Accomplished pilot is remembered for a lifelong dedication
to advancing aeronautics
Published in Midwest Flyer Magazine June/July 2024 Digital Issue
Joe Henry Engle
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) joins a grateful nation in honoring the legacy of Major General Joe Henry Engle, USAF.
“Joe was not only an astronaut, but one of the finest engineers I ever worked with,” said Jim Albaugh, NAA Board Chair. “He was a giant in the industry and a friend to everyone he met.”
As a youth in Kansas, Engle always wanted to fly, but flying was hard to come by in his hometown of Chapman. Driven to do all he could to become a pilot, Engle spent college summers working at Cessna, sweeping hangars to be close to aircraft and learned all he could. Eventually, his boss, and later mentor, recognized the deep passion in Engle and started teaching him about airplanes. Upon graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in aeronautical engineering and a ROTC Commission, Engle was accepted to flight school at George AFB. In the nine months between graduation and leaving for flight school, Engle and his mentor built a kit airplane that Engle flew around Wichita.
“From then on, Joe’s career reads like a Hollywood movie,” said Amy Spowart, NAA President and CEO. “At fighter pilot training, he caught the attention of Chuck Yeager, who championed Joe’s assignment to the X-15 program. In 1965, Joe flew the X-15 to an altitude of 280,600 ft. and became the youngest astronaut pilot. The next year, he was a natural choice for NASA as the only candidate with spaceflight experience.”
Despite training for the Apollo program, Engle never reached the moon and shifted to NASA’s next big program. In 1977, he was one of two crews launched from a modified Boeing 747 to conduct approach and landing tests with the Space Shuttle Enterprise for the shuttle program’s development and testing. In 1981, he commanded the second flight of the Shuttle Columbia and manually flew the re-entry, performing 29 flight test maneuvers from Mach 25 through the landing rollout.
Engle’s career was marked by unique achievements that set him apart in aviation. He flew over 185 different types of aircraft and amassed over 14,700 flying hours.
“His distinction as the first astronaut pilot to fly two entirely different winged vehicles into space, the X-15 and the SpSpace Shuttle, is a testament to his unparalleled skills and dedication,” said Spowart.
In 1981, Joe Engle received the NAA’s Robert J. Collier Award, the highest award given in the United States in aeronautics, for the improvement of the concept of manned reusable spacecraft with fellow astronauts John Young, Robert Crippen and Richard Truly. That same year, he was awarded NAA’s National Harmon Trophy by President Ronald Reagan.
“When I give presentations about aviation’s greatest heroes, I begin by asking for a show of hands of people who know who Joe Engle is,” said Spowart. “That so few have heard of Joe is astonishing and a testament to his humility. He was a force of nature when it came to piloting aircraft, and his passion to soar was greater than his desire to be known. I will share his accomplishments as long as people listen. He was an extraordinary pilot and an inspirational human. Now, he is forever legendary.”
Major General Joe Engle passed away on July 10, 2024, with his loving wife, Jeanie, and daughter, Katie, at his side. Jeanie shared a family statement: “…His passing leaves a tremendous loss in our hearts. We take comfort that he has joined Tom (Stafford) and George (Abbey), two of the best friends anyone could ask for.”
