Recently, the Explorers Club released the first interview for 2022. They choose to interview a true Aviation Legend and World Record holder, Col. Joe Kittinger, USAF (Ret). Among his exploits from flying F4 fighters, being a POW in the Hanoi Hilton in VietNam, retiring the Gordon Bennett Balloon Race trophy, setting balloon non-stop distance records and parachuting back to earth from 19 miles straight up to flying the Atlantic solo in a balloon.
Joe and Sherry have blessed our lives by being beloved friends. Kathy and I have enjoyed our amazing adventures, ballooning and salooning around the US and Europe.
The link below will take you to the fascinating interview by the Explorers Club, during which Joe recounts just some of his amazing adventures. We hope you enjoy this as much as we enjoy making it available for you.
Come Up and Get Me
Col. Kittinger’s Awards
World Records:
- Highest Parachute Jump – 102,800 ft. August 16, 1960
- Longest Parachute Freefall – 4 min. 36 sec. August 16, 1960
- Most High Altitude Balloon Flights, 5 times. Man High I, 96,000 ft; Excelsior I, 76,000 ft.; Excelsior II, 75,000 ft.;
Excelsior III, 102,800 ft.; and Stargazer, 86,000 ft. - Longest distance flown in a 1,000 cubic meter helium balloon. 2001 miles in 72 hours. November 15-18, 1983. Solo flight from Las Vegas to Franklinville, Ny.
- Longest distance flown in a 3,000 cubic meter helium balloon. 3543 miles in 86 hours. September 14-18, 1984.
- First person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a helium balloon. Maine to Italy. September 14-18, 1984.
- NAA Speed Record – Piper Cheyenne 400 LS – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Orlando, Florida. 1986.
Military Awards:
Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster
Distinguished Flying Cross – Project Man High
Distinguished Flying Cross – Project Excelsior (Parachute jump from 102,800 feet)
Distinguished Flying Cross – 4 Oak Leaf Clusters – Vietnam
Bronze Star Medal with “V” device and two Oak Leaf Clusters
Meritorious Service Medal
Air Medal with twenty three Oak Leaf Clusters
Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Clusters
Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Army of Occupation Medal
National Defense Service Medal
Vietnam Service Medal with seven Service stars
Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
P.O.W. Medal
Civilian Awards:
Aeronaut Leo Stevens Parachute Medal, 1959 for outstanding contributions to medical research, 1960
The John Jeffries Award, Institute of Aerospace Sciences
Aerospace Primus, Air Research and Development Command, 1960
Hall of Fame, USAF Special Operations
FAI Montgolfier Diplome, 1983 & 1984
Santos Dumont Medal, French Aero Club, 1984
Le Grande Medaille, City of Paris, 1984
Legion of Merit (Italy), 1984
Joe W. Kittinger Medal of Achievement, Board of County Commissioners, Orange County, Florida, 1984
Heroic Achievement Award, City of Orlando, 1984
Chateau de Balleroy Award, 1984
John Young Award, Orlando Chamber of Commerce, 1985
Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International, 1985
Revoredo Trophy, International Flight Research Corporation, 1985
W. Randolph Lovelace Award, Society of NASA Flight Surgeons, 1985
Godfrey L. Cabot Award, Aero Club of New England, 1985
Order of Daedalians Distinguished Achievement Award, 1993
Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Fellow, 1995
National Aeronautics Association Elder Statesman of Aviation Award, for lifetime contributions to aviation, 1995
Barnstormer of the Year, International Society of Aviation Barnstorming Historians, 1996
Inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, 1997
Wright Brothers Memorial Hall of Fame, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, 1998
Inductee, International Forest of Friendship-Atchison, Kansas, 1999
Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Award, 2000
Honorary Member of Parachute Industry Association (PIA), 2001
Florida Aviation Hall of Fame, 2003
Distinguished Achievement Award, American ex-POWs
Achievement Award, Wingfoot Lighter Than Air Society
Prix de L’Aventure Sportive, French Sporting Adventure Trophy
John Young History Maker Award, 2006
National Air And Space Museum Trophy Lifetime Achievement in Aviation Award, 2008
Bolles School, Signey W. Register, Sr. Memorial Award, 2010
Ballooning Experience and Awards:
The third consecutive win entitled Kittinger to retire the
coveted Gordon Bennett trophy which now resides in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. (Placed second in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1987, 1989)Participated in the U>S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship in Indianola, Iowa in 1980 where he flew a Rosie O’Grady’s gas balloon.
U.S. National Gas Balloon Champion fot the year 1988
Participant in the following International Balloon Events
France ~ Chateau Balleroy, 1984 and 1985
Germany ~ Christening Ceremony of Rosie’s gas balloon -1987
Australia ~ Bicentennial Celbration 1988
Germany Opa Rally Gas Balloon Race, 1989
Russia ~ Hot Air Balloon Rally, 1989
Austria ~ Gordon Bennett Balloon Race, 1990, 1994
Placed third in 1990 with Co-pilot Bob Snow –Morocco ~ 1996
Inducted into the U.S. Ballooning Hall of Fame at the National Balloon Museum in Indianola, Iowa, 08-01-2010
Other Awards:
Inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame in 1997
Florida Aviation Hall of Fame in 2003
Air and Space Museum Lifetime Achievement in Aviation in 2008
National Ballooning Hall of Fame in 2010
National Skydiving Hall of Fame in 2010
NTSA- National Training & Simulation Association – 2019 Lifetime of Service Recognition
