Colonel
Jackie Lynwood "Jack" Ridley (June 16, 1915 – March 12, 1957) was an aeronautical engineer,
USAF test pilot and chief of the U.S. Air Force's Flight Test Engineering Laboratory. He helped develop and test many
cold war era military aircraft but is best known for his work on the
Bell X-1, the first aircraft to achieve
supersonic flight. He was highly respected among fellow test pilots, most notably
Chuck Yeager, for his engineering skills.