27 July 1960 A North American F-100C Super Sabre, assigned to the USAF Thunderbirds on 28 March 1960, is destroyed during a solo proficiency flight when it crashes fifty miles from Nellis AFB, Nevada, killing Capt. John R. Crane. John was flying F-100C # 53-1740. 
Today in History – April 25, 1956 – Everest conquers speed
25 April 1946 Frank Kendall “Pete” Everest, test pilot at Edwards AFB, CA is airdropped from a Boeing EB-50D Superfortress in a Bell X-3 supersonic rocket plane. This was the 10th flight of the X-2 program and the 3rd powered flight. Everest had test-flown the Bell X-1B to a speed of Mach 2.3 (2.3 times