Early life and military career[edit]
Born in Tampa, Florida, Kittinger was educated at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, and the University of Florida. After racing speedboats as a teenager, he entered the U.S. Air Force in March 1949. On completion of aviation cadet training in March 1950, he received a USAF Pilot rating and a commission as a Second Lieutenant. He was subsequently assigned to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing based at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany, flying the F-84 Thunderjet and F-86 Sabre.
In 1954 Kittinger was transferred to Holloman AFB, New Mexico, and the Air Force Missile Development Center (AFMDC). He flew the observation/chase plane that monitored flight surgeon Colonel John Stapp's rocket sled run of 632 mph (1,017 km/h) in 1955. Kittinger was impressed by Stapp's dedication and leadership as a pioneer in aerospace medicine. Stapp, in turn, was impressed with Kittinger's skillful jet piloting, later recommending him for space-related aviation research work. Stapp was to foster the high-altitude balloon tests that would later lead to Kittinger's record-setting leap from over 102,800 feet (31,300 m). 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.
Project Excelsior[edit]
Kittinger next to the Excelsior gondola
Main article: Project Excelsior
Captain Kittinger was next assigned to the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. For Project Excelsior (meaning "ever upward"), a name given to the project by Colonel Stapp as part of research into high altitude bailouts,[2][3] he made a series of three extreme altitude parac...
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...4-mph wind blowing on you. I could only hear myself breathing in the helmet."[12]
Kittinger set historical numbers for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest drogue-fall (four minutes), and fastest speed by a human being through the atmosphere.[13] These were the USAF records, but were not submitted for aerospace world records to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).[14] Kittinger's records for the highest ascent, highest parachute jump, and fastest velocity stood for 52 years, until they were broken in 2012 by Felix Baumgartner.
For this series of jumps, Kittinger was decorated with a second Distinguished Flying Cross, and he was awarded the Harmon Trophy by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.[15]
The Stargazer gondola on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio.
Project Stargazer[edit]
World War one saw many great airmen, but there were two that stood out among the rest; Captain Edward Rickenbacker and 2nd Lieutenant Frank Luke, Jr. These men both demonstrated courage and bravery that ultimately asked them for their life. Both men received the Congressional Medal of Honor for their deeds of bravery, as well as earning the title of Ace. An Ace is someone that has shot down at least five enemy planes. Rickenbacker was nicknamed “Ace of the Aces”, while Luke was the first of only two men to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Luke honored his country through his actions. Frank Luke Jr demonstrated superior characteristics that lead him to make a valuable contribution to World War I through bravery, skilled flying skills, and selflessness.
Billy Bishop’s path to greatness was not an easy one. He encountered many challenges throughout his young life that recognized him as a fiercer fighter pilot and a true hero. Billy Bishop faced an incredibly tough task to achieving his dream of becoming Canada’s greatest ace. Bishop had a tough life at Owen Sound Collegiate. He would be the subject to many jokes and preferred the company of girls. However his anger and fists won him acceptance on the school ground. He was a good natured boy born on February 8th, 1984. In 1911, at the age of 17, his parents sent him Royal Military College in Kingston, Ontario due to his mediocre marks in school which his father knew would not allow him to get accepted to the University of Toronto. He was not an academic student and in his third year of high school was found cheating on a class exam which would later be the subject to many controversie...
Chuck Yeager and John Glenn are probably the most memorable of the nine pilots in The Right Stuff. Chuck Yeager was a hillbilly from West Virginia, who by the age of 22 had 13 1/2 "kills" in World War II. Yeager made a name for himself by being the first man to reach Mach 1, the speed of sound.
After that he went into the Air Force academy and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree and advanced into a flight leader and training officer which then he got the ranking of a captain. During his duty he was stationed in North America and Europe. Shorty after serving in the air force he went to become an air pilot with Pacific Southline Airlines. Later on he transferred to US airways and stayed with them until he retired from commercial flying in early 2010.
Charles Sweeney joined the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet on April 28, 1941. Receiving his commission as a pilot in the Army Air Corps as an aviation cadet on April 28, 1941. Receiving his commission as a pilot in the Army Air Corps in December 1941, Lieutenant Sweeney spent two years at Jefferson Proving Grounds Ind. From the proving grounds in 1943, Charles Sweeney, now a captain, moved to Eglin Field, Fla., where he served as an operations officer and also a test pilot.
Airmen: An Illustrated History: 1939-1949.” Oct. 2012. Vol. 65 Issue 4, pg. 316-319. 4p. Ebsco Host. Tucker, Phillip Thomas, 1953. Web.2014.
Chuck Yeager was born in 1923 in West Virginia. He learned to always do his best and be honest. Chuck’s father taught Chuck and his brother Roy to hunt and fish at early ages. Chuck’s sharp hunting eyes and amazing hand-eye coordination were key elements of his piloting prowess early on. Not only did Chuck have piloting skill, but he also understood the engineering and mechanical aspects of planes due to tinkering with engines and pumps his father used. Despite his heroism, Chuck still thinks of himself as the kid he was growing up and attributes who he is to his upbringing in rural West Virginia.
Doolittle was the most accomplished aviator of his generation, from his PhD in aeronautics to his daring stunt flying ca...
The United States Marine Corps, established in 1775, is known for their production of the strongest offensive soldiers that defend our country. Their training includes amplified endurance, multiple styles of hand to hand combat, and artillery accuracy. Marines are trained to be the steel of the front lines that cut through and push back enemy lines. The branch rose to this dedication primarily in the 1940-50s thanks to one warrior-leader’s dedication to his country and men in his command. Lieutenant Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller is the prime model of every marine due to his dedication to service, desire to better his men through training and education, and the instilment of esprit de corps.
Haulman, Dr. Daniel L. "Tuskegee Airmen-Escorted Bombers Lost To Enemy Aircraft." Thesis. Air Force Historical Research Agency, 2008. Print.
Many have heard of the Tuskegee Airmen and their accomplishments. They were a group of African American fighter pilots. They proved to be quite vital to the success of World War II. What many people may not know is the Tuskegee Airmen had several squadrons which fought throughout Europe during the war. The most famous squadron was the 332nd fighter squadron, they were commonly known as the Red Tails. Charles McGee was among those men apart of the Red Tail squadron. Charles McGee is one of most notable men in the Red Tails due to his accomplishments throughout the war. I will be explaining his life and all of his accomplishments throughout this paper on famous individuals in aviation.
James T. Wiley was apart of the Tuskegee Airman and talks about his experiences. When he was younger he wanted to fly an airplane. "All the leadership was strong, and the men were a good bunch of superior guys with high morale" (Wiley) Bledsoe, Helen Wieman.James T Wiley has had many experiences, for example his mission in India. When he flew back to his hometown they ...
"Wright Brothers Information Packet: Primary Sources - Special Collection & Archives." Wright State University Libraries, www.libraries.wright.edu/special/wrightbrothers/packet/primary.
Stimson, Richard. "Wright Brothers Tribute at Woodland Cemetary." Wright Stories Wright Brothers Inventing The Airplane History of Flight Kitty Hawk Wright Contemporaries Military Airplane RSS. Wright Stories, n.d. Web. 13 May 2014.
Now it was time for the Montgolfiers to regain their fame. The third balloon carried the first living things in a basket, which was attached to the bottom. The basket carried a lamb, rooster, and duck, and they all landed safely (Fraser). After this, the King's historian felt that it was time for a human to fly, and felt that there was no better person than he. So, on October 15, 1783, De Rozier became the first aeronaut, and he landed safely after a four-hour flight (Fraser).