R.I.P. Maj General Joe Henry Engle (1932-2024) On July 10, 2024 USAF test pilot & NASA astronaut Maj Gen Joe H. Engle passed away aged 91. Engle earned his pilot wings in 1958 and it was Charles "Chuck" Yeager who recommended Engle for the USAF Test Pilot School and the Aerospace Research Pilot School. Joe Engle was part of the hypersonic X-15 flight research program (16 flights) and flew the rocket aircraft three times above 80 Km earning him USAF astronaut wings. Selected a NASA astronaut in 1966 (group 5), Engle was support member for Apollo 10, backup member for the Apollo 14 and was planned as LMP for Apollo 17 but replaced by geologist Harrison Schmitt. Engle flew on space shuttle orbiters "Columbia (STS-2) and "Discovery (51-L) the first to wear the NASA-issued Omega Speedmaster Alaska III chronogaphs in space. Wrist watchwise we know Engle enjoyed wearing the Omega Speedmaster and the Rolex GMT-master Pepsi... Holder of numerous awards & honors, Joe Engle logged 15500 hours flight time of which 9000 hours in jet aircraft. (Photos: NASA) .
The passing of General Engle is a tough one to process. General Engle was one of my favorite astronauts and one that I spent years chasing to add a piece to my Speedmaster case back collection. The effort and wait were so worth it when he finally signed a piece marking his historic mission as the Commander of STS-2 while wearing a radial dial Speedmaster and becoming the first Shuttle astronaut to sign and add a piece to my collection. These are two of my most cherished candid pictures from my collection. This one is one of my favorites. Joe Engle and Chuck Yeager were very close friends. Yeager gave Engle his personal Rolex GMT and Engle gave it to his wife Jennie who wears it to this day. Here is a great picture of Engle with his Speedmaster, his wife with Yeager's GMT, and the piece he signed for my collection. Finally, his piece which I think is one of the most attractive in the collection. Ad Astra General Engle.
Note: Joe Engle also commanded the 2nd Approach & Landing test. Not a mission that would earn him NASA astronaut miles, but puts him in the group of true test pilots who literally wrote the book on how to fly the Shuttle.