WEBVTT

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(soft music)

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- [Narrator] On the cool, clear morning of October 14, 1947

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a modified Air Force B29 Bomber rumbled off the runway

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and into the sky.

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Strapped to the bottom was the Bell XS-1,

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a small rocket-powered aircraft who's sleek lines

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engineers had modeled after a .50 caliber bullet.

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It was this plane and it's fearless pilot that would

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forever change the history of powered flight.

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On that day the little jet rocketed it's way to

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mach 1.06 at an altitude of 43,000 feet over the

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Mojave Desert.

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This historic flight demonstrated that aircraft could

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be designed to fly faster than sound and the concept

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of a physically unbreakable sound barrier crumbled

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into myth.

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Over the next 70 years Air Force pilots would continue

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to push the limits of speed,

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testing the boundaries of engines, aerodynamics,

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and the human body.

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These courageous airmen, pilots, engineers,

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and ground crews forged the future of America's Air Force

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through their sacrifice, dedication,

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and a drive for innovation.

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This intrepid and innovative spirit, epitomized by so many

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throughout air power history is alive in our airmen today.

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Each and every day dedicated airmen push the boundaries

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of powered flight, break barriers, and ensure the finest

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Air Force for the next generation.