Why airplanes fly

I deal directly in the demonstration flying flight safety business every day
and interact with some of the finest pilots on the planet. Some of these
young people could fly rings around Yeager even in his prime. They are world
champions.
Almost every one of these people to a man/woman, are totally dedicated not
only to saving lives, but to furthering the general cause of aviation. These
professionals interact on their own time and dime.
The contrast between these people and someone like Yeager is astounding.
You couldn't ask to work with finer pilots anywhere....anytime.

Back in 1988 as a low-time private pilot I got a Cherokee checkout at the
local airport and the CFI was Matt Chapman. At the time I didn't know who he
was, but I remember that he was a nice guy and struck me as a conscientious
instructor. He's since moved on to bigger and better things, but according to
the FAA database he still keeps his CFI certificate current.