As test pilots within the Flight Test community, my colleagues and I tend to associate significant advances in our world of flight in terms of hardware, specifically the airplanes. We give those airplanes names and personalities, and we speak of them respectfully (or sometimes not so respectfully) as liv- ing things. We often overlook the fact that it was people who conceived the ideas and goals, designed the often beautiful yet functional mold lines, the often critical but not visible systems, and gave these airplanes the abil- ity to fly — with a little help from the laws of physics.
In this truly unique book, Michelle Evans has focused on those people, giving us a wonderful insight into who they were and what it was that drove them to dedicate their careers, and sometimes their very lives, to expand- ing our knowledge of flight. As I read the manuscript, I was familiar with many of the stories and incidents, but the accompanying details that Mi- chelle’s thorough research unearthed has made them so much more mean- ingful, fascinating — and fun! (I can’t wait to retell them.) I’ve often joked that my x-15 stories get better each time I tell them. Now, at least for those told here, it’ll be true.