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wolfriverjoe

Happy Birthday Col Joe

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Joe Kittinger is 90 today.

His "big" jump was over 58 years ago.

I was unaware he spent 11 months as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton.

Joseph W, Kittinger Jr, "the first man in space", retired Colonel in the United States Air Force is probably best known outside of the parachuting, ballooning and military community as the capsule communicator for Felix Baumgartner's Red Bull Stratos project and his record-breaking 128,000 foot freefall from Earth's stratosphere, exceeding Joe's 1960 freefall record of 102,800'.
Colonel Joe has lived many daring and heroic lives.
Born 90 years ago on July 27, 1928 in Tampa, Florida, and raised in Orlando, Joe was educated at the Bolles School in Jacksonville and the University of Florida. Daring and fearless from a very early age, navigating the Everglades he hunted alligators as just a child, soloed in a Piper Cub, and raced speedboats as a teenager.
He joined the U.S. Airforce as an aviation cadet in March of 1949, receiving his pilot wings and second lieutenant bars in March of 1950. Assigned to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing based at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany, he flew the F-84 Thunderjet and F-86 Sabre. In 1954 Joe was transferred to the Air Force Missile Development Center at Holloman AFB, New Mexico.
He flew the observation/chase plane that monitored flight surgeon Colonel John Paul Stapp's rocket sled run of 632 mph
(1,017 km/h) in 1955. Joe was impressed by Doctor Stapp's dedication and leadership as a pioneer in aerospace medicine. The admiration was mutual, calling Joe "the bravest man alive." Impressed with Kittinger's skillful jet piloting, he recommended him for space-related aviation research work, high-altitude balloon tests and stratospheric stargazing.
In 1957, as part of Project Manhigh, Joe Kittinger set a balloon altitude record of 96,760 feet (29,490 m) for which he was awarded his first of five Distinguished Flying Crosses.
Joe participated in Project Excelsior in 1960, setting a world record for the highest skydive from a height greater than 31 kilometres (19 mi). Joe's first high-altitude jump, from about 76,400 feet (23,300 m) on November 16, 1959, was nearly fatal; the drogue chute wrapped around Joe's neck and caused him to lose consciousness. The automatic parachute opener saved his life. He inadvertently set a record, attaining a rotational velocity of 120 rpm and 22 g's during a uncontrollable flat spin. On December 11, 1959, Joe jumped from about 74,700 feet (22,800 m). For this leap, he was awarded the A. Leo Stevens Parachute Medal. On August 16, 1960, Joe made the record setting high-altitude jump from 102,800 feet (31,300 m); he fell for 4 minutes and 36 seconds,
reaching a maximum speed of 614 miles per hour (988 km/h) before deploying his parachute at 18,000 feet (5,500 m).
The pressurization seal for his right glove failed during the ascent; his right hand swelled and was unusable but he continued the mission without notifying the ground of the malfunction. The adventure was chronicled in the pages of LIFE magazine. At Holloman Air Force Base, Joe took part in Project Stargazer in December 1960. He and astronomer William C. White rode an open-gondola helium balloon containing astronomy equipment to 82,200 feet (25,100 m), where they spent over 18 hours performing observations.
In 1965, Joe was approached by parachutist Nick Piantanida for assistance on Nick's Strato Jump project, an effort to break Joe's 1960 high altitude record skydive. Joe refused to assist in the effort, considering Nick too reckless. Nick Piantanida was killed in 1966 during his third attempt.
Joe served three tours in Vietnam. Volunteering for his third tour he said he wanted to go "because I want the war to end so my own sons won't have to go." Flying a total of 483 combat missions, just one week before his tour was to end,on May 11, 1972, while flying an F-4D, Lieutenant Colonel Kittinger was leading a flight of Phantoms approximately five miles northwest of Thai Nguyen, North Vietnam, when they engaged a flight of MiG-21 fighters, when Lt. Col. Kittinger's Phantom II was hit by an air-to-air missile that damaged his starboard wing, setting the aircraft aflame and causing it to break apart. Kittinger and weapons systems officer Reich ejected a few miles from Thai Nguyen and were soon captured and taken to the city of Hanoi. News came to his family several months later that he survived and that he was a prisoner of war. Joe Kittinger spent 11 months in the Hoa Lò Prison (Hanoi Hilton) where he was put through rope torture. Colonel Kittinger was the senior ranking officer of FNGs (newer prisoners of war- those captured after 1969).
Joe was freed and returned to American hands on March 28, 1973, having been promoted to full colonel while in captivity.
Following his return, Colonel Kittinger attended the Air War College at Maxwell AFB, Alabama. After completing the Air War College, Col. Joe became the Vice Commander of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom, where he again flew the F-4 Phantom II. In 1977, he received an assignment to Headquarters, 12th Air Force, at Bergstrom AFB, Texas. Joseph Kittinger accumulated 7,679 flying hours in the Air Force, including 948 combat flying hours, retiring in 1978.
After working for a short time for Martin Marietta, He became Vice President of Flight Operations for Rosie O'Grady's Flying Circus, and set a gas balloon world distance record of 3,221.23 km in 1983. From September 14 to September 18, 1984, he completed the first solo balloon crossing of the Atlantic, earning Joe a second story in National Geographic Magazine. Joe participated in the Gordon Bennett Cup in ballooning in 1989 and 1994.
Joe Kittinger was CAPCOM for Felix on Baumgartner's October 14, 2012 free-fall from 128,100 feet (39,000m); his reassuring voice was heard by millions during this successful jump.
The F-4D Phantom II that Lt Col. Kittinger achieved his MiG 21 kill, while commanding the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron is on display at the USAF Academy. In 1997, Joe Kittinger was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio. On January 23, 2007, the Civil Air Patrol honored Joe by naming the Texas CAP wing's TX-352 Squadron after him.
Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum Trophy, the museum's highest honor, was awarded to Col. Joseph W. Kittinger Jr. in the category of Lifetime Achievement.
He has received the Distinguished Flying Cross on five occasions, two for his balloon work and three for his combat tours in Southeast Asia.
In 2010 Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger, B-6215, joined the inaugural class of the International Skydiving Museum Hall of Fame.
"Self-mastery is the key to the portals of the universe" ----Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger Jr.

http://joekittinger.com/recordsawards.html

Text and link taken from FB.
"There are NO situations which do not call for a French Maid outfit." Lucky McSwervy

"~ya don't GET old by being weak & stupid!" - Airtwardo

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Joe Kittinger is 90 today.

His "big" jump was over 58 years ago.

I was unaware he spent 11 months as a POW in the Hanoi Hilton. "

I didn't know about that either until I read his book "Come up and get me." It was a surprise. And his explanation of the Roswell incident explains a lot.

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Bob_Church

***Col Joe is a true American hero.

Balloons, High altitude, POW.......name it.

HBD!

Regards,
Mad Max



And he gave up a real shot at being an astronaut because he knew that Stapp needed his help.

Not sure if Col Joe ever wanted to be an astronaut. I don't recall him mentioning it in his autobiography ("The Long, Lonely Leap"). But it's been many years since I read it. I haven't read his other book ("Come Up and Get Me"), so maybe he mentions it in that one.

Recall that the astronaut selection process until some of the last Apollo groups called for test pilot experience or at least being a graduate of either Edwards or Pax River (Col Joe did not attend USAF TPS (Edwards AFB, CA [later known as ARPS]) and had no flight test experience AFAIK), an engineering degree (which I do not believe he had) and 3000 hours in jets (which he probably did, but not with experimentals. Many of his contemporary astronaut selectees did; these would have automatically eliminated him from consideration).

However, I'm not knocking him - really - I think he would have been an excellent astronaut, and he did some very spacey/astronaut-y stuff before manned spaceflight was even on the radar (see "The Pre-Astronauts: Manned Ballooning on the Threshold of Space" by Craig Ryan [US Naval Institute Press]. I reviewed the book for Skydiving Magazine many years ago). He was a fighter pilot, and he wanted to go mix it up, which he did.

His assistance to Col John Paul Stapp MD is almost as legendary as his parachuting. Stapp wasn't in it for the glory, and I'm pretty sure that Kittinger liked that about him. Together they did some very important work which not only advanced the space program (the data collected from Excelsior and Man High was put to good use in Project Mercury), but Stapp's rocket sled experiments improved consumer automotive safety tremendously, saving incalculable numbers of lives. I'll bet Col Joe gets a lot of satisfaction from that alone. Then CAPCOM for Felix. What a great career (and life) he's had. B|B|B|B|

mh
.
"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

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markharju

******Col Joe is a true American hero.

Balloons, High altitude, POW.......name it.

HBD!

Regards,
Mad Max

A little more history. I built and installed signs when Bob Snow and Col. Joe helped to build Church St Station in downtown Orl, Fl. Cool guys. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-04-04/news/kittinger04_1_joe-kittinger-balloon-test-pilot

And he gave up a real shot at being an astronaut because he knew that Stapp needed his help.

Not sure if Col Joe ever wanted to be an astronaut. I don't recall him mentioning it in his autobiography ("The Long, Lonely Leap"). But it's been many years since I read it. I haven't read his other book ("Come Up and Get Me"), so maybe he mentions it in that one.

Recall that the astronaut selection process until some of the last Apollo groups called for test pilot experience or at least being a graduate of either Edwards or Pax River (Col Joe did not attend USAF TPS (Edwards AFB, CA [later known as ARPS]) and had no flight test experience AFAIK), an engineering degree (which I do not believe he had) and 3000 hours in jets (which he probably did, but not with experimentals. Many of his contemporary astronaut selectees did; these would have automatically eliminated him from consideration).

However, I'm not knocking him - really - I think he would have been an excellent astronaut, and he did some very spacey/astronaut-y stuff before manned spaceflight was even on the radar (see "The Pre-Astronauts: Manned Ballooning on the Threshold of Space" by Craig Ryan [US Naval Institute Press]. I reviewed the book for Skydiving Magazine many years ago). He was a fighter pilot, and he wanted to go mix it up, which he did.

His assistance to Col John Paul Stapp MD is almost as legendary as his parachuting. Stapp wasn't in it for the glory, and I'm pretty sure that Kittinger liked that about him. Together they did some very important work which not only advanced the space program (the data collected from Excelsior and Man High was put to good use in Project Mercury), but Stapp's rocket sled experiments improved consumer automotive safety tremendously, saving incalculable numbers of lives. I'll bet Col Joe gets a lot of satisfaction from that alone. Then CAPCOM for Felix. What a great career (and life) he's had. B|B|B|B|

mh
.
I hold it true, whate'er befall;
I feel it, when I sorrow most;
'Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.

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