, on March 10, 1948, became the first civilian and second person to break the sound barrier, a feat for which he was awarded the Air Medal "for meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight." Hoover flew the iconic orange Bell X-1 during this historic flight. During his short career with NACA, Hoover completed more than a dozen supersonic flights.

Early life and career Hoover was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1934, then briefly served as a lieutenant in the US Army. In 1937, he got a job as a pilot with Standard Oil in South America and spent three and a half years flying equipment, staff, and hospital patients between camps in Venezuela, sometimes flying through bad weather. Hoover came to NACA in 1940, working out of the Hampton, Virginia campus,

Hoover began flying the Bell X-1 in late 1947, although his first glide-familiarization flight was marred by a landing rough enough to cause the nosewheel to collapse, which "forced the rocket ship in the repair shop until mid-December".

On March 10, 1948, Hoover became the first civilian pilot to surpass Mach 1 (flying to Mach 1.065) and break the sound barrier, accomplishing this feat in the Bell X-1.

Awards Chanute Flight Test Award (1948) David C. Schilling Award (1948)

Death

Hoover was killed on August 14, 1952, while piloting a four-jet-engined B-45A Tornado bomber near Burrowsville, Virginia, about southeast of Richmond. Hoover and his copilot, John Harper, both parachuted from the exploding aircraft, with Harper landing safely, suffering only a bruised shoulder.

Although it was initially reported that Hoover had survived the crash and was searching for Harper, his body was found in the woods later that day, his hand on the ripcord of an unopened parachute. Later investigations revealed that he had been struck by pieces of the disintegrating aircraft, which had suffered two separate explosions. Hoover was 40 years old at the time of his death.