View Full Version : Joseph Kittinger USAF (Ret)
Bill Harsey
04-02-2008, 19:19
A few years back I had the occasion to meet one Joseph Kittinger as he landed here to have my friend Steve Wolf (aircraft designer/builder and pilot) weld up a leaky wing fuel tank.
Joseph is going to be featured on ABC's Good Morning America show in the morning.
He did a little free fall parachute work in his time. ;)
Ambush Master
04-02-2008, 19:30
Joseph is going to be featured on ABC's Good Morning America show in the morning.
He did a little free fall parachute work in his time. ;)
I'd guess so, since it was from close to 20 MILES worth (ON ONE JUMP!!!)!!!
:munchin
Go Devil
04-02-2008, 19:51
Certainly don't forget his POW landing!
I may be off a bit, but Project Excelsior entailed a few of those 'high steps' for Mr. Kittinger.
Monsoon65
04-02-2008, 21:00
Joseph Kittinger! There's a guy that led a very interesting life, to say the least.
AM is right, that jump he did was pretty amazing!
Bill Harsey
04-03-2008, 09:00
Ambush Master, Yep!
Go Devil, You know some history.
Joe stepped off his high altitude balloon at 102,800 ft. above ground level.
Air temp was -94 degrees F and he'd had a pressure failure of a glove on ascent causing his hand to swell badly but he made altitude and the jump reaching speeds of over 600 MPH.
A few weeks before he'd done this from only slightly lower and went into a flat spin, passed out and was saved only by the automatic opening of his chute.
For the record setting jump he used a small drag chute to keep the flat spin from happening again.
When Joe was here he told me about his mom who was in the real estate business in Florida, she'd sold a property to a knifemaker named Bo Randall and this is where the shop remains to this day.
Here is Joe steeping off the platform,
(photo from U.S. Air Force Museum)
Go Devil
04-03-2008, 15:36
Hello Mr. Harsey,
Below is a link to a very good production of one of Kittinger's jumps.
The video has his voice over the jump data.
Very good.
The link will take you to a site called 'Live Video/ Area51' and the video will load on that page.
http://www.livevideo.com/video/Area51/D07A88CE4E0C4D699CB3195D32577484/skydiving-from-the-edge-of-the.aspx
Hopefully I am not in violation for posting this link, but it is definately worthy of a view by all.
Go Devil
Kyobanim
04-04-2008, 07:14
Here's a little more . . .
Now retired Air Force Col. Joe Kittinger's story will have a place in aviation history at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, which Thursday honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award, putting him in the company of such heroic aviators as John Glenn and Neil Armstrong.
Full Story - http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-kittinger0408apr04,0,196892.story
I've seen the specials on The History Channel........Ginormus wheel barrow would be necessary for this man. :D
82ndtrooper
04-04-2008, 11:40
Here's an earlier thread on Joe Kittenger. Excellsior III
HERE: http://www.professionalsoldiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14122