Chalmers Hubert "Slick" Goodlin (1923-2005) The Second Test Pilot Of The Bell X-1 Supersonic Rocket Plane

Chalmers Hubert "Slick" Goodlin (1923-2005) was the second test pilot of the Bell X-1 supersonic rocket plane, and the first to operate the craft in powered flight. He began learning to fly at the age of 15, and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 on his eighteenth birthday, inspired by the tremendous air battles over the English Channel in early World War II, but was unable to participate as part of the American military since the U.S. had not yet entered the war. He became the youngest commissioned officer in the RCAF and entered the European theater in 1942. By December of that year, the U.S. Navy had requested that Goodlin transfer back to the States, where he underwent training to become a Navy test pilot. He was released from active duty and found employment with Bell Aircraft as a test pilot in December 1943. The X-1 program was taken over by the United States Air Force after Goodlin demanded $150,000 and additionally demanded hazard pay for every minute spent over Mach 0.85. The Bell program was also very conservative, increasing speed by only Mach 0.02 per flight. Subsequently, the sound barrier was broken by Captain Chuck Yeager in 1947. Goodlin later denied ever making the demand for extra pay. Goodlin stated that he had made a deal with Bob Stanley of Bell to make the first supersonic flight before turning the plane over to the United States Air Force, but they wanted a man in uniform to make the flight for the sake of better publicity. In 1948 Goodlin served as a Mahal (foreign volunteer) pilot in the newly formed Israeli Air Force, and fought in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. During the war, while flying an IAF Supermarine Spitfire LF Mk IXe fighter, he was involved in the shooting down of three British Spitfire Mk XVIII reconnaissance fighters. Goodlin later became the chief test pilot for the IAF. Later, when hostilities ceased, he flew Douglas DC-4s for Near East Air Transport on humanitarian missions, carrying thousands of Jewish refugees to Israel from Aden, Arabia and Germany.

Notes: As received from test pilot. See photos.

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