Joe Kittinger
Colonel Joseph William Kittinger II (July 27, 1928 – December 9, 2022) was a pioneering American aviator whose remarkable career spanned military service, aerospace research, and record-setting ballooning feats.
Early Life and Military Service
Born in Tampa, Florida, Kittinger developed an early passion for aviation, soloing in a Piper Cub at age 17. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1949, earning his pilot wings and a commission as a second lieutenant in 1950. Assigned to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany, he flew F-84 Thunderjet and F-86 Sabre aircraft.
Aerospace Research and High-Altitude Projects
In 1954, Kittinger transferred to the Air Force Missile Development Center at Holloman AFB, New Mexico. There, he participated in Project Manhigh, ascending to 96,760 feet in 1957 to study human capabilities at near-space altitudes. He later led Project Excelsior, conducting a series of high-altitude parachute jumps to test emergency egress systems. On August 16, 1960, he set a record by jumping from 102,800 feet, free-falling for over four minutes and reaching speeds up to 614 mph before deploying his parachute.
Vietnam War and Later Military Career
Kittinger served three combat tours during the Vietnam War, flying 483 missions. In 1972, while leading a flight of F-4 Phantoms, he shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-21. Later that year, he was shot down, captured, and spent 11 months as a prisoner of war in the Hỏa Lò Prison, known as the “Hanoi Hilton.” He was repatriated in 1973 and continued his service until retiring as a colonel in 1978.
Post-Military Achievements
After retiring, Kittinger pursued ballooning, setting a world distance record in 1983 by flying a helium balloon from Las Vegas, Nevada, to New York, covering 2,000 miles in 72 hours. In 1984, he became the first person to solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon, flying from Caribou, Maine, to Cairo Montenotte, Italy.
Legacy and Honors
Kittinger’s contributions to aviation and aerospace research have been widely recognized. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame in 2023. In 2012, he served as a mentor and capsule communicator for Felix Baumgartner’s Red Bull Stratos project, where Baumgartner broke Kittinger’s long-standing free-fall record.
Colonel Kittinger’s enduring legacy continues to inspire aviators and adventurers worldwide.
Date of First Jump: 1955
Born: July 27, 1928
Died: 2022
