[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 173 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 173

 Honoring the accomplishments of the many Americans who contributed to 
            the development of supersonic flight technology.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 22, 1997

Mr. Sam Johnson of Texas submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
             which was referred to the Committee on Science

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Honoring the accomplishments of the many Americans who contributed to 
            the development of supersonic flight technology.

Whereas on October 14, 1947, United States Air Force Captain Charles E. 
        ``Chuck'' Yeager's flight in the Bell XS-1 rocket-propelled supersonic 
        research aircraft was the first to exceed the speed of sound;
Whereas a diverse group of agencies and organizations cooperated effectively and 
        creatively to make this flight possible;
Whereas the United States Air Force, the National Advisory Committee for 
        Aeronautics, and the Bell Aircraft Corporation made particularly notable 
        contributions to the efforts to develop supersonic flight technology;
Whereas many individual Americans selflessly gave their time, energy, and 
        expertise to achieve the technological breakthrough in aeronautical 
        science that supersonic flight represented;
Whereas the individuals who devoted themselves to achieving this breakthrough 
        and to the overall improvement of air and space flight include--

    Charles E. ``Chuck'' Yeager, Air Force Bell XS-1 test pilot and the 
first pilot to exceed the speed of sound;

    Jackie Ridley, Air Force test pilot and flight test planner for the 
Bell XS-1 aircraft's supersonic research missions at Muroc Dry Lake, 
California;

    Albert Boyd, Air Force general and flight test administrator at the Air 
Force Material Command, Wright Field, Ohio;

    Ezra Kotcher, Air Force engineer who developed the design requirements 
for the Bell XS-1 aircraft and who was a tireless advocate for the 
procurement of supersonic research aircraft;

    John Stack, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics research 
scientist and visionary pioneer of the supersonic research aircraft 
concept;

    Walter Williams, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics flight 
test administrator who managed and directed the efforts to develop the Bell 
XS-1 aircraft in Muroc Dry Lake, California;

    Robert Woods, Bell Aircraft Corporation chief engineer who took on the 
challenge to build a supersonic aircraft and who assembled the design team 
that made its construction possible;

    Jack Woolams, Bell Aircraft Corporation test pilot who first proved the 
reliability of the Bell XS-1 aircraft and who championed the aircraft until 
his tragic death in an air racing accident;

    Chalmers Goodlin, Bell Aircraft Corporation test pilot who validated 
the design of the Bell XS-1 aircraft during its contractor flight tests; 
and

    Robert Frost, Bell Aircraft Corporation test pilot and engineer who 
provided technical instruction, guidance, and counsel to the Bell XS-1 
aircraft test team as it approached ever-higher speeds in pursuit of the 
goal of supersonic flight; and

Whereas these Americans and many others brought to the world a new era of high 
        speed flight that made possible the tremendous advances in international 
        air transport that followed: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) honors the accomplishments of the many Americans who 
        worked to develop supersonic flight technology; and
            (2) concludes that the example of those who worked to 
        develop supersonic flight technology serves as both an 
        inspiration and challenge to Americans today as they stand 
        poised on the threshold of a new century of flight.
                                 <all>