Joe Angelone's fascination with aviation began when he was in grade school. He became a military pilot during WWII and flew P-47 Thunderbolts in the Mediterranean Theatre diring the war. He flew various fighters and bombers,progressing into jet aircraft.
He was part of the USAF's Atomic Test Group,participating in research and development and serving as a proof test pilot on atomic bomb programmes. He left the USAF in 1953 to join Chance Vought Aircraft as an experimental test pilot. He flew tests in electronic armament,performance,stability and control,structural and photographic reconnaissance programs. These activities involved flying the F7U-1,F7U-3,F8U-1,F8U-1P and the F8U-3.
He also worked in various capacities in the Aircraft and Space Divisions. Areas included advanced aircraft designs,the XC-142 tilt wing turbo prop VTOL aircraft,spacecraft heatshields and the Apollo spacecraft environmental control system. His final years with Vought were spent with the A-7 program,working on variants such as the two-place version and the Navy and USAF forward looking infrared night attack versions.
