Aviator. He set the world record in speed for single-engine jet planes. In 1959, he flew an F-106 Delta Dart at 1,525.93 miles per hour. This record has only been broken by multi-engine jets. Born and raised on a farm in Chillicothe, Ohio, he became enamored with flying at the age of 14 and joined the Army Air Corps in 1943. During World War II he was a flight instructor and he went on to complete approximately 300 missions during the Korean and Vietnam wars. To intimidate enemies on the ground during the Korean War, Rogers affixed a whistle to the wings of aircraft he flew. This earned him the nickname "Whistlin' Joe." After the Korean War, he became a test pilot for the SR-71 Blackbird project; then he served as vice commander of a fighter wing in Vietnam. Colonel Rogers received the United States Air Force's Top Gun award, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Air Medal with 16 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale De La Vaulx medal and the Thompson Trophy. His achievements and contributions to the science and technology of flight are also recognized by his place in the Aerospace Walk of Honor in Lancaster, California. Following a career spanning 29 years in the Air Force, he was employed by Northrop Aerospace Company as an aircraft salesperson and consultant until retiring in 1989. During his retirement, Rogers successfully campaigned to have the record-setting F-106 Delta Dart displayed at the Pacific Coast Air Museum in Santa Rosa, California. (bio by: So Cal Graver)
Cause of death: Congestive heart failure.
Cause of death: Congestive heart failure.
Aviator. He set the world record in speed for single-engine jet planes. In 1959, he flew an F-106 Delta Dart at 1,525.93 miles per hour. This record has only been broken by multi-engine jets. Born and raised on a farm in Chillicothe, Ohio, he became enamored with flying at the age of 14 and joined the Army Air Corps in 1943. During World War II he was a flight instructor and he went on to complete approximately 300 missions during the Korean and Vietnam wars. To intimidate enemies on the ground during the Korean War, Rogers affixed a whistle to the wings of aircraft he flew. This earned him the nickname "Whistlin' Joe." After the Korean War, he became a test pilot for the SR-71 Blackbird project; then he served as vice commander of a fighter wing in Vietnam. Colonel Rogers received the United States Air Force's Top Gun award, the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Air Medal with 16 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Federation Aeronautique Internationale De La Vaulx medal and the Thompson Trophy. His achievements and contributions to the science and technology of flight are also recognized by his place in the Aerospace Walk of Honor in Lancaster, California. Following a career spanning 29 years in the Air Force, he was employed by Northrop Aerospace Company as an aircraft salesperson and consultant until retiring in 1989. During his retirement, Rogers successfully campaigned to have the record-setting F-106 Delta Dart displayed at the Pacific Coast Air Museum in Santa Rosa, California. (bio by: So Cal Graver)
Cause of death: Congestive heart failure.
Cause of death: Congestive heart failure.
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