General Chuck Yeager was or was not considered an Astronaut?

Not, unfortunately.

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Sad. That's how dumb I am, I just assumed he was all these years.

US definition of astronaut is someone who's achieved an altitude of at least 50 miles. International (FAI) definition is 100 km (62 miles).

Eight X-15 pilots have qualified as astronauts, but Chuck Yeager isn't one of them.

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I met him once, while getting a few camping supplies with a friend of mine in a small hardware store near Folsom, CA.

Nice guy.

He wasn't even considered for astronaut training, because he had never been to college.

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As ToSeek said 8 X-15 pilots qualified by the Airforce definition of an astronaut. Only one of those qualified by the FAI definition Joe Walker IIRC.

Heres one to ponder. There appears to be anecdotal (admitedly thats a dodgy kind of evidence) that George Welch (a guy denied a pearl harbour medal of honor) broke the sound barrier on 2 occasions prior to Yeager. Both occuring in dives of the then experimental F86. IIRC this plane was capable of supersonic dives and the claimis that during dive tests Welch experienced the same type of mach jump on his instruments as Yeager did. Also there are some claims of people on the ground hearing sonic booms.
Yeager has been defined as the 1st to break the sound barrier in level flight. Whilst its possible others previously broke it in dives Welch seems one of the more likely candidates.
http://home.att.net/~historyzone/Welch1.html
Part 1 is pearl harbour, part 2 the sound barrier. The site is set up to rather promote the idea but its a rumour id heard elsewhere too.

Given the general level of aviation related knowledge around these parts i wonder what others opinions are on this.

AFAIK, Yeager had radar tracking, etc, that confirmed Mach 1+, Welch didn't. It boils down to Welch could have done it, but there's no hard evidence.

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Thats probably one of the main points the record books are the way they are.

Its interesting though that he (alldgedly) observed the mach jump when such a phenomena was not widely know of. Also the plane being capable of such a speed seems likely given it broke the sound barrier officially only weeks after Yeager.

Personally i feel its likely that he beat Yeager (Though Yeager was first to do it in level flight) but a lack of evidence means it cant be definatively proven.

Welch may very well have done it. But not in level flight, and that's the kicker with respect to the sound barrier.

To Seek: Please provide a link where I can order this film.

Thanks!

Which film?

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Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

Yes. Welch was the first to break the sound barrier. The "hard evidence" includes the two sonic booms hear by more than 100 witnesses at Murdoc before Yeager's "level flight" record of breaking the sound barrier.

Sonic booms aren't generated by speed. They're generated by breaking the sound barrier.

That's "hard evidence."