No study of the history of aviation is complete without the legendary Joe Kittinger. The history books may say that Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space, but that’s not quite true. Kittinger got there a year before, only Kittinger didn’t need a spacecraft.
His mode of transportation was a high-altitude balloon. He went up 102,800 feet and jumped out! He free fell for 4 minutes 36 seconds and became the first human to break the speed of sound without a vehicle.
Kittinger was also a decorated combat pilot who served three tours of duty in Vietnam before being shot down and serving eleven months as a prisoner of war at the infamous Hanoi Hilton prison camp.
Later in life, he continued to push the envelope when, in 1984, he became the first person to cross the Atlantic solo in a hot air balloon. Even now, at the age of 80, he flies every chance he gets. In fact, he says the sky is his office.
He also happens to be a world-class human being and a wonderful storyteller who recounts for us an era where the race for technology combined with the fight for freedom produced many great unsung heroes.
Want to Learn More About Kittinger? Check Out:
I Was a POW with John McCain
True Space Pioneer Left Out of the History Books
Mystery of Roswell Alien Sightings Revealed
Historic Leap of Faith