🚀 go-pugleaf

I read about Kittinger in "Parachuting Folklore", a book by Horan(?) which I
got from the USPA store.  As I have lent the book out to a friend, I can't
look up the details. As I remember, the jump was made from about 104,000
feet.  He used a presurized, heated suit; lots of oxygen; a large balloon;
and about 10 years of collected funds to make the jump back in the mid 60's.
The book shows a picture of the guy all suited up.  He looked like a sci-fi
creature -- cameras, gauges, recording equip, all kinds of instruments, etc.
After leaving the balloon, he fell for about 15 seconds before throwing out
a drogue chute.  Just before throwing out the drogue, he approached Mach 1.
The drogue kept him from spinning wildly out of control.  The rapid spin
rates of his predicesors had caused their blood to accumulate in their
limbs, and explode their heads.  After falling a few more minutes (yes,
minutes), he pulled a main chute, and landed somewhere near Chicago.


Because he used a drogue chute for part of the decent, it is not classified
as the world's longest freefall, even though the drogue exerted little force
on him.  It wasn't even the highest manned balloon ride -- you have to land
in the balloon to qualify for this record.  It was, however, the highest
baloon jump.  A Russian beat it soon afterwards, I think.

On another attempt, a scream was heard through the radio.  The ground crew
cut him away from the balloon, let him and the gondola fall to a safe
altitude, then deployed a chute on the gondola.  The best guess as to what
happened was that he had opened a valve on his helmet to clear the lens, and
was unable to close it.  (Blood boils at less than body temperature at that
particular altitude -- probably not the most pleasant sensation.)  As I
remeber, he lived as a vegetable for the rest of his few remaining months.

Do not put great credance in all that I said, it could have been a montage
from a few different accounts that I read about (possibly) different people.
When I get the book back, I will post the details gleaned from the book.

 -- Mike Balenger 
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