Joseph Kittinger
 

anyone ever hear of him? He's the guy that took a balloon to 102,000 fet , opened the door and steped out. Some big gahonies.

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question...cs/q0243.shtml

Ron

Way too much math for me to understand this. Talk about being Airborne Huh?

From an altitude of 102K ft. and at a terminal velocity of 120 MPH, it will take 9 minutes and 40 seconds to ?land?. It will take about 8 minutes to get to life sustaining levels of oxygen. Long fall, and mighty cold I reckon.

Scamp

Here's what I found

Joseph Kittinger
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Joseph W. Kittinger II (1928- )
Kittinger's record-breaking skydiveJoseph William Kittinger II (born July 27, 1928) was a pilot in the United States Air Force. He is best remembered for his participation in Project Man High and Project Excelsior, and is considered by some to be the true first man in space.

Born in Tampa, Florida he was educated at Bolles School, Jacksonville, Florida and the University of Florida. After racing speedboats as a teenager and later completing his aviation cadet training he joined the USAF in March, 1950. He was assigned to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing based at Ramstein AFB in West Germany.

In 1954 he was transferred to Holloman AFB in New Mexico and the Air Force Missile Development Center (AFMDC). Kittinger flew the observation plane which monitored Colonel John Paul Stapp's rocket sled run of 632 mph in 1955. Kittinger was impressed by the dedication of Stapp (a pioneer in space medicine). Stapp in turn was impressed with Kittinger's skillful jet piloting, later recommending him for space aviation work. Stapp was to foster the high altitude tests which would lead to Kittinger's record leap. In 1957 as part of Man High he set an interim balloon altitude record of 96,760 feet (29,500 m) in Man High I. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (D.F.C.).

He was then assigned to the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. For Project Excelsior (meaning "ever upward", a name given to the project by Colonel Stapp), as part of research into high altitude bailout, he made a series of three parachute jumps wearing a pressurized suit, from a helium balloon with an open gondola. The first, from 76,400 feet (23,287 m) in November, 1959 was a near tragedy when an equipment malfunction caused him to lose consciousness, but the automatic parachute saved him (he went into a flat spin at a rotational velocity of 120 rpm, the G factor calculated at his extremities was over 22 times that of gravity, setting another record). Three weeks later he jumped again from 74,700 feet (22,769 m). For that return jump Kittinger was awarded the Leo Stevens parachute medal. On August 16, 1960 he jumped from the Excelsior III at 102,800 feet (31,300 m). He was in freefall for 4? minutes and reached a maximum speed of 614 mph (988 km/h) before opening his parachute at 18,000 feet (5,500 m). His right glove broke during the ascent, causing his hand to swell. He set records for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest freefall and fastest speed by a man through the atmosphere.

According to Kittinger, he broke the speed of sound during that famous highest jump. This may be debatable, as other references give his peak speed at 618 or 614 miles per hour, or mach 0.9. Nevertheless, he occasionally ribs Chuck Yeager about being the first man to break the speed of sound.

The jumps were made in a "rocking-chair" position, descending on his back, rather than the usual delta familiar to skydivers, because he was wearing a 60-lb "kit" on his behind and his pressure suit naturally formed that shape when inflated, a shape appropriate for sitting in an airplane cockpit.

For the series of jumps he was decorated with an oak leaf cluster to his D.F.C. and awarded the C.B. Harmon Trophy by President Dwight Eisenhower.

Back at Holloman AFB he also took part in Project Stargazer on December 13?14, 1962. He and William C. White, an astronomer, took a balloon of equipment to a height of 82,200 feet (25,055 m) and spent over eighteen hours at that height in performing observations.

Kittinger served three combat tours and flew 483 missions during the Vietnam War, commanding the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron. He was shot down on May 11, 1972 and spent 11 months as a prisoner of war in the "Hanoi Hilton" prison.

He retired as a colonel in 1978 and went to work for Martin Marietta. Still interested in ballooning he won the Gordon Bennett Cup in ballooning three times (1982, 1984, 1985) and completed a solo Atlantic crossing in the 3,000 m? Rosie O'Grady from September 14?18, 1984.

Kittinger wrote a book, published in 1961, called The Long, Lonely Leap. Now long out of print, surviving copies are expensive, but as of November 2005 a reprint is planned.

Kittinger lives in the Orlando, Florida area, and is still active in the aviation community as a consultant and touring barnstormer.

Here's another one -

Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr., Col (Ret), USAF
19-mile parachute jump, Vietnam POW, 1st solo balloon crossing of the Atlantic Ocean


One of the 'Eagles' at
"The Gathering of Eagles"
9-10 October, 1998

(Biography not intended to be current)

Joseph Kittinger was born in Tampa, Florida, July 27, 1928, the son of Mr. and Mrs. J.W. Kittinger. He was graduated from the Bolles School, Jacksonville, Florida and attended the University of Florida.

Entering military service in March, 1949, as an aviation cadet, he was commissioned a second lieutenant in March, 1950, at Las Vegas, Nevada. From 1950 to 1953 he served as a jet pilot in the 86th Fighter Bomber Squadron in Germany and then was assigned to the Air Force Missile Development Center (AFMDC) at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.

On June 2, 1957, while stationed at the AFMDC, (then) Captain Kittinger made a balloon flight to 96,000 feet in the first flight of the Air Force's "Project Man High" preceding Lt. Col. Dave Simons, who went to 102,000 feet and 1st. Lt. Clifton McClure, who rose to 98,000 feet. For his "Man High I" flight, Captain Kittinger was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After being assigned to the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories, Wright-Patterson AFB, Dayton, Ohio, Kittinger was appointed Test Director of "Project Excelsior," investigating escape from high altitude. During this project there were three high altitude jumps accomplished from a balloon-supported gondola--from 76,400 on November 16, 1958, from 74,700 25 days later, and on August 16, 1960, from 102,800 feet, the highest altitude from which man has jumped. In freefall for 4.5 minutes at speeds up to 714 mph and temperatures as low as -94 degrees Fahrenheit, Kittinger opened his parachute at 18,000 feet. In addition to the altitude record, he set records for longest freefall and fastest speed by a man (without an aircraft!) For work accomplished during the project, Captain Kittinger was awarded the C.B. Harmon Trophy, which was presented by President Eisenhower on October 3, 1960, an oak leaf cluster to the Distinguished Flying Cross, the J.J. Jeffries Award, the Leo Stevens Parachute Medal and the Wingfoot Lighter-Than-Air Society Achievement Award.

On December 13-14, 1962, Captain Kittinger, accompanied by Astronomer William C. White of China Lake, California, rose to an altitude of 82,200 feet in a balloon over Holloman AFB, New Mexico and hovered for 18.5 hours to check variations in brightness of star images caused by the atmosphere. The balloon astronomy experiment was dubbed "Project Stargazer." The specially-outfitted two-man gondola--weighing 4,800 pounds fully loaded for the flight--was fabricated in the shops of the Aeronautical Systems Division at Wright Field.

Kittinger volunteered for three combat tours in Vietnam and served as commander of the famous 555th "Triple Nickel" Tactical Fighter Squadron flying F-4s. He downed a MiG-21 before he himself was shot down on 11 May 1972, after which he spent 11 months in captivity as a POW. He subsequently continued his distinguished career and retired as a Colonel in 1978.

While working at Martin Marietta Aerospace as an engineer, he was able to devote his time to his old love of ballooning. He won the Gordon-Bennett balloon races in 1982, 1984 and 1985 before accomplishing his most ambitious feat, a solo balloon crossing of the Atlantic. On September 14, 1984, Joe Kittinger boarded a helium balloon called "Rosie O'Grady" to begin his most dangerous flight. After launch Kittinger traveled over 3,500 miles at altitudes ranging between 10,000 and 17,000 feet. Although beset by cold, fatigue, and tricky winds, he successfully completed the historic flight in 3.5 days. Crash-landing in northern Italy on 18 September, he set a record for the longest solo balloon flight as well as a distance record for this class of balloon.

At lower altitudes, where the air is thicker, a human being in free fall reaches a terminal velocity of 120 to 180 mph.

At high altitudes, where the air is thin, a human being in free fall reaches velocities approaching Mach One!!!

Daaaaaaayum!!!!!! :ek:

gives a new meaning to Up,Up, and away :) We :32: Joseph W. Kittinger, Jr., Col (Ret), USAF