Joseph Quigley Cael

Joseph Quigley Cael 88 of Ocklawaha, FL formerly of Newark, DE passed away on September 12, 2022.

Son of the late John Mitchel and Irene May Cael, he was born in Wilmington, DE on January 25, 1934, and graduated from Harlan Elementary School and PS DuPont High School.

While in high school, Mr. Cael became interested in aviation and worked part time to earn money to take flying lessons at the old DuPont Airport in Wilmington. He earned his FAA private pilot license in 1952 and joined the Civil Air Patrol to fly their assortment of surplus WW-2 Army Air Corp observation airplanes. He also bought a surplus Army Air Corp WW-2 Fairchild PT-19 airplane and later bought a Korean era surplus Beech T-34, both he helped restore and flew them as well. He joined an Air Force Reserve Unit that was called active duty for the Korean War. He increased his rank steadily to the rank of Staff Sergeant and in 1958 he applied and was accepted into the Air Force Aviation Cadet program, in rank, as probably the last Air Force Flying Sergeant. He was assigned to Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, TX for pre-flight training and from there to Bainbridge Air Force Base, Bainbridge, GA for primary flight training. Because of his former experience he skipped the normal starting propeller aircraft and started in an Air Force experiment in a twin jet fighter type trainer. He also flew formation flight and blind instrument flying not normally taught until the next phase of training at another advanced base. Upon graduation he was assigned to Vance Air Force Base, Enid, OK, and advanced training base. At Vance he flew the T-33 trainer version of the fighter F-80 Shooting Star. Upon graduation in March 1960, he was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and received his Air Force pilot wings. All through his training, he excelled in all ground and flying training and graduated at the top of his class. He was awarded the title of US Air Force Distinguished Graduate.

Lt. Cael was then assigned to Williams Air Force Base, Chandler, AZ for combat training and qualification. There he qualified in the fighter version of the T-33 and then qualified in the F-86 Sabre jet. On his seventh flight in the F-86 he dove the aircraft from 40,000 feet and exceeded the sound barrier becoming a member of the North American Aviation’s Mach Buster Club. Upon graduation from Williams as a fully qualified fighter pilot, Lt. Cael was transferred to Ellington Air Force Base, Houston, TX where he attended an advanced instrument flying school, again in the T-33 aircraft. Upon graduation he was assigned to several F-86 fighter squadrons and eventually transferred to Maguire Air Force Base in New Jersey where he transitioned to the North American F-100 Super Sabre and then to NAFEC (National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center), Atlantic City, NJ.

Mr. Cael was hired by Trans World Airlines, and he began to split his time between the reserve forces and airline pilot. He was trained initially at TWA as a flight engineer and co-pilot on the old 3 tailed Lockheed Constellation and shortly after as a jet flight engineer and co-pilot on the Boeing 720 and 707. Mr. Cael transferred to TWA’s international division and returned to training in TWA’s international school as a TWA navigator and B-707 international captain. He than flew all TWA’s routed from the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Pacific as far as Hong Kong and military flights to Vietnam. Mr. Cael frequently domiciled in Paris, Frankfurt Germany, Rome Italy, and Cairo Egypt. He returned, retrained, and qualified as Captain on the Boeing 727. He than flew as Captain of a Boeing 727 on the Berlin Corridor and TWA’s inter Europe routes between London, Frankfort, Istanbul, and Vienna Austria while living in Germany. AS TWA added new aircraft to the fleet, Mr. Cael would return to training and qualify as captain on each, such as the Lockheed L-1011 and the Boeing 747. When TWA was awarded the around the world routes, Mr. Cael trained and qualified as a Polar Navigator and began flying around the world routes which included the polar route between London England direct to Los Angeles, CA. in both directions on the Boeing 707 and 747.

When Operation Desert Storm started, the US Air Force asked TWA to transfer back fifty former military pilots from their international division, familiar with the Persian Gulf along with several 747 aircraft for a period of one year. Mr. Cael volunteered and left immediately for a base in Europe. He flew troops and equipment from all over Europe and as far as California to the Gulf for the build up and at the end of the war to return everybody and equipment back to its origination. Mr. Cael became a veteran of the Korean, Vietnam, and the Gulf War with military grade Major.

Returning to TWA service, Mr. Cael continued to fly up until his retirement by alternately flying a 747 from St. Louis, MO and then a Lockheed 1011 from Los Angeles, CA to his favorite destination, Hawaii.

Mr. Cael also was a federally licensed single engine, multi engine, land and sea airplane instructor, advance flight instrument instructor and ground instructor, qualified to teach on all planes from the Piper Cub to the Boeing 747. He regularly taught private pilots, commercial jet pilots, and rendered required check flights. He was also rated as captain and check pilot on several foreign business jets and regularly taught on those as well. Before retiring from the military, Mr. Cael began flying an assortment of multi engine cargo airplanes such as several versions of the C-97 F and G models, C-47, and the Lockheed C-130 Hercules which he instructed on for many years.

In December 2013 Joe’s name was proudly inscribed on the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum’s Wall of Honor at the Museum’s companion facility, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.  Honoree Joseph Cael is located with the other Honorees of the F-100 Super Sabre Society.

He was also a licensed real estate agent and developed many rental houses in Newark, Wilmington, New Castle and Christiana, DE. He also owned an air conditioning, fuel oil and propane gas company.

Shortly after retiring, Mr. Cael bought a house on a private airport in Florida, built a large hanger and moved all his projects to Florida. In his collection there are several antique airplanes, postwar motor bikes/motor scooters, a collection of rare VW Bugs, Nash Metropolitans, and BMW Isettas as well as a large collection of Hummel figurines.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his son, Joseph Q. Cael, Jr., daughter, Christine V. Breternitz, and his son, Robert M. Cael.

He is survived by his daughter, Patricia Cael Hill (Alex Harmon Jr.), daughter, Kathleen I. Hellstern, daughter in law, Mary Ann Cael, grandchildren, Maximillian Hellstern III, Christine V. Rich, Danielle Hill, Stephanie K. Hellstern, Joseph Q. Cael, III, Thomas A. Cael and several great-grandchildren.

Services will be held on Thursday, Sept. 29th with a visitation from 10-11am, the service will begin at 11 am at Connection Community Church, 4744 Summit Bridge Road, Middletown, DE. Interment with military honors will follow in Gracelawn Memorial Park, New Castle, DE.