Not a Space Shuttle Door Gunner but an actual pilot

[Zundfolge]

So today I got to meet a childhood hero and I didn't realize it until after he had left.

We get a lot of retired gentlemen coming into our store with backgrounds in engineering, geology, the oil and mining industries and military, so I'm used to the type. Usually soft spoken, but comfortable with the outdoors and obviously highly educated and intelligent, but also down to earth and not elitist or too posh. I love talking to these old guys because they're a wealth of interesting stories and insights on how things used to be (and thus how things really work).

Today I helped a guy named Joe find some maps he wanted. He and his wife moved here to The Springs recently and he was wanting some maps of the areas to explore in the Pike National Forest.

So I pulled some USGS topos and some Trails Illustrated maps and eventually sold him on a Pikes Peak Atlas and pointed out some of the fun routes to drive and explore (he's in his 80s so I didn't try to sell him on the various 14er hiking maps we have, although I wouldn't be surprised if he was capable).

You could tell by a the way he talked and carried himself and some of the things he said that he was likely retired military so I made sure to ask him if he had a military ID because we offer a 10% discount for active duty & retired military (along with first responders). He commented that the pro military attitude was one of the things he loved about The Springs and I agreed. When I looked at his ID I recognized the name but couldn't place it so I went and looked him up after he left.

His name was Joe. Joe Engle.

[Hoser]

Kick ass dude.

[flogger]

That is Awesome!! He's was an X-15 pilot to boot, way way cool!

[J]

There are people like me who fly a little prop plane bug smasher.

Then there are the quote/unquote "real pilots" who fly jets in all sorts of weather to get people and cargo to where they need to be in almost any situation (save for a few acts of god).

Then there are the Military, rescue and firefighting pilots, who push the envelope to the edge of known parameters to better the safety or our nation, neighborhoods, forests, etc.

Then there are pilots like Joe Engle. Who face even greater risks, even worse odds, just to further our knowledge of the aerospace envelope, and push it beyond where it has ever been before. His successes might not have had as big of direct impact as those just above, but they certainly allowed those pilots to do what they do!

God bless him.

[DFBrews]

Did you get chills when you opened his wiki page and realized who he was? I just did. Awesome experience

[TheGrey]

Oh, WOW! That's awesome. I got chills.

[electronman1729]

pretty cool.
I got to meet scott carpenter in college.

[Bailey Guns]

That's freakin' awesome!

[Irving]

That's a cool experience.

[JohnnyDrama]

Wow. That's way cool.