As a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, he shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-21 jet fighter. He was later shot down himself, spending 11 months as a prisoner of war in a North Vietnamese prison.
How fast did Joseph Kittinger fall?
His small parachute, which served to stabilize him and prevent him from going into a fatal “flat spin,” opened after only two seconds of free fall, catching Kittinger around the neck and causing him to spiral uncontrollably. Soon he lost consciousness as he tumbled toward the Earth at 120 revolutions per minute.
What is Joe Kittinger famous for?
Kittinger flew 93 types of aircraft, holds the world record for fastest free fall and highest parachute jump, ejected twice from crippled jets, and was the first person to complete a solo balloon flight nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean.
How high did Kittinger jump from?
Test jumps. The first test, Excelsior I, was made on November 16, 1959. Kittinger ascended in the gondola and jumped from an altitude of 76,400 feet (23,287 m).
Who did the first space jump?
Colonel Joseph William Kittinger II
The first stratospheric space dive was in 1959 when Colonel Joseph William Kittinger II (born July 27, 1928 in Tampa, Florida, United States) a former command pilot, career military officer and retired Colonel in the United States Air Force dived from a high-altitude balloon.
What is the world’s highest jump?
High jump
| Athletics High jump | |
|---|---|
| Men | Javier Sotomayor 2.45 m (8 ft 1⁄4 in) (1993) |
| Women | Stefka Kostadinova 2.09 m ( 6 ft 101⁄4 in) (1987) |
| Olympic records | |
| Men | Charles Austin 2.39 m (7 ft 10 in) (1996) |
What is the highest high jump in the world?
2.45 meters
The high jump world record is 2.45 meters (8 ft 0.46 in), by Javier Sotomayor of Cuba, who achieved this height on the 27th of July 1993 in Salamanca (see High Jump Record videos).
How high did John Kittinger jump in his jump?
Excelsior II: On December 11, 1959, Kittinger jumped again from about 74,700 feet (22,800 m). For this leap, he was awarded the A. Leo Stevens Parachute Medal. Excelsior III: On August 16, 1960, Kittinger made the final high-altitude jump at 102,800 feet (31,300 m).
Who is Joseph Kittinger and what did he do?
Joseph Kittinger. Following his initial operational assignment in fighter aircraft, he participated in Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior in 1960, setting a world record for the highest skydive from a height greater than 31 kilometres (19 mi). He was also the first man to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon,…
How high did Bill Kittinger jump from Excelsior 2?
In spite of his close call, he continued with the project and participated in the flight of Excelsior II, which took place on December 11, 1959. This balloon climbed to 74,700 feet prior to Kittinger jumped from his gondola into a free fall of 55,000 feet before pulling his parachute ripcord.
What did captain Kittinger do in Project Manhigh?
In 1957, as part of Project Manhigh, Kittinger set an interim balloon altitude record of 96,760 feet (29,490 m) in Manhigh I, for which he was awarded his first Distinguished Flying Cross. Captain Kittinger was next assigned to the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.
