Jumping Joe Kittinger
 

Joe Kittinger, the only supersonic human, served three tours of Combat in Vietnam, downed one Mig 21, spent a year as a POW after being shot down himself. Prior to that, he was known for being the first and only human being to go supersonic without being in an aircraft or using an ejection seat to escape from an aircraft which was travelling above Mach 1.

He did this by doing a free fall parachute jump from over 102,000 feet.

The link takes you to a short video of the jump.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n2AICdVv3g

The one fingered salute was rendered to those who said it could not be done....which I consider indicative of how things get done when pushing the envelope. Is that not the essence of progress in aviation. Doing what is said to be impossible.

If I can get past the overblown rock music intro, SASless, I might enjoy the show!

The jumper (who needed three chutes, one for him and two more for his gonads!):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Kittinger

The story:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Excelsior

That video kicked ass, along with the soundtrack!! Brilliant!

:D

Nick is right about the gonad chutes !!!!

This video also reminded me of two questions:

1. Wasnt there going to be an attempt on this record by a French ex military type?

and

2. What happened to the balloon altitude attempt going to be made by a couple of Brits and sponsored by Qinetc (I think)??

Enquiring minds would like to know (plus I hate googling, sorry:O )

Alternate footage....
 

...and soundtrack! :8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81gn2oLeC_U

Music note: I think this is what the kids call "Trance"...:p

I well remember seeing a movie based on these events (plus the sled rides Of John Paul Stapp) called "On the Threshold of Space". As I recall a very interesting adaptation but it was 40 years ago and I was an impressionable kid.
No idea if it has been shown anywhere in recent times.
John

Link to the project by the Frenchman Michel Founier - "Le Grand Saut" - scheduled for May 2008

http://www.thesuperjump.org

Fascinating stuff - hope his gonad's are also insulated! ;)

PT6ER

re #2. IIRC the QinetiQ balloon attempt had some technical problems and missed the weather window, so was postponed until early 2008.

Edit: Can't find a link dated any later than 2004, so not sure of current status.

The Kittinger footage was featured last night on BBC2's 'Power of the planet: Atmosphere' (along with some good footage of a flight in an English Electric Lightning from Thunder City).

I'd never seen it before, awesome. Read about it some time ago in a great book called "The Man Who Touched the Sky".

Look forward to seeing the QinetiQ & French balloon attempts next year

BM