August 16, 2007 -- Free Falling Trivia

Joseph William Kittinger II is a former pilot and career military officer in the United States Air Force.

When assigned to a project to test man's ability to survive high-altitude bailouts, Col. Kittinger made a series of parachute jumps wearing a pressurized suit, from a helium balloon.

Joseph Kittinger

He made his most significant jump on This Day In History... Aug. 16, 1960, when he stepped from a balloon-supported gondola at the altitude of 102,800 feet. The jump set records that still stand today: the highest ascent in a balloon, the highest parachute jump, the longest freefall, and the fastest speed by a man through the atmosphere.


TRIVIA QUESTION:

How fast was Col. Kittinger traveling when he set the record for the fastest speed ever reached by a human without a vehicle?


TRIVIA ANSWER:

614 MPH which is 90% the speed of sound (Mach 0.9).

Automatic camera recording Kittinger as he leapt from the Excelsior balloon

Col. Kittinger volunteered for three combat tours in Vietnam and served as commander of the famous 555th "Triple Nickel" Tactical Fighter Squadron flying F-4s. He downed a MiG-21 before he himself was shot down on May 11, 1972, after which he spent 11 months in captivity as a prisoner of war.

He retired as a colonel in 1978. He won the Gordon-Bennett balloon races in 1982, 1984 and 1985 before accomplishing his most ambitious feat, a solo balloon crossing of the Atlantic. Living in Orlando, Fla., he is Vice President of Flight Operations for Rosie O'Grady's Flying Circus.

Source: http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=1114

Another great article on Kittinger is at http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/aerodynamics/q0243.shtml

>>>>>>>> NET CHECK IN's <<<<<<<<

Congratulations to all who got the answer to tonight's Trivia Question and a hearty thank you to everyone for playing along. Here is the list of stations that checked in to tonight's net along with their answers:

* WB6A - Pat - 1000 MPH
* KE6CZH - Robert - 150 MPH
* KG6DBL - Bill - 172 MPH
* W6DTS - Ted - 700 MPH
* K6FCC - Khalil - 712 MPH
* KB6IS - Madeline - 74 MPH
* KD6JEV - John - 210 MPH
* N6KAS - Andy - 62 MPH
* KG6KTC - Leon - 350 MPH
* NY6L - Jay - 65 MPH
* K6LMN - Roger - 200 MPH
* N6NGU - Lee - 250 MPH
* W6NVY - Gary - 70 MPH
* KG6NWJ - Barry - 1000 MPH
* KD6OBM - Jason - 200 MPH
* KF6PIH - Scott - 500 MPH
* K6QVZ - Joe - 720 MPH
* KG6TRR - Bob - 203 MPH
* AD6UP - Louie - 614 MPH
* KF6YBM - Henry - 300 MPH
* N6ZZK - Theo - 457 MPH
* WA6JWF - Joey - No Idea
* KF6MKN - Brad - 213 MPH

THANKS TO ALL FOR PLAYING!

73, de N6CIZ.