Einar Enevoldson (Nasa test pilot who held various time-to-height records in the rocket assisted F-104 that Yeager wrote off) told me he was once scheduled as the second 'warm body' to occupy the right hand seat of the B-52 dropping a lifting body as he was on that program, on the run -in for the drop the 'real pilot' was operating a variety on switches when a voice said 'OK then, goodbye' - their attached vehicle was no longer attached. Einar still holds the World glider gain-of-height record with Steve Fossett , his passing away last month is a great loss to aviation.
(Apologies for the thread creep).