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<v Speaker 1>This is Colonel Joe Kenninger, and I'm talking today with

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<v Speaker 1>the Doctor Sky from the teen Talknetwork dot Com. And

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<v Speaker 1>I'm talking about my highlitude parachute work that I did

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<v Speaker 1>back in fifty nine and sixty. I'm talking talking Doctor

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<v Speaker 1>Sky about my combat experience and just aviation in general.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcome to The Doctor Sky Show, heard proudly here on

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<v Speaker 2>the teen Talknetwork radio network, teen Talknetwork dot Com at

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<v Speaker 2>our flagship radio station k FNX and Phoenix, Arizona. That

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<v Speaker 2>is News Talk eleven hundred, the fifty thousand watt powerhouse

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<v Speaker 2>up the desert Southwest. The Doctor Sky Show concerns itself

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<v Speaker 2>with subject matter from the realms of astronomy, space, aviation,

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<v Speaker 2>and weather. We have a return guest here on The

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<v Speaker 2>Doctor Sky Show and teen Talk Network. We're proud to

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<v Speaker 2>announce the arrival and return of a retired Air Force

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<v Speaker 2>Colonel Joe Kittinger. Joe, welcome to the program.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, thank you for inviting me back on your show.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, thank you very much, And always it's a privilege

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<v Speaker 2>and honor to speak to someone who's talked to talk

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<v Speaker 2>and then walked it, and certainly the amazing things that

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<v Speaker 2>you've done in service of our country. But Joe, as

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<v Speaker 2>we said, welcome back, we'd like to just get you

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<v Speaker 2>to start off, for maybe some people that are new

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<v Speaker 2>to hearing your voice here on the show, tell us

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit about yourself and how you got started

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<v Speaker 2>in the United States military.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, I always wanted to be an aviator. My earliest

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<v Speaker 1>recollection was building airplanes and thinking about flying airplanes. And

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<v Speaker 1>it was my goal that I set early on in

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<v Speaker 1>my life, and I worked diligently towards that, and that

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<v Speaker 1>was my field of dreams, was sitting there thinking about

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<v Speaker 1>flying airplanes. And one day my father reminded me, he said,

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<v Speaker 1>so you can dream all you want to, but you've

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<v Speaker 1>got to work hard to accomplish what you want. And

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<v Speaker 1>that's a good lesson I think today that you know

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<v Speaker 1>you can dream, but the way you get success.

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<v Speaker 2>Is hard work. That's absolutely right. And again, welcoming you

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<v Speaker 2>back to the teen Tucknetwork dot Com here on the

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<v Speaker 2>Doctor Sky Show. Officially, as I quote from your bio,

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<v Speaker 2>you're in a military service back in March of nineteen

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<v Speaker 2>forty nine as an aviation cadet. And then we understand

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<v Speaker 2>as you were commissioned as a second lieutenant you spend

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<v Speaker 2>some time out in that beautiful part of the Southwest

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<v Speaker 2>known as Las Vegas. Correct.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, that's where I flew the P fifty one and

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<v Speaker 1>got my wings, and then I went from there to Germany.

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<v Speaker 2>I see, and also tell us a little bit more

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<v Speaker 2>the P fifty one for maybe some of the younger

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<v Speaker 2>listeners on the show. This is one of America's great

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<v Speaker 2>propeller aircraft of what World War two vintage and the

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<v Speaker 2>Korean War.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, it was a fabulous airplane, doctor Sky. It was

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<v Speaker 1>a fabulous airplane. It had a great big twelve cylinder

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<v Speaker 1>in line engine and you could always tell a P

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<v Speaker 1>fifty one flying over. It had a very distinctly sound.

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<v Speaker 1>That engine just purred, and you could you could where

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<v Speaker 1>I am if I hear a P fifty one, this guy,

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<v Speaker 1>I know it's a fifty one because it has a

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<v Speaker 1>distinct sound to it. And it was a fabulous airplane

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<v Speaker 1>to fly, just just a ball to fly.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, many folks may not know this, but we see

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<v Speaker 2>these type aircraft in regular competition at places like am

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<v Speaker 2>I correct, the Reno Air Racism among other places.

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<v Speaker 1>Yes, they're always at Reno and they they they're always

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<v Speaker 1>in the competition somewhere. If they're not winning, they're very

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<v Speaker 1>close to it.

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<v Speaker 2>All that's great stuff, and we've seen p fifty ones

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<v Speaker 2>out here in Arizona, where our program hails from. I'm

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<v Speaker 2>sure you're familiar with an organization known as the Commemorative

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<v Speaker 2>Air Force, and they have that number.

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<v Speaker 1>Of very famous organizations, wonderful people there.

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<v Speaker 2>As we move on, I was wondering if you could

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<v Speaker 2>just talk to us about children and education, because Colonel,

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<v Speaker 2>as you know, you're inspiring right now, many many young

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<v Speaker 2>minds out there to go into the discipline of either

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<v Speaker 2>the military or to become a pot and what would

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<v Speaker 2>you tell them current in our second interview about how

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<v Speaker 2>they can get involved in aerospace.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, aerospace, first of all, doctor Skut is a wonderful profession.

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<v Speaker 1>I've been flying airplanes now for over fifty two years

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<v Speaker 1>and I love it. It's a wonderful profession and made

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<v Speaker 1>up of folks that are that are people that you

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<v Speaker 1>really like to be associated with. The key to it

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<v Speaker 1>is to do your study, get your degree. If you

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<v Speaker 1>can dedicate yourself to being the best that you can be,

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<v Speaker 1>and that's the secret to success in any event, In

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<v Speaker 1>any event and any profession. It's always do the best

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<v Speaker 1>you can do and be the best that you can

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<v Speaker 1>And I just I thoroughly enjoy the Air Force it was,

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<v Speaker 1>but you know, not everybody can be an aviator. It

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<v Speaker 1>takes lots of folks to make airplanes fly. It takes

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<v Speaker 1>crew chief and it takes supply people. I mean, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>the glamory part is the flying of the airplane, but

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<v Speaker 1>it takes twice as many people to get the airplanes

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<v Speaker 1>in the sky and to keep them there. So there's

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<v Speaker 1>a great professions also and the mechanics and in the

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<v Speaker 1>supply and the administration and aviation so well, that's great advice.

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<v Speaker 2>And a recent interview that I had here on teen

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<v Speaker 2>Talk Network with the Doctor Sky Show was one of

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<v Speaker 2>the majors who's involved in Junior r OTC. And I

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<v Speaker 2>think that's awesome, Colonel Joe, that there's so many young

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<v Speaker 2>people in the high school level now that are getting

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<v Speaker 2>exposure to a potential military career in the Air Force

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<v Speaker 2>or learning all about aviation as you speak so well.

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<v Speaker 1>Of Yes, that CAP program is a wonderful program, and

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<v Speaker 1>that's the entry into aviation that's available for all the

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<v Speaker 1>people in high school and that's a great way to

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<v Speaker 1>get a leg up on the profession.

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<v Speaker 2>Let's move if we can to your time that you

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<v Speaker 2>spent out at that very interesting place on the map,

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<v Speaker 2>southern New Mexico, Holloman Air Force Base, White Sands area

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<v Speaker 2>of New Mexico. And I understand that throughout your time

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<v Speaker 2>there you had an affiliation with a fantastic individual, doctor

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<v Speaker 2>John Stapp, who also wrote as you know, and I

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<v Speaker 2>could explain a little more about the rockets led tests

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<v Speaker 2>that led up to what we know today as jet fighters.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, doctor Stapp was a visionary. He was a man

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<v Speaker 1>that knew the way that the Air Force should be

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<v Speaker 1>going on research in regards to protecting the people for

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<v Speaker 1>escape ni altitude from aircraft. He also knew we were

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<v Speaker 1>going to go into space, and he was responsled for

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<v Speaker 1>some of the very initial work that we did on

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<v Speaker 1>space research. For example, the first zero gravity experiments in

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<v Speaker 1>this country was done as a result of doctor Stapp

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<v Speaker 1>right there at Holloman Air Force Base. He was just

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<v Speaker 1>he was a fabulous man and a great visionary, and

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<v Speaker 1>that contributed so much to our country and so much

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<v Speaker 1>to our Air Force. I'll give you one quick dialogue here,

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<v Speaker 1>Doctor scuy Sure. He was stationed at originally at Edward's

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<v Speaker 1>Air Force Base, and the Air Force were losing more

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<v Speaker 1>people to car accident. They were losing more people crashes

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<v Speaker 1>in cars that were on airplanes. So doctor Stapp started

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<v Speaker 1>a program on crash protection and vehicles and he was

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<v Speaker 1>one of the very first people who came up with

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<v Speaker 1>research on lap belt safety belts and showed arnesses. He

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<v Speaker 1>was really the originator in this country on the research

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<v Speaker 1>to start that aspect of protecting. Of course, there's been

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<v Speaker 1>probably a million people saved in vehicles as a result

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<v Speaker 1>of what doctor Stapp did. And an association with that

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<v Speaker 1>was the deceleration rapid deceleration, and he did this by

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<v Speaker 1>a series of experiments on sleds rock propelled sleds. And

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<v Speaker 1>that's where I first met him because I made the

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<v Speaker 1>aerial photographs of him when he made his sled run

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<v Speaker 1>this seven hundred and fourteen miles an hour.

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<v Speaker 2>That's an incredible speed and if I'm correct, there's a

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<v Speaker 2>photograph of you flying over him at the same time

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<v Speaker 2>his rocket sled as wall almost at full power, as

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<v Speaker 2>if there was some kind of mythological or race going on.

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<v Speaker 2>Is that's so accurate.

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<v Speaker 1>That's very accrid. But the races I couldn't do Rey good.

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<v Speaker 1>He could go faster than I could. Meyer plane was

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<v Speaker 1>limited to about six d and five hundred and fifty

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<v Speaker 1>and he was doing over six hundred miles an hour.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, the interesting part about this kernel is, as you

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<v Speaker 2>were telling us that they did these interesting deceleration tests.

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<v Speaker 1>So what happens.

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<v Speaker 2>He's at max speed and then he reduces it down

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<v Speaker 2>to zero in a very short matter of times, right.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh, just a few just a few feet. Really, he

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<v Speaker 1>went from zero to six hundred and fourteen miles an

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<v Speaker 1>hour and stopped in less than thirty five hundred feet

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<v Speaker 1>from that credible. The total experiment, he pulled minus forty

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<v Speaker 1>one gs, doctor Sky, which was considered the physiological limit

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<v Speaker 1>to deceleration. And it's it's still a milestone today. That

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<v Speaker 1>is phenomenal when you think about minus forty one g, Well,

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<v Speaker 1>that's like running into a brick. Wallet's at you know,

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<v Speaker 1>one hundred miles an hour.

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely, and as you say, I understand he suffered some

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<v Speaker 2>temporary which he might not have known. It was temporary

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<v Speaker 2>damage to the blood dustles of his eyes.

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<v Speaker 1>If I'm correct, he certainly did he looked like he

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<v Speaker 1>was just beat up. And that's the reason why I

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<v Speaker 1>always said he was a bravest man that I ever met,

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<v Speaker 1>because he knew physiologically everything was going to happen to him.

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<v Speaker 1>He knew the risk he was taking, but he did

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<v Speaker 1>it because science dictated that he needed this information. The

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<v Speaker 1>Air Force needs this information. And he's the bravest man

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<v Speaker 1>that I ever met in my life. And I've known

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<v Speaker 1>some great aviators and some very brave men, but he

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<v Speaker 1>by far as the bravest man that I ever met.

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<v Speaker 2>If you're just joining us, we are having an exclusive

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<v Speaker 2>interview today, proudly so with the retired Air Force Colonel

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<v Speaker 2>Joe Kittinger, Junior, who was talking to us about not

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<v Speaker 2>only his career in the military and about some fascinating

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<v Speaker 2>things ladies and gentlemen that will just blow your mind.

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<v Speaker 2>So recollecting some of the good reasons why young people

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<v Speaker 2>who listened to teen Talknetwork dot com should of course

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<v Speaker 2>look at the US military as a proud and rightful career.

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<v Speaker 2>And also we're heard here on KFNX, but his news

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<v Speaker 2>Talk eleven hundred, the fifty thousand watt Powerhouse of the

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<v Speaker 2>Desert Southwest Colonel Kittinger, if you could just tell us

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<v Speaker 2>you also have a great fascination and also part of

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<v Speaker 2>us history in manned ballooning, and if you could just

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<v Speaker 2>tell us what got you involved in that, say, back

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<v Speaker 2>in the nineteen.

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<v Speaker 1>Fifties, Well, there was research that needed to be done

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<v Speaker 1>that doctor Staff had identified, and the only way we

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<v Speaker 1>could do it was go up in a balloon. And

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<v Speaker 1>there was no aircraft that could take us up there.

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<v Speaker 1>There was no spacecraft that could take us up there,

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<v Speaker 1>and the only way we could get those high altitudes

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<v Speaker 1>was a balloon vehicle. And I did actually five high

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<v Speaker 1>altitude balloon flights from the lowest was seventy four thousand

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<v Speaker 1>feet in the highest was one hundred and three thousand

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<v Speaker 1>feet and it was really we didn't had an airplane.

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<v Speaker 1>It'd been much simpler, but we didn't have it, so

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<v Speaker 1>we had to use balloon vehicles. I made one flight

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen fifty seven and I pressurized gondola to look at

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<v Speaker 1>how to do a spaceflight, the auction composition, the physological

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<v Speaker 1>monitoring devices, how to train, how to select astronauts. All

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<v Speaker 1>of these were things that we did back in nineteen

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<v Speaker 1>fifty seven using balloon vehicles at hilitude. Then I made

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<v Speaker 1>three high alitude parachute jumps, and once again this was

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<v Speaker 1>to design to investigate protection of man in the space

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<v Speaker 1>environment and how to provide a meaning to escape from

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<v Speaker 1>very high altitude. Once again research objectives that doctor staff identified,

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<v Speaker 1>and once again we used balloons. Then my final balloon

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<v Speaker 1>flight was in nineteen sixty two with an astronomer and

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<v Speaker 1>a telescope and one above the Iris atmosphere, looked at

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<v Speaker 1>stars and planets without the turns and the dust and

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<v Speaker 1>haze of our atmosphere.

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<v Speaker 2>And that flight is, of course the December thirteen, fourteenth,

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<v Speaker 2>nineteen sixty two flight with astronomer William White of China Lake, California.

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<v Speaker 1>If I'm correct, yes, sir, and you've done your homework,

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<v Speaker 1>doctor skuy Well, we.

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<v Speaker 2>Certainly like to keep on the cutting edge of this.

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<v Speaker 2>And again I'm looking a bit briefly that has excuse

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<v Speaker 2>me much about your background. But it's a privilege and

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<v Speaker 2>honor here to have our very special guest here on

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<v Speaker 2>teen talknetwork dot com. That's retired Air Force Colonel Joe Kittinger,

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<v Speaker 2>who's going to tell us Joe Kittinger Junior, who's going

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<v Speaker 2>to tell us more about a most amazing flight that

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<v Speaker 2>he made back on the historic date of August sixteenth,

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<v Speaker 2>nineteen sixty. And I say take it away, Colonel Will

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<v Speaker 2>because this story, ladies and gentlemen, about what you're about

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<v Speaker 2>to hear is most amazing.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, as I put it out, doctor Stapp was responsible

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<v Speaker 1>for our programmed and we had never put a man

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<v Speaker 1>in a space before we knew we were going to

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<v Speaker 1>go into space, and the man had to get outside

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<v Speaker 1>of the spacecraft, and the man would have work to

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<v Speaker 1>do outside of spacecraft. Ever done it, We had never

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<v Speaker 1>actually done it except in an altitude chamber. And by

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<v Speaker 1>the same token, we were having difficulties on providing means

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<v Speaker 1>we escaped from very altitudes. And so both of these

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<v Speaker 1>were objectives. First of all, how to protect a man

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<v Speaker 1>in the space environment, and then second of all, how

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<v Speaker 1>to provide a means of we escape for verial alitudes. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>I made one hundred flights and altitude chambers. Had a

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<v Speaker 1>great team of civilians and military and en list of

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<v Speaker 1>personnel and officers, and we worked for about a year

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<v Speaker 1>and a half putting this program together in a testing equipment,

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<v Speaker 1>and I made three actually made three parachute jumps. One

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<v Speaker 1>was in November of nineteen fifty nine, one was in

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<v Speaker 1>December of nineteen fifty nine, and then in August of

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<v Speaker 1>nineteen sixteen, some forty four years ago. Now it's important

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<v Speaker 1>for me to tell you that we didn't do this

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<v Speaker 1>to set records. We did this to gather information. We

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<v Speaker 1>didn't do it to set a new record. We did

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<v Speaker 1>it to gather information. And I made this jump on

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<v Speaker 1>the sixteenth of August. It took about an hour and

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<v Speaker 1>a half to get up there. I was in an

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<v Speaker 1>open gondola, and as I passed through forty thousand feet,

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<v Speaker 1>I detected that my pressures to glove on my right

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<v Speaker 1>hand was not working. But I didn't tell the people

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<v Speaker 1>on the ground because I knew that they would probably

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<v Speaker 1>have to cancel out the task if I told them

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<v Speaker 1>I had.

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<v Speaker 2>This problem, so you want to have to continue the mission.

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<v Speaker 1>So I didn't share this problem with them because I

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<v Speaker 1>felt it was very important that we get the test done.

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<v Speaker 1>It took about an hour and a half to get

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<v Speaker 1>up to our two one hundred and three thousand feet,

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<v Speaker 1>and once I got there, I addressed for about eleven

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<v Speaker 1>minutes while the gondola got in the exact spot for

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<v Speaker 1>the jump, and then they said, well, you're right over

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<v Speaker 1>the position. I had forty six items to do on

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<v Speaker 1>my checklist get before I could separate from the gondola.

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<v Speaker 1>I started my checklist. I'd got everything completed. I stood up,

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<v Speaker 1>I said a solid prayer. I pushed the final button

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<v Speaker 1>to start the cameras working, and I jumped. And as

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<v Speaker 1>I jumped, I rolled over my back and I looked

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<v Speaker 1>up and the blue was shooting in the space like

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<v Speaker 1>a rocket, and I said, gosh, I can't believe this,

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<v Speaker 1>And all of a sudden I realized that the blue

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<v Speaker 1>was standing still and I was going down at a

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<v Speaker 1>fantastic read of speed. I had about about ninety thousand feet.

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<v Speaker 1>I reached seven hundred and fourteen miles an hour, incredible,

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<v Speaker 1>which was supersonic. But the pressure their course is very low.

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<v Speaker 1>It's about five millimeters of pressure, which is almost a

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<v Speaker 1>complete vacuum. So you're going extremely fast, true air speed.

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<v Speaker 1>But from then on, as the density of the air increases,

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<v Speaker 1>you slowed down. So from ninety thousand feet on I

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<v Speaker 1>kept slowing down constantly all the way down as the

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<v Speaker 1>density of the atmosphere increased, And after four minutes and

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<v Speaker 1>thirty six seconds the parachute opened and I was elated

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<v Speaker 1>because we had demonstrated that we could provide a means

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<v Speaker 1>of escape. And the great thing, Doctor Sky, is that

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<v Speaker 1>today that the escape systems that are used today in

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<v Speaker 1>aircraft are the result of the work that we did

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<v Speaker 1>back in nineteen sixty the drag formulists use today, the

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<v Speaker 1>technique of escape that we use is still being used today.

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<v Speaker 1>Not only a boy our Air Force, but also the

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<v Speaker 1>Russian Air Force has exactly the same system that we

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<v Speaker 1>devised back some forty four years ago.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, Colonel, this is an amazing story as we're listening

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<v Speaker 2>to this live here on teen talknetwork dot com to tape.

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<v Speaker 2>But I want to mention something, colonel, or ask you,

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<v Speaker 2>I should say, what is from a human side, what

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<v Speaker 2>does this feeling like to be the only person, Todate

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<v Speaker 2>who's jumped not only from that record altitude, but what's

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<v Speaker 2>it simply like when you take that leap of faith

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<v Speaker 2>as we call it, as you call it, out of

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<v Speaker 2>the gondola. What does it feel like to go super

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<v Speaker 2>sonic without the aid of an aircraft?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, it was, of course I didn't detect it. It

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00:17:08.960 --> 00:17:12.039
<v Speaker 1>was it happened so insidiously that I could not detect

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<v Speaker 1>it myself. Uh the uh the uh dancy, there's is

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<v Speaker 1>such and this my triuvilosity was such that I didn't

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<v Speaker 1>detect it. But I knew I was going fast. There

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't no doubt about that, because I could see that

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<v Speaker 1>balloon firing into space. But otherwise you would have no

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<v Speaker 1>way of knowing how fast you're going because there's no

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<v Speaker 1>there's no visual reference. I had an al timinum to

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<v Speaker 1>stop watch, and I had a great interest in that,

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<v Speaker 1>and I kept watching my al Timinus stop watch all

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<v Speaker 1>the way down because I was monitoring my progress as

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<v Speaker 1>I was descending. And of course the further I fell,

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<v Speaker 1>the safer it was, because the space is very hostile.

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<v Speaker 1>Without a pressure suit, you die very quickly, and so

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<v Speaker 1>your whole life is putting up on their pressures suite working.

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<v Speaker 2>So as you're descending, do you hear anything there in

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<v Speaker 2>this phase? Or is it pretty?

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<v Speaker 1>So you've got a helmet on and you're breathing in

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<v Speaker 1>this helmet, and actually you can't hear a thing except

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<v Speaker 1>your own breath in the helmet.

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<v Speaker 2>Now, there are people that have asked this question, and

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<v Speaker 2>we need to clarify this. Some have stated, well, if

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<v Speaker 2>he went supersonic, why didn't he burn up? And I

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<v Speaker 2>think the simple answer is what the atmosphere is so

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<v Speaker 2>thin at that height that it's not enough to set

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<v Speaker 2>you ablaze. Correct.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, no, really, the real thing is the speed You

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<v Speaker 1>have to be doing a mock three before you start

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<v Speaker 1>getting a problem of heat. And I was at mock one.

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<v Speaker 1>Heat doesn't get to be an effort. Above MOK two

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<v Speaker 1>you'd start getting some heat problem, but I was not.

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<v Speaker 1>I was halfway there, so I had no problem with

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<v Speaker 1>the heat. As a matter of fact, it was one

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<v Speaker 1>hundred and ten degrees below zero up there. It was

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<v Speaker 1>pretty cold up there.

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<v Speaker 2>That's very cold indeed, And I wanted to qualify this

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<v Speaker 2>for the listening audience here on Team Talking Network and

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<v Speaker 2>News Talk eleven hundred here in Phoenix. When you're falling

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<v Speaker 2>like this, it should be stated that you had a

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<v Speaker 2>free fall jump of about how long before your first

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<v Speaker 2>shoot opened?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, actually the main shoot did not open until about

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<v Speaker 1>fourteen thousand feet, so you know, I was very busy.

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<v Speaker 1>You know. People have also asked him, you know, what

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<v Speaker 1>were you thinking about? Well, I was there at the

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<v Speaker 1>test pilot. I was there to gather information, and I

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<v Speaker 1>was constantly talking into my interfo. I didn't have a

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<v Speaker 1>radio or anything to talk to the ground, but I had

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<v Speaker 1>an intercom, a little take recorder, and I was constantly

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<v Speaker 1>describing how my parachute was working, how the stabilization was doing,

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<v Speaker 1>how just what was happening. So I was extremely busy

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<v Speaker 1>all the way down.

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<v Speaker 2>That's amazing stuff. And you were rewarded as the story

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<v Speaker 2>continues to see Bee Harmon Trophy presented to you directly

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<v Speaker 2>by President Eisenhower in nineteen sixty and of course the

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<v Speaker 2>Distinguished Flying Cross and other more memorable wa to continue.

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<v Speaker 2>This is amazing, colonel, And you know, folks, it's an

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<v Speaker 2>honor to be able to speak to somebody who's done

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<v Speaker 2>something like this, because the average parachute jump, if you

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<v Speaker 2>could tell us this, if a person's going to go

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<v Speaker 2>out and want to learn how to do this as

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<v Speaker 2>a civilian, the average jump is about what height and

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<v Speaker 2>about how long does the person free fall?

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<v Speaker 1>Well, of course, the longer they've jumped, the longer they

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00:20:22.119 --> 00:20:25.000
<v Speaker 1>free fall, but when they first start off, they usually

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<v Speaker 1>start off with a ten second free fall something like that.

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<v Speaker 1>The techniques they use today are very safe. They have

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<v Speaker 1>very good parachutes, good instructions. The FAA closely watches the

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<v Speaker 1>instruction that they give, and it's really a pretty dog

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<v Speaker 1>on safe environment. If you go to a good school,

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00:20:48.200 --> 00:20:50.799
<v Speaker 1>learn the parachute jump. And by the way, when I

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00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:54.240
<v Speaker 1>made my jump, people think, well, you know, I must

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<v Speaker 1>have had thousands of parachute jumps when I made this one,

389
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<v Speaker 1>But no, I only had that was my thirty jump.

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<v Speaker 1>And the reason was was I was there to test

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<v Speaker 1>equipment for astronauts and pilots. And astronauts and pilots are

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00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:11.039
<v Speaker 1>not trained parachutes, they are not skydivers. So I was

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00:21:11.079 --> 00:21:15.359
<v Speaker 1>there with a minimum amount of parachue jumps on purpose

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<v Speaker 1>to be sure that what I was gathering would be

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<v Speaker 1>applicable to pilots and afterronauts.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, it's interesting to note for those that are interested

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00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:25.440
<v Speaker 2>in the science of space science there that you're a

398
00:21:25.519 --> 00:21:29.240
<v Speaker 2>jump on that date in August of nineteen sixty pre dates,

399
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<v Speaker 2>if I'm correct, the Alan Shepherd launch of the first

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<v Speaker 2>suborbital flight around into space.

401
00:21:33.680 --> 00:21:39.000
<v Speaker 1>Correct. Oh, yes, yes, quite a bit so. Actually, I

402
00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:42.480
<v Speaker 1>was the first man in the space. It was an

403
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<v Speaker 1>audible to space. Well, I was the first man in space.

404
00:21:44.759 --> 00:21:49.599
<v Speaker 1>Space starts really at about sixty two thousand feet for

405
00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:52.759
<v Speaker 1>the man because above six two thousand feet that's where

406
00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:56.200
<v Speaker 1>blood boils and without a pressure suit you cannot live.

407
00:21:57.079 --> 00:22:00.960
<v Speaker 1>So for space it starts to sick two thousand feet.

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<v Speaker 2>No, colonel, we want to salute your service to the

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<v Speaker 2>United States Military, and as the story goes on, we'd

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<v Speaker 2>love to hear your comment about the rest of your career,

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00:22:09.000 --> 00:22:11.680
<v Speaker 2>A very important career that everybody needs to know about.

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<v Speaker 2>You were also involved as the commander of a very

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00:22:14.319 --> 00:22:18.079
<v Speaker 2>famous aircraft squadron known as the five to fifty fifth

414
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<v Speaker 2>Triple Nickel, which I know from Arizona here was one

415
00:22:21.240 --> 00:22:23.160
<v Speaker 2>of the first to also have the F fifteen at

416
00:22:23.200 --> 00:22:25.960
<v Speaker 2>Luke Air Force Base. Tell us all about the Triple Nickel.

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00:22:26.759 --> 00:22:28.839
<v Speaker 1>Well, it was a great squadron, and you're right. They

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00:22:28.880 --> 00:22:32.680
<v Speaker 1>had the first F fifteens and they came there from

419
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<v Speaker 1>Clark and they were its first unit to f F

420
00:22:37.160 --> 00:22:39.880
<v Speaker 1>fifteens and checked out all the F fifteen files in

421
00:22:39.920 --> 00:22:43.599
<v Speaker 1>the Air Force. The Triple Nickel we shot down more

422
00:22:43.680 --> 00:22:48.119
<v Speaker 1>bigs than any other squadron it was in Vietnam, Navy

423
00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:52.839
<v Speaker 1>or Air Force. We had a great bunch of warriors

424
00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:56.160
<v Speaker 1>that did a very good job. And I was a

425
00:22:56.160 --> 00:23:01.000
<v Speaker 1>proud commander of that organization for a year before I

426
00:23:01.039 --> 00:23:04.160
<v Speaker 1>got shot down. It was a great group of people,

427
00:23:04.480 --> 00:23:07.440
<v Speaker 1>and they're still great right now. They're going haveviano flying

428
00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:10.799
<v Speaker 1>F sixteen's and they're still in a great organization.

429
00:23:11.519 --> 00:23:13.880
<v Speaker 2>We also need to say, as a member of the

430
00:23:14.000 --> 00:23:16.240
<v Speaker 2>Armed Forces, you did serve your time not only with

431
00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:19.279
<v Speaker 2>the United States Military, but you were held captive for

432
00:23:19.359 --> 00:23:21.720
<v Speaker 2>some eleven months when you were shot down in May eleventh,

433
00:23:21.799 --> 00:23:25.079
<v Speaker 2>nineteen sixty two, nineteen seventy two. Excuse me, and among

434
00:23:25.119 --> 00:23:27.039
<v Speaker 2>the other folks that I'm sure you know very well,

435
00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:30.559
<v Speaker 2>similar stories, like Senator John McCain and also Admiral Stockdale,

436
00:23:30.920 --> 00:23:33.400
<v Speaker 2>And again, sir, we just want to salute your service

437
00:23:33.440 --> 00:23:34.640
<v Speaker 2>to the United States Military.

438
00:23:35.559 --> 00:23:39.480
<v Speaker 1>I actually had three tours in Vietnam, and I was

439
00:23:39.519 --> 00:23:43.599
<v Speaker 1>there from sixty three, sixty four, sixty six, sixty seven,

440
00:23:44.200 --> 00:23:50.920
<v Speaker 1>and seventy one seventy two, and I had over one

441
00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:54.119
<v Speaker 1>thousand hours of combat four hundred and eighty three combat sorties.

442
00:23:54.839 --> 00:23:57.480
<v Speaker 1>And you know, I really believe in what we're doing.

443
00:23:58.119 --> 00:24:01.319
<v Speaker 2>We certainly salute you as anyone who was killed captive

444
00:24:01.400 --> 00:24:04.319
<v Speaker 2>and none of us understand what one goes through, and

445
00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:06.960
<v Speaker 2>obviously eleven months, I don't know how I would manage

446
00:24:07.079 --> 00:24:10.440
<v Speaker 2>the time, Colonel, being kept away from family and my

447
00:24:10.519 --> 00:24:14.319
<v Speaker 2>military comrades. Again, we salute you for all the service

448
00:24:14.359 --> 00:24:17.079
<v Speaker 2>that you've given to this great nation. But back to

449
00:24:17.119 --> 00:24:19.680
<v Speaker 2>the subject matter of your love of ballooning in the

450
00:24:19.720 --> 00:24:22.960
<v Speaker 2>time we have a lot of Today, another amazing historic

451
00:24:23.000 --> 00:24:26.799
<v Speaker 2>milestone has achieved. In September of nineteen eighty four, Colonel

452
00:24:26.880 --> 00:24:30.599
<v Speaker 2>tell us about this wonderful opportunity to fly solo across

453
00:24:30.599 --> 00:24:31.200
<v Speaker 2>the Atlantic.

454
00:24:31.839 --> 00:24:34.640
<v Speaker 1>Well, now, doctor Scott was ten year that was twenty

455
00:24:34.759 --> 00:24:38.480
<v Speaker 1>years ago. Twenty years ago. Next month I made the

456
00:24:38.640 --> 00:24:41.839
<v Speaker 1>first solo balloon flight across the Atlantic Ocean. It had

457
00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:44.880
<v Speaker 1>never been done before. We did it just for an adventure.

458
00:24:45.359 --> 00:24:47.440
<v Speaker 1>We did it just because it never been done before.

459
00:24:47.880 --> 00:24:50.079
<v Speaker 1>We did it to have a good time, and we

460
00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:52.839
<v Speaker 1>did exactly that. I had a great group of people

461
00:24:52.880 --> 00:24:55.880
<v Speaker 1>that were my sponsors, and we had an awful lot

462
00:24:55.880 --> 00:24:58.759
<v Speaker 1>of fun doing it. It flew for three and a

463
00:24:58.799 --> 00:25:01.640
<v Speaker 1>half days to go off from Maine and Atlanta in Italy,

464
00:25:02.240 --> 00:25:05.480
<v Speaker 1>and it was just a blast. I also, of course,

465
00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:09.799
<v Speaker 1>was in the Gordon Bennet balloon races. And next month

466
00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:14.079
<v Speaker 1>in Albuquerque, I'm going to be flying another gas balloon

467
00:25:14.799 --> 00:25:19.519
<v Speaker 1>in a race from Albuquerque and Saturday, the second of October.

468
00:25:19.799 --> 00:25:22.759
<v Speaker 2>Well, that's always a mecca watch for the balloon fans,

469
00:25:23.000 --> 00:25:25.839
<v Speaker 2>the amateurs and the folks that not are just amateurs,

470
00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:28.920
<v Speaker 2>but the real diehards of the sport of aerial balloading.

471
00:25:29.000 --> 00:25:31.440
<v Speaker 2>And this is what a major event that occurs in

472
00:25:31.480 --> 00:25:34.559
<v Speaker 2>October every year in Albuquerque, right, yes.

473
00:25:34.480 --> 00:25:38.000
<v Speaker 1>Sir, every year. I guess that twenty six anniverts of

474
00:25:38.039 --> 00:25:40.319
<v Speaker 1>my This's been happening for a long time. But that's

475
00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:46.200
<v Speaker 1>the fantastic ceremony. They'll have a thousand balloons there that

476
00:25:46.279 --> 00:25:50.680
<v Speaker 1>will take off for a various flights. But the balloon

477
00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:54.160
<v Speaker 1>that I'm flying in are gas balloons, and there will

478
00:25:54.240 --> 00:25:56.480
<v Speaker 1>be about twenty of those gas balloons in the race.

479
00:25:56.720 --> 00:25:57.680
<v Speaker 2>Not hot air balloons.

480
00:25:57.720 --> 00:25:59.880
<v Speaker 1>They're not hot air balloon. This is gas using the

481
00:26:00.039 --> 00:26:02.400
<v Speaker 1>helium gas helium gas. Interesting.

482
00:26:02.839 --> 00:26:05.480
<v Speaker 2>Now, on this flight with Rosio Grady across the Atlantic,

483
00:26:05.480 --> 00:26:08.480
<v Speaker 2>you're up ten thousand to seventeen thousand feet. What's that

484
00:26:08.559 --> 00:26:11.599
<v Speaker 2>experience like because obviously you need actrogyen at certain levels,

485
00:26:11.599 --> 00:26:14.359
<v Speaker 2>but what do you see do you see airliners passing by,

486
00:26:14.519 --> 00:26:17.119
<v Speaker 2>not close, of course, but what's the experience like at

487
00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:17.519
<v Speaker 2>that height?

488
00:26:18.599 --> 00:26:22.039
<v Speaker 1>Well, actually, the highest altitude that I got was about

489
00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:26.039
<v Speaker 1>twenty two thousand feet and the airliners are up at

490
00:26:26.079 --> 00:26:31.119
<v Speaker 1>thirty to forty thousand feet, so I never saw any airliners.

491
00:26:31.279 --> 00:26:34.920
<v Speaker 1>I did get boomed twice by the concord. It's scared

492
00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:35.720
<v Speaker 1>the daylight.

493
00:26:35.440 --> 00:26:37.720
<v Speaker 2>Side of me because that must have been an experience.

494
00:26:37.759 --> 00:26:39.720
<v Speaker 1>That was quite an experience, and of course I had

495
00:26:39.759 --> 00:26:41.880
<v Speaker 1>no idea what was going to happen, and first time

496
00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:44.480
<v Speaker 1>it happened, it just scared the daylight side, I mean,

497
00:26:44.519 --> 00:26:47.079
<v Speaker 1>but after that then I realized what it was. It

498
00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:49.400
<v Speaker 1>didn't bother me so much the next time. But the

499
00:26:49.440 --> 00:26:54.319
<v Speaker 1>airliners are much higher than I was in my flight,

500
00:26:54.359 --> 00:26:57.640
<v Speaker 1>and of course I was on oxygen a great deal

501
00:26:57.640 --> 00:27:01.160
<v Speaker 1>of the time. In the half days I slept two

502
00:27:01.200 --> 00:27:03.720
<v Speaker 1>and a half hours. I would sleep ten minutes at

503
00:27:03.720 --> 00:27:08.680
<v Speaker 1>a time. And it was a it was an exciting

504
00:27:08.920 --> 00:27:11.319
<v Speaker 1>it was an exciting flight and never been done before,

505
00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:14.799
<v Speaker 1>and we wanted to do something it was unique, and

506
00:27:15.079 --> 00:27:16.160
<v Speaker 1>this was a unique event.

507
00:27:16.799 --> 00:27:18.960
<v Speaker 2>I'm not as current as you are in the history

508
00:27:18.960 --> 00:27:23.880
<v Speaker 2>of man ballooning, but am I correct that Albuquerque residents. Also, Max,

509
00:27:24.240 --> 00:27:26.799
<v Speaker 2>I'm trying to think of ben A Bruzzo and Maxi

510
00:27:26.839 --> 00:27:30.079
<v Speaker 2>Anderson were also involved in across a transatlantic flight too.

511
00:27:30.480 --> 00:27:35.920
<v Speaker 1>They made the first flight with three man crew, Maxi

512
00:27:36.039 --> 00:27:41.599
<v Speaker 1>Anderson and Bena Bruso. They made that flight in nineteen

513
00:27:42.960 --> 00:27:48.200
<v Speaker 1>seventy eight and they they took off a main and

514
00:27:48.279 --> 00:27:49.839
<v Speaker 1>landed in France.

515
00:27:51.039 --> 00:27:53.559
<v Speaker 2>Well, it's been a pleasure, Colonel. I wish we had

516
00:27:53.599 --> 00:27:55.759
<v Speaker 2>more time here on the show today. But in closing,

517
00:27:55.799 --> 00:27:57.680
<v Speaker 2>if you could for about a minute, could you tell

518
00:27:57.759 --> 00:28:00.440
<v Speaker 2>us what's new with Colonel Kittinger and us, what some

519
00:28:00.440 --> 00:28:02.240
<v Speaker 2>of the activities you're involved in, and how can people

520
00:28:02.240 --> 00:28:03.799
<v Speaker 2>get in touch with you if they'd like to learn

521
00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:05.079
<v Speaker 2>more about what you've done.

522
00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:07.480
<v Speaker 1>Well, first of all, it's pad. There's a pretty good

523
00:28:07.480 --> 00:28:11.400
<v Speaker 1>book called The pre Astronauts written by Craig Ryan, which

524
00:28:12.160 --> 00:28:14.240
<v Speaker 1>describes a lot of the research that we did back

525
00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:18.039
<v Speaker 1>in those days. And folks are interested in that era

526
00:28:18.119 --> 00:28:20.200
<v Speaker 1>and that research we did. That book is a real

527
00:28:20.240 --> 00:28:23.200
<v Speaker 1>good book, and it's on Amazon dot com and I'm

528
00:28:23.200 --> 00:28:29.440
<v Speaker 1>sure in yngshy bookstore. The sky is still my office.

529
00:28:30.119 --> 00:28:33.640
<v Speaker 1>I still fly balloons, I still fly airplanes, and I

530
00:28:33.680 --> 00:28:36.799
<v Speaker 1>still have the love of aviation I've always had, and

531
00:28:36.839 --> 00:28:39.000
<v Speaker 1>I'm going to keep flying as long as I possibly

532
00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:41.480
<v Speaker 1>can because I really love it, and I love the

533
00:28:41.480 --> 00:28:43.960
<v Speaker 1>people that are associated with it, and it's just an

534
00:28:44.000 --> 00:28:44.720
<v Speaker 1>awful lot of fun.

535
00:28:45.079 --> 00:28:47.400
<v Speaker 2>Oh, ladies and gentlemen, you've heard it from the man himself.

536
00:28:47.440 --> 00:28:50.480
<v Speaker 2>We include our interview proudly and thank him ahead of time,

537
00:28:50.599 --> 00:28:54.680
<v Speaker 2>Colonel Joe Kittinger, retired Air Force Colonel, and we want

538
00:28:54.680 --> 00:28:56.880
<v Speaker 2>to thank him for being part of our program today

539
00:28:56.920 --> 00:29:01.079
<v Speaker 2>here on teen talknetwork dot com and our flagship news

540
00:29:01.119 --> 00:29:04.200
<v Speaker 2>Talk eleven hundred that is kfn X, the fifty thousand

541
00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:07.519
<v Speaker 2>and one powerhouse of the Desert Southwest. Colonel, I look

542
00:29:07.559 --> 00:29:09.240
<v Speaker 2>forward to staying in touch with you, and if by

543
00:29:09.319 --> 00:29:11.880
<v Speaker 2>chance I can make another trip out to the Florida area,

544
00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:14.160
<v Speaker 2>I love your permission to be able to meet you

545
00:29:14.279 --> 00:29:14.880
<v Speaker 2>face to face.

546
00:29:15.720 --> 00:29:16.319
<v Speaker 1>Give me a call.

547
00:29:16.440 --> 00:29:20.079
<v Speaker 2>E Oh, thank you, sir, and that concludes our program today.

548
00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:22.279
<v Speaker 2>Thank you for listening to the Doctor Sky Show heard

549
00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:25.279
<v Speaker 2>each week as you know on teen Talknework dot com

550
00:29:25.319 --> 00:29:28.920
<v Speaker 2>and news Talk eleven hundred k FNX and Phoenix from

551
00:29:28.960 --> 00:29:31.640
<v Speaker 2>Doctor Sky to all of you, always keep your eyes

552
00:29:31.880 --> 00:29:34.200
<v Speaker 2>to the skies. Thank you, Colonel Good afternoon everyone. I'm

553
00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:37.680
<v Speaker 2>Steve Kats doctor Sky once again here on teen talknetwork

554
00:29:37.799 --> 00:29:42.640
<v Speaker 2>dot com, where we bring you from the world of aviation, astronomy, aerospace,

555
00:29:43.160 --> 00:29:46.759
<v Speaker 2>and of course the subject science of weather. Newsbreakers, those

556
00:29:46.799 --> 00:29:50.119
<v Speaker 2>that make news and have made news in these wonderful sciences.

557
00:30:05.480 --> 00:30:08.240
<v Speaker 2>And today's program we have our very special guest, the

558
00:30:08.359 --> 00:30:12.799
<v Speaker 2>United States Air Force retired Colonel Joseph Kittinger, Junior, who,

559
00:30:12.839 --> 00:30:16.240
<v Speaker 2>as we discuss his background here on teen talknetwork dot com,

560
00:30:16.359 --> 00:30:19.640
<v Speaker 2>I'm sure everyone listening will be fascinated about the stories

561
00:30:19.680 --> 00:30:23.000
<v Speaker 2>of what Colonel Kittinger will tell us. Colonel Kittinger, Welcome

562
00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:24.480
<v Speaker 2>to teen talknetwork dot com.

563
00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:27.480
<v Speaker 1>Well, thanks, Steve, I'm delighted to be invited to be

564
00:30:27.480 --> 00:30:28.119
<v Speaker 1>on the program.

565
00:30:28.240 --> 00:30:31.240
<v Speaker 2>Well, thanks so much for joining us today. One of

566
00:30:31.279 --> 00:30:33.279
<v Speaker 2>the most amazing things, and I'm sure a lot of

567
00:30:33.319 --> 00:30:36.720
<v Speaker 2>students out there when they study aviation, your name, of course,

568
00:30:36.759 --> 00:30:40.200
<v Speaker 2>will come up in the wonderful world of aviation because

569
00:30:40.240 --> 00:30:42.920
<v Speaker 2>of any things that you've done in your career. But

570
00:30:42.960 --> 00:30:45.039
<v Speaker 2>before we get into that, if you be kind enough

571
00:30:45.039 --> 00:30:47.200
<v Speaker 2>to explain to us how you got started with the

572
00:30:47.240 --> 00:30:49.640
<v Speaker 2>Air Force and aviation and we'll start from there.

573
00:30:50.880 --> 00:30:55.559
<v Speaker 1>Well, Steve, as a small boy, I just I had

574
00:30:55.599 --> 00:30:58.279
<v Speaker 1>a dream that I wanted to be an aviator. That

575
00:30:58.440 --> 00:31:01.039
<v Speaker 1>was my first wish, my first love. That was my

576
00:31:01.119 --> 00:31:04.240
<v Speaker 1>field of dreams. Uh, that was what that was what

577
00:31:04.279 --> 00:31:06.640
<v Speaker 1>I was thinking about. And and one day my father

578
00:31:06.680 --> 00:31:10.359
<v Speaker 1>took me aside and said, Joey said, you know you can.

579
00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:12.960
<v Speaker 1>You can always reach your dreams. But you got to

580
00:31:13.000 --> 00:31:15.400
<v Speaker 1>work for it. He said, you got to study harder.

581
00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:18.119
<v Speaker 1>I said, well, father, I thought if I just had

582
00:31:18.119 --> 00:31:20.400
<v Speaker 1>a dream, but it would happen. And my father said, no,

583
00:31:20.880 --> 00:31:23.960
<v Speaker 1>you have to work hard for it. And uh, that

584
00:31:24.119 --> 00:31:26.680
<v Speaker 1>changed my whole philosophy because all of a sudden, I

585
00:31:27.559 --> 00:31:31.200
<v Speaker 1>started applying myself in school where I figured if I

586
00:31:31.240 --> 00:31:34.160
<v Speaker 1>could dream about something and and and fantasize about it,

587
00:31:34.160 --> 00:31:36.920
<v Speaker 1>of what happened. But it's life's not like that way.

588
00:31:37.400 --> 00:31:39.559
<v Speaker 1>If you want something really hard, you've got to work

589
00:31:39.599 --> 00:31:42.839
<v Speaker 1>hard for it. And and that that's that's a lesson

590
00:31:42.920 --> 00:31:48.240
<v Speaker 1>I think that everyone should should address, because I've never

591
00:31:48.319 --> 00:31:52.720
<v Speaker 1>met a successful person yet. Steve that that that was

592
00:31:52.759 --> 00:31:55.599
<v Speaker 1>not a person that worked hard. There's no such thing

593
00:31:55.640 --> 00:31:58.480
<v Speaker 1>as a free gift in life. It requires a lot

594
00:31:58.519 --> 00:32:02.079
<v Speaker 1>of hard effort and work on everyone's part. And then

595
00:32:02.160 --> 00:32:04.200
<v Speaker 1>you can succeed, but to just sit there and dream

596
00:32:04.200 --> 00:32:05.519
<v Speaker 1>about it, nothing's going to happen.

597
00:32:05.599 --> 00:32:08.440
<v Speaker 2>You're absolutely right, Colonel Joe. And from your start in

598
00:32:08.920 --> 00:32:11.960
<v Speaker 2>going to school studying aviation and then going into the

599
00:32:12.000 --> 00:32:15.119
<v Speaker 2>Air Force, what I find most fascinating with that good

600
00:32:15.119 --> 00:32:18.200
<v Speaker 2>advice is that you did do something about that. And

601
00:32:18.519 --> 00:32:21.319
<v Speaker 2>if you tell us briefly about your Air Force career

602
00:32:21.400 --> 00:32:25.119
<v Speaker 2>and how you actually got started there and then when

603
00:32:25.119 --> 00:32:27.079
<v Speaker 2>you moved on to the program that we'd like to

604
00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:32.079
<v Speaker 2>discuss as the focus of the program today, manheigh ballooning

605
00:32:32.680 --> 00:32:34.839
<v Speaker 2>and the wonderful journey that you're going to tell us

606
00:32:34.880 --> 00:32:37.480
<v Speaker 2>about about some incredible feat that has yet to be

607
00:32:37.559 --> 00:32:41.400
<v Speaker 2>duplicated today jump from some one hundred and two thousand,

608
00:32:41.480 --> 00:32:43.839
<v Speaker 2>eight hundred feet above the earth. An incredible story that

609
00:32:43.880 --> 00:32:45.160
<v Speaker 2>you're about to tell us.

610
00:32:46.119 --> 00:32:49.200
<v Speaker 1>Well, I went to the University of Florida, and as

611
00:32:49.200 --> 00:32:54.599
<v Speaker 1>soon as I had a sufficient educational background to join

612
00:32:54.640 --> 00:32:57.640
<v Speaker 1>the Air Force, I did, and I went to pilot

613
00:32:57.680 --> 00:33:03.240
<v Speaker 1>training out in Texas, and after years of intense training,

614
00:33:03.680 --> 00:33:08.920
<v Speaker 1>I realized my dream of being a fighter pilot. And

615
00:33:09.279 --> 00:33:11.200
<v Speaker 1>that was one of the happiest days of my life

616
00:33:11.240 --> 00:33:14.359
<v Speaker 1>when I finally realized my dream that I'd worked my

617
00:33:14.440 --> 00:33:21.200
<v Speaker 1>whole life for. I then went into a fighter organization

618
00:33:21.920 --> 00:33:28.079
<v Speaker 1>in Germany. I was stationed in Germany and for almost

619
00:33:28.400 --> 00:33:32.400
<v Speaker 1>well for three years during the Korean War, I was

620
00:33:32.799 --> 00:33:36.839
<v Speaker 1>stationed in Germany, which I didn't have an opportunity to

621
00:33:36.880 --> 00:33:42.519
<v Speaker 1>serve in that conflict. But when I left that assignment,

622
00:33:42.559 --> 00:33:45.960
<v Speaker 1>I went to the Ever Research and Development Command and

623
00:33:46.000 --> 00:33:48.880
<v Speaker 1>where I volunteered to go there, and I was an

624
00:33:48.920 --> 00:33:54.319
<v Speaker 1>experimental test pilot and a fighter test business and that

625
00:33:54.400 --> 00:33:57.039
<v Speaker 1>was that was an awful lot of fun. I just

626
00:33:57.160 --> 00:33:59.680
<v Speaker 1>there's nothing but enjoyment for me to fly all these

627
00:33:59.680 --> 00:34:04.000
<v Speaker 1>different wonderful airplanes and and and and be able to

628
00:34:04.160 --> 00:34:07.640
<v Speaker 1>feel like I was contributing something to my country, but

629
00:34:07.720 --> 00:34:10.480
<v Speaker 1>at the same time having just an absolute blast flying

630
00:34:10.480 --> 00:34:14.880
<v Speaker 1>all these wonderful, beautiful uh Jet fighter aircraft that the

631
00:34:14.920 --> 00:34:19.320
<v Speaker 1>Air Force had at the time. And as a result

632
00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:23.519
<v Speaker 1>of that program, Steve I found out about the Air

633
00:34:23.519 --> 00:34:27.760
<v Speaker 1>Force entering into a program research program for the for

634
00:34:27.840 --> 00:34:32.679
<v Speaker 1>the coming space age, and the program was called Manhai.

635
00:34:33.559 --> 00:34:36.360
<v Speaker 1>Now in those days, we had not gone into space.

636
00:34:36.960 --> 00:34:39.599
<v Speaker 1>It was it was a dream that just a few

637
00:34:39.599 --> 00:34:42.280
<v Speaker 1>people had, and I worked for one of those men,

638
00:34:42.360 --> 00:34:46.599
<v Speaker 1>doctor John Paul Staff. He was the real visionary in

639
00:34:46.679 --> 00:34:50.079
<v Speaker 1>the Air Force in regards to the Air Force and

640
00:34:50.159 --> 00:34:54.599
<v Speaker 1>our country going into space. And this program that he started,

641
00:34:55.199 --> 00:34:59.320
<v Speaker 1>uh Manhai was to gather information about how we're going

642
00:34:59.360 --> 00:35:02.079
<v Speaker 1>to take care of and putting a man into a

643
00:35:02.079 --> 00:35:06.039
<v Speaker 1>space environment, what requirements will be, where there be for

644
00:35:06.119 --> 00:35:10.800
<v Speaker 1>training and selection and life support, equipment and communications and

645
00:35:11.000 --> 00:35:14.800
<v Speaker 1>all of the different facets of going into space. We

646
00:35:15.159 --> 00:35:19.360
<v Speaker 1>had little or new knowledge, and doctor Stapp's program was

647
00:35:19.400 --> 00:35:21.320
<v Speaker 1>to try to acquire that knowledge.

648
00:35:21.599 --> 00:35:24.719
<v Speaker 2>I understand if I'm correct that you were a participant

649
00:35:24.960 --> 00:35:27.559
<v Speaker 2>in the what we would call the rocket sled testing

650
00:35:28.199 --> 00:35:30.320
<v Speaker 2>in New Mexico. Is that also part of what doctor

651
00:35:30.360 --> 00:35:31.679
<v Speaker 2>Staff was working on.

652
00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:36.280
<v Speaker 1>Well? Of course, doctor Staff, he was such a visionary,

653
00:35:37.559 --> 00:35:40.199
<v Speaker 1>used to give you an idea. Back in the early

654
00:35:40.320 --> 00:35:43.800
<v Speaker 1>in the forties, the Air Force was losing more people

655
00:35:44.519 --> 00:35:48.519
<v Speaker 1>to automobile crashes, and they were airplane crashes, and doctor Stapp,

656
00:35:48.880 --> 00:35:54.440
<v Speaker 1>being a doctor, started a series of research programs using

657
00:35:55.199 --> 00:35:57.760
<v Speaker 1>dummies and so forth automobiles to come up with a

658
00:35:57.840 --> 00:36:01.000
<v Speaker 1>crash protection program for cars. As a matter of fact,

659
00:36:01.079 --> 00:36:03.320
<v Speaker 1>he was one of the first people in our country

660
00:36:03.519 --> 00:36:06.159
<v Speaker 1>that came up with the idea of safety belts. And

661
00:36:07.639 --> 00:36:09.800
<v Speaker 1>of all the things that doctor Staff did, I would

662
00:36:09.840 --> 00:36:14.079
<v Speaker 1>say that his research work that he did on safety belts,

663
00:36:15.199 --> 00:36:19.400
<v Speaker 1>it was probably the most profound. And he's little. He's

664
00:36:19.400 --> 00:36:22.239
<v Speaker 1>given a little recognition for this, but anyway, it was

665
00:36:22.519 --> 00:36:24.679
<v Speaker 1>an Air Force program that he had and he used

666
00:36:24.760 --> 00:36:28.719
<v Speaker 1>rocket sleds to acquire some of this data, and he

667
00:36:28.840 --> 00:36:32.119
<v Speaker 1>rode the rocket sled and then in nineteen fifty five

668
00:36:32.199 --> 00:36:36.239
<v Speaker 1>he made a rocket sled run over six hundred and

669
00:36:36.280 --> 00:36:39.360
<v Speaker 1>thirteen miles an hour, and he pulled minus forty one

670
00:36:39.440 --> 00:36:42.079
<v Speaker 1>gs when he crashed into the barrier at the end.

671
00:36:43.079 --> 00:36:48.440
<v Speaker 1>He established a limit to human physological deceleration and crashes

672
00:36:48.480 --> 00:36:49.760
<v Speaker 1>in high speed ejections.

673
00:36:50.000 --> 00:36:52.360
<v Speaker 2>And you're known as that hasn't been duplicated. I would have.

674
00:36:53.800 --> 00:36:56.360
<v Speaker 1>And I doubt if it will, Steve, because he came

675
00:36:56.800 --> 00:36:58.880
<v Speaker 1>very close to being killed in that experiment.

676
00:36:59.440 --> 00:37:01.960
<v Speaker 2>I read about this in the book that, of course,

677
00:37:02.039 --> 00:37:04.719
<v Speaker 2>is The pre Astronauts, which has written about yourself and

678
00:37:05.360 --> 00:37:09.719
<v Speaker 2>all about the lovely experiences and the mind boggling experiences

679
00:37:10.079 --> 00:37:13.360
<v Speaker 2>of the nineteen fifties and sixties. But when we see

680
00:37:13.400 --> 00:37:16.039
<v Speaker 2>these pictures, I mean, maybe you could explain to us,

681
00:37:16.079 --> 00:37:18.519
<v Speaker 2>Colonel Joe, what the rocket slid is really all about.

682
00:37:18.559 --> 00:37:20.679
<v Speaker 2>I think people might have an idea about this, but

683
00:37:20.719 --> 00:37:22.880
<v Speaker 2>maybe some students are kind of curious what that is.

684
00:37:24.000 --> 00:37:29.000
<v Speaker 1>Well, when a person crashes into an immovable object, there

685
00:37:29.079 --> 00:37:33.800
<v Speaker 1>is a tremendous deceleration associated with that. To duplicate this,

686
00:37:34.320 --> 00:37:38.119
<v Speaker 1>doctor Stapp used a rocket sled, and this sled actually

687
00:37:38.360 --> 00:37:41.920
<v Speaker 1>was a very fast rocket propelled sled with a booster

688
00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:44.599
<v Speaker 1>on it that got up to very high speeds and

689
00:37:44.639 --> 00:37:48.960
<v Speaker 1>then stopped in a very short distance. During this stopping,

690
00:37:49.159 --> 00:37:55.000
<v Speaker 1>the subject, doctor Stapp was subjected to these tremendous deceleration forces,

691
00:37:55.079 --> 00:37:58.039
<v Speaker 1>just like if he had made a car crash or

692
00:37:58.159 --> 00:38:03.559
<v Speaker 1>he had ejected from a very high speed aircraft, and

693
00:38:04.239 --> 00:38:08.039
<v Speaker 1>the forces on the body were just tremendous and he

694
00:38:08.199 --> 00:38:10.480
<v Speaker 1>was very fortunate that he lived through it. But the

695
00:38:10.519 --> 00:38:13.280
<v Speaker 1>fantastic thing about doctor Stapp was was that he knew

696
00:38:13.800 --> 00:38:16.360
<v Speaker 1>what was going to happen to him. He knew the

697
00:38:16.360 --> 00:38:18.679
<v Speaker 1>physical beating that he was going to take. But he

698
00:38:18.760 --> 00:38:20.960
<v Speaker 1>felt that that it was so important that we gather

699
00:38:21.039 --> 00:38:25.800
<v Speaker 1>this knowledge that he subjected himself to these tremendous forces.

700
00:38:26.320 --> 00:38:28.760
<v Speaker 1>He's the bravest man I've ever met in my life.

701
00:38:28.800 --> 00:38:31.079
<v Speaker 1>Was doctor John Paul Staff because he knew exactly what

702
00:38:31.119 --> 00:38:33.159
<v Speaker 1>was going to happen to him, but he took that

703
00:38:33.320 --> 00:38:36.480
<v Speaker 1>chance knowing that we needed this information for not only

704
00:38:36.519 --> 00:38:39.320
<v Speaker 1>for our space program and protection for pilots he checking

705
00:38:39.719 --> 00:38:42.239
<v Speaker 1>the aircraft, but for christ protection also.

706
00:38:42.519 --> 00:38:45.000
<v Speaker 2>Oh, Colonel Joe, it's great that we're talking about these

707
00:38:45.039 --> 00:38:48.400
<v Speaker 2>subjects because I think people like doctor Stamp, we don't

708
00:38:48.440 --> 00:38:51.039
<v Speaker 2>see a lot of recognition in the modern world today

709
00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:54.400
<v Speaker 2>about the pioneers. And once again it's we're very fortunate

710
00:38:54.480 --> 00:38:58.760
<v Speaker 2>to have you explaining this wonderful story. But to transition

711
00:38:58.920 --> 00:39:02.039
<v Speaker 2>onto your career back in nineteen fifty seven, it appears

712
00:39:02.079 --> 00:39:05.000
<v Speaker 2>that you become involved in a project called Project Manheigh,

713
00:39:05.599 --> 00:39:08.239
<v Speaker 2>which are what balloon flights where you're sitting in some

714
00:39:08.320 --> 00:39:10.679
<v Speaker 2>sort of a gondola to go up to the higher

715
00:39:10.800 --> 00:39:12.119
<v Speaker 2>levels of the atmospheres.

716
00:39:12.159 --> 00:39:15.159
<v Speaker 1>Are correct, yes, Steve, But first of all you say, well,

717
00:39:15.159 --> 00:39:17.840
<v Speaker 1>why is use a balloon? Well, because there wasn't any

718
00:39:17.920 --> 00:39:20.719
<v Speaker 1>aircraft that would get up there. There wasn't any spacecraft

719
00:39:20.719 --> 00:39:22.840
<v Speaker 1>that would get up there. So the only way that

720
00:39:22.920 --> 00:39:25.840
<v Speaker 1>we could gather this data was to use Man's oldest

721
00:39:25.840 --> 00:39:30.760
<v Speaker 1>stereal vehicle, which was a balloon vehicle. The balloon really

722
00:39:30.760 --> 00:39:34.239
<v Speaker 1>complicated the matter because if we'd had an aircraft we

723
00:39:34.280 --> 00:39:36.840
<v Speaker 1>could have gotten up there to do this experimentation with

724
00:39:37.280 --> 00:39:39.760
<v Speaker 1>it would have been much simpler, much easier. But the

725
00:39:39.800 --> 00:39:42.599
<v Speaker 1>balloon was the only vehicle that we had in those

726
00:39:42.719 --> 00:39:45.639
<v Speaker 1>days to get to these very high altitudes to do

727
00:39:45.679 --> 00:39:50.320
<v Speaker 1>these types of scientific investigations.

728
00:39:49.559 --> 00:39:51.679
<v Speaker 2>On your first flame, How did it feel for you

729
00:39:51.800 --> 00:39:53.880
<v Speaker 2>to be encased in this? So I imagine a small

730
00:39:53.920 --> 00:39:57.199
<v Speaker 2>gondola and you're basically the only contact with the ground

731
00:39:57.280 --> 00:39:59.920
<v Speaker 2>is of course by radio. But what's that feeling lying

732
00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:01.639
<v Speaker 2>and how long as a take to ascend to these

733
00:40:01.719 --> 00:40:02.559
<v Speaker 2>kind of altitudes.

734
00:40:03.559 --> 00:40:07.679
<v Speaker 1>Well, first of all, Steve, this gondola was four foot

735
00:40:08.119 --> 00:40:11.360
<v Speaker 1>actually three feet across and seven feet high. It was

736
00:40:11.440 --> 00:40:14.559
<v Speaker 1>really smaller than a phone booth. And of course today

737
00:40:14.960 --> 00:40:17.800
<v Speaker 1>young kids don't know what a phone booth is, but

738
00:40:17.840 --> 00:40:22.079
<v Speaker 1>back in my day they were a small building that

739
00:40:22.159 --> 00:40:26.079
<v Speaker 1>you'd go into to make a telephone call. But anyway,

740
00:40:26.119 --> 00:40:28.159
<v Speaker 1>it was very small. It was small for a reason.

741
00:40:28.199 --> 00:40:30.079
<v Speaker 1>It was small because we knew when we went into

742
00:40:30.119 --> 00:40:32.239
<v Speaker 1>space that the man was going to be in a

743
00:40:32.400 --> 00:40:38.559
<v Speaker 1>very small, confined cockpitar capsule, and we wanted to design

744
00:40:39.039 --> 00:40:42.079
<v Speaker 1>systems that would work in a small confined area, and

745
00:40:42.119 --> 00:40:44.719
<v Speaker 1>we wanted a man to be in a small confined area.

746
00:40:45.480 --> 00:40:48.920
<v Speaker 1>And when I made that first flight, which was in

747
00:40:49.000 --> 00:40:52.039
<v Speaker 1>June of nineteen fifty seven, no man had ever been

748
00:40:52.360 --> 00:40:55.480
<v Speaker 1>aloft above the Earth's atmosphere for a prolong period of

749
00:40:55.480 --> 00:40:58.519
<v Speaker 1>time like I was going to be. I was a

750
00:40:58.559 --> 00:41:03.719
<v Speaker 1>trained fighter pilot, experimental fighter pilot. I was a trained parachutist.

751
00:41:04.559 --> 00:41:07.880
<v Speaker 1>I was a research engineer, and I was there in

752
00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:11.039
<v Speaker 1>that capacity as a research engineer, together the data that

753
00:41:11.079 --> 00:41:14.480
<v Speaker 1>we needed preparation for the space program.

754
00:41:14.519 --> 00:41:17.840
<v Speaker 2>And what's fascinating, Colonel is not as many people listening

755
00:41:17.960 --> 00:41:20.400
<v Speaker 2>probably do know, and if they don't, this is before

756
00:41:20.440 --> 00:41:23.639
<v Speaker 2>the launch of Sputnik and also before the launch of

757
00:41:23.679 --> 00:41:26.519
<v Speaker 2>the first supposed human in space Euriga Gharan.

758
00:41:27.519 --> 00:41:31.840
<v Speaker 1>Oh yes, this was two years actually three years before

759
00:41:32.079 --> 00:41:38.960
<v Speaker 1>any other man's space program. And we were there because

760
00:41:38.960 --> 00:41:41.519
<v Speaker 1>we knew that well. Doctor stapp was a proponent of this.

761
00:41:41.679 --> 00:41:43.760
<v Speaker 1>Doctor Stapf knew we were going into space. He was

762
00:41:43.800 --> 00:41:45.719
<v Speaker 1>one of the few people that really had faith that

763
00:41:45.800 --> 00:41:49.039
<v Speaker 1>we were going into space, and he knew that we

764
00:41:49.119 --> 00:41:53.119
<v Speaker 1>needed this information to prepare us for that step. The

765
00:41:53.159 --> 00:41:58.039
<v Speaker 1>information that we gathered in our research programs assisted us

766
00:41:58.639 --> 00:42:02.360
<v Speaker 1>our nation in Gidegan space. We didn't make it happen,

767
00:42:02.360 --> 00:42:05.639
<v Speaker 1>but we learned lessons and we learned, we gathered data

768
00:42:05.679 --> 00:42:09.320
<v Speaker 1>that helped us in the file analysis to go into

769
00:42:09.400 --> 00:42:10.960
<v Speaker 1>space in a safe manner.

770
00:42:11.039 --> 00:42:14.199
<v Speaker 2>And for attaining these altitude high projects. Of course, with

771
00:42:14.280 --> 00:42:17.400
<v Speaker 2>Project man High, you're awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for

772
00:42:17.519 --> 00:42:19.719
<v Speaker 2>doing this over one of your period of a few flights.

773
00:42:20.719 --> 00:42:25.480
<v Speaker 1>Yes, I was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for this program,

774
00:42:26.320 --> 00:42:32.440
<v Speaker 1>which I was certainly honored by that. And then I

775
00:42:32.519 --> 00:42:39.119
<v Speaker 1>left and went on to another program, which was Project Excelsior.

776
00:42:40.639 --> 00:42:44.079
<v Speaker 1>Whereas the first flight was how to protect a man

777
00:42:44.199 --> 00:42:48.639
<v Speaker 1>in a space environment, how to have communications in physiological monitoring,

778
00:42:48.679 --> 00:42:51.519
<v Speaker 1>and how to train an astronaut, how select an astronaut.

779
00:42:52.000 --> 00:42:55.719
<v Speaker 1>The purpose of Excelsior was to gather information about how

780
00:42:55.719 --> 00:42:57.719
<v Speaker 1>to protect a man in a space environment in a

781
00:42:57.719 --> 00:43:00.639
<v Speaker 1>pressure suit, and how to provide a means of emergency

782
00:43:00.719 --> 00:43:05.159
<v Speaker 1>escape from very high altitude. And on this program I

783
00:43:05.280 --> 00:43:09.960
<v Speaker 1>went up to altitude of actually made three parachute jumps

784
00:43:11.239 --> 00:43:15.679
<v Speaker 1>ever higher, one from seventy six thousand from seventy five thousand,

785
00:43:15.719 --> 00:43:17.760
<v Speaker 1>and a third one from one hundred and three thousand

786
00:43:17.840 --> 00:43:22.000
<v Speaker 1>feet Now, we weren't there to set records. We were

787
00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:25.480
<v Speaker 1>there to gather data, to gather information that we needed

788
00:43:25.480 --> 00:43:26.639
<v Speaker 1>for our space program.

789
00:43:27.239 --> 00:43:30.119
<v Speaker 2>Put on the Mitida of Ugust sixteenth, nineteen sixty this

790
00:43:30.280 --> 00:43:33.880
<v Speaker 2>one hundred and two eight hundred foot high attempt again

791
00:43:33.960 --> 00:43:37.280
<v Speaker 2>the world record. I believe you do something very special here,

792
00:43:37.320 --> 00:43:39.519
<v Speaker 2>and if you'd be kind enough to tell us you're

793
00:43:39.599 --> 00:43:42.760
<v Speaker 2>up there, you're then taking this big leap of faith,

794
00:43:42.800 --> 00:43:45.320
<v Speaker 2>as you call it, and you could describe to everybody

795
00:43:45.360 --> 00:43:47.159
<v Speaker 2>listening to me. Now, folks, this is when I think

796
00:43:47.199 --> 00:43:49.840
<v Speaker 2>one of the most amazing stories in here here is

797
00:43:49.880 --> 00:43:53.119
<v Speaker 2>a person as a pre astronaut stepping out of a

798
00:43:53.159 --> 00:43:56.280
<v Speaker 2>balloon at the outer edges of the atmosphere. And let

799
00:43:56.280 --> 00:43:58.480
<v Speaker 2>me not take the thunder away, Colonel Joe, tell us

800
00:43:58.480 --> 00:44:00.920
<v Speaker 2>exactly what happened in those more when you reach the

801
00:44:00.960 --> 00:44:03.679
<v Speaker 2>altitude and were prepared to make this historic.

802
00:44:03.400 --> 00:44:06.840
<v Speaker 1>Jont Well, first of all, it took about an hour

803
00:44:06.880 --> 00:44:09.519
<v Speaker 1>and a half to get up there. The gondola was

804
00:44:09.519 --> 00:44:12.199
<v Speaker 1>not pressurized, just an open gondola with a door when

805
00:44:12.199 --> 00:44:14.960
<v Speaker 1>I could look out and see the earth beneath me

806
00:44:15.000 --> 00:44:18.480
<v Speaker 1>as I went aloft. When I got to one hundred

807
00:44:18.480 --> 00:44:21.639
<v Speaker 1>and three thousand feet. That was above ninety nine percent

808
00:44:21.679 --> 00:44:25.679
<v Speaker 1>of the Earth's atmosphere. The pressure at sea level is

809
00:44:25.719 --> 00:44:28.920
<v Speaker 1>about seven hundred and twenty milimeters. The pressure at one

810
00:44:29.039 --> 00:44:32.360
<v Speaker 1>hundred and three thousand feet is five millimeters. It's almost

811
00:44:32.360 --> 00:44:35.760
<v Speaker 1>a vacuum. It is very close to be the same

812
00:44:35.920 --> 00:44:38.039
<v Speaker 1>environment that's on the Moon. Of course, the moon is zero,

813
00:44:38.840 --> 00:44:41.239
<v Speaker 1>but we're only five millimeters, So we were close to

814
00:44:41.320 --> 00:44:44.519
<v Speaker 1>an atmosphere to a condition that was similar to being

815
00:44:44.559 --> 00:44:51.000
<v Speaker 1>in walking on the Moon. I had forty six different

816
00:44:51.039 --> 00:44:53.519
<v Speaker 1>items I had to go through my checklist when I

817
00:44:53.519 --> 00:44:56.840
<v Speaker 1>got to altitude. Prior to jumping, I drifted for about

818
00:44:56.880 --> 00:45:00.679
<v Speaker 1>eleven minutes. As I drifted over the exact jump point,

819
00:45:01.559 --> 00:45:04.400
<v Speaker 1>I went through my completed my checklist, I just connected

820
00:45:04.480 --> 00:45:07.840
<v Speaker 1>all my equipment. I stood up, I set a silent prayer.

821
00:45:07.920 --> 00:45:09.679
<v Speaker 1>I said, Lord take care of me now, and I

822
00:45:09.840 --> 00:45:14.280
<v Speaker 1>jumped out the door, razing. I rolled over my back

823
00:45:14.920 --> 00:45:18.079
<v Speaker 1>and I thought that I was amazed because I saw

824
00:45:18.119 --> 00:45:22.360
<v Speaker 1>this balloon and the gondola just roaring into space, and

825
00:45:22.440 --> 00:45:25.079
<v Speaker 1>I couldn't believe it how fast it was going. And

826
00:45:25.119 --> 00:45:27.119
<v Speaker 1>then I realized that I was the one that was

827
00:45:27.159 --> 00:45:29.880
<v Speaker 1>going fast, and lou was just stitting sitting there, and

828
00:45:29.920 --> 00:45:33.079
<v Speaker 1>I was going down at a fantastic rate. Now because

829
00:45:33.079 --> 00:45:36.880
<v Speaker 1>there's no atmosphere there, I reached very high speed. I

830
00:45:36.920 --> 00:45:39.000
<v Speaker 1>was the first man to go super psychic without an airplane.

831
00:45:39.039 --> 00:45:42.159
<v Speaker 1>I was seven hundred and fourteen miles an hour, had

832
00:45:42.199 --> 00:45:45.559
<v Speaker 1>about ninety thousand feet and from ninety thousand feet down,

833
00:45:45.639 --> 00:45:49.840
<v Speaker 1>I kept slowing down as the atmosphere increased, the pressure increased.

834
00:45:49.920 --> 00:45:53.519
<v Speaker 1>I kept constantly slowing down, and I free fell for

835
00:45:53.559 --> 00:45:57.960
<v Speaker 1>four minutes and thirty six seconds and my parachute opened

836
00:45:57.960 --> 00:46:03.599
<v Speaker 1>at about fourteen thousand feet and about ten minutes later

837
00:46:03.639 --> 00:46:06.360
<v Speaker 1>I was landed on the ground in New Mexico.

838
00:46:07.559 --> 00:46:10.840
<v Speaker 2>Colonel Joe, when you're going at the speed approaching that

839
00:46:10.960 --> 00:46:14.079
<v Speaker 2>of sound and beyond, what's that feeling? What was that

840
00:46:14.159 --> 00:46:17.000
<v Speaker 2>feeling like? I mean, do you feel anything? Do you

841
00:46:17.079 --> 00:46:19.719
<v Speaker 2>break the sound barrier or is there any sensation that

842
00:46:19.760 --> 00:46:20.639
<v Speaker 2>you could tell us.

843
00:46:20.480 --> 00:46:24.960
<v Speaker 1>About or no. I was going extremely fast, Steve, and

844
00:46:25.320 --> 00:46:29.800
<v Speaker 1>I knew I was going fast because you know, we

845
00:46:29.800 --> 00:46:32.039
<v Speaker 1>had we had dropped dummies from up there. We had

846
00:46:32.039 --> 00:46:34.559
<v Speaker 1>a dog on good idea how fast I was going

847
00:46:34.639 --> 00:46:40.280
<v Speaker 1>to be? Uh? During this dcent the UH, I'm extremely busy.

848
00:46:40.360 --> 00:46:42.480
<v Speaker 1>You can well imagine I've got a lot of information

849
00:46:42.639 --> 00:46:47.760
<v Speaker 1>I'm there to acquire. I was very very busy gathering information,

850
00:46:47.920 --> 00:46:52.440
<v Speaker 1>gathering data, talking into my tape recorder getting that. I mean,

851
00:46:52.480 --> 00:46:54.280
<v Speaker 1>I was there for a purpose, and it wasn't to

852
00:46:54.400 --> 00:46:56.639
<v Speaker 1>enjoy the ride down. It was to gather information we

853
00:46:56.719 --> 00:46:59.719
<v Speaker 1>needed for our space program. So I was very very

854
00:46:59.719 --> 00:47:01.719
<v Speaker 1>busy during the entire.

855
00:47:01.639 --> 00:47:04.760
<v Speaker 2>Jump, So throughout this whole flight and to the ground,

856
00:47:05.239 --> 00:47:07.159
<v Speaker 2>from the time you jump to actually the time you're

857
00:47:07.199 --> 00:47:08.960
<v Speaker 2>on the ground, about how long a period of time

858
00:47:09.000 --> 00:47:09.719
<v Speaker 2>and total is that.

859
00:47:10.559 --> 00:47:14.119
<v Speaker 1>Well, from the time I jumped, Steve, it took four

860
00:47:14.159 --> 00:47:16.800
<v Speaker 1>and a half minutes to descent, and then another about

861
00:47:16.800 --> 00:47:19.960
<v Speaker 1>ten minutes, so it's about almost fifteen minutes from the

862
00:47:19.960 --> 00:47:22.119
<v Speaker 1>time I jumped until the time I was on the ground.

863
00:47:22.320 --> 00:47:25.119
<v Speaker 2>Well, that's the most amazing story, Colonel. I mean, this

864
00:47:25.360 --> 00:47:28.599
<v Speaker 2>is something, folks, as we were telling you before, is

865
00:47:28.679 --> 00:47:31.559
<v Speaker 2>unheard of. I mean, you hear about people breaking the

866
00:47:31.639 --> 00:47:35.199
<v Speaker 2>sound barrier, of course, General Jaeger, of course with the

867
00:47:35.519 --> 00:47:38.119
<v Speaker 2>first at the time, of course going faster than the

868
00:47:38.119 --> 00:47:40.800
<v Speaker 2>speed of sound. But that's of course in a vehicle,

869
00:47:40.920 --> 00:47:44.519
<v Speaker 2>an aircraft, so rocking the craft. You're listening to someone

870
00:47:44.519 --> 00:47:47.559
<v Speaker 2>who's been doing this by their sheer force of Earth's

871
00:47:47.599 --> 00:47:51.480
<v Speaker 2>gravity tugging on their body, which is most amazing. But

872
00:47:51.599 --> 00:47:54.239
<v Speaker 2>after this period of your life, colonel, you go back

873
00:47:54.400 --> 00:47:56.400
<v Speaker 2>to the United States Air Force or in the United

874
00:47:56.400 --> 00:47:59.559
<v Speaker 2>States Air Force and serve a period of time as

875
00:47:59.639 --> 00:48:02.679
<v Speaker 2>want the commander of the Triple Nickel Fighter Squadron.

876
00:48:03.360 --> 00:48:05.880
<v Speaker 1>Yes, well, before I get there, let me sure that

877
00:48:06.280 --> 00:48:09.760
<v Speaker 1>book that you mentioned, the Preactionauts. Absolutely, I would recommend

878
00:48:09.800 --> 00:48:12.480
<v Speaker 1>that people that have an interest in the research we

879
00:48:12.519 --> 00:48:14.400
<v Speaker 1>did back in those days, they get a copy of

880
00:48:14.400 --> 00:48:16.840
<v Speaker 1>that book and read it. It was written by a

881
00:48:16.840 --> 00:48:21.079
<v Speaker 1>fellow by name of Craig Ryan, and it's an excellent article,

882
00:48:21.360 --> 00:48:23.480
<v Speaker 1>a book about the research that we did back in

883
00:48:23.480 --> 00:48:27.400
<v Speaker 1>those period of time. It's well done and it's a good,

884
00:48:27.559 --> 00:48:28.559
<v Speaker 1>very good documentation.

885
00:48:28.960 --> 00:48:31.239
<v Speaker 2>Yes, and I recommend students that are listening to this

886
00:48:31.320 --> 00:48:34.719
<v Speaker 2>program as a science project. You have already made science

887
00:48:34.760 --> 00:48:38.280
<v Speaker 2>project right here surrounding the information you're hearing here with

888
00:48:38.440 --> 00:48:41.639
<v Speaker 2>Colonel Joe Kittinger. And also the wonderful book about the

889
00:48:41.800 --> 00:48:42.800
<v Speaker 2>pre astronauts.

890
00:48:43.039 --> 00:48:46.800
<v Speaker 1>Yes, that's a great reference book of that era, what

891
00:48:46.840 --> 00:48:50.800
<v Speaker 1>we did back in those days. But before we leave

892
00:48:50.840 --> 00:48:55.079
<v Speaker 1>my research endeavors, I did another program Steve. That was

893
00:48:55.159 --> 00:48:59.519
<v Speaker 1>called Stargazer, And this one was a project where I

894
00:48:59.559 --> 00:49:03.920
<v Speaker 1>went up a pressurized gondola with a telescope with an

895
00:49:03.920 --> 00:49:08.079
<v Speaker 1>astronomer and looked at stars and planets above the Earth's atmosphere.

896
00:49:08.440 --> 00:49:11.840
<v Speaker 1>This was a one flight we made and it was

897
00:49:11.840 --> 00:49:16.159
<v Speaker 1>the last scientific balloon flight ever made in the world.

898
00:49:16.800 --> 00:49:18.920
<v Speaker 1>And this flight was made nineteen sixty two, and that

899
00:49:19.039 --> 00:49:24.599
<v Speaker 1>was the very last high alitude scientific research project ever done.

900
00:49:24.920 --> 00:49:28.400
<v Speaker 2>So and astronomer Bill White are sitting in this gondola.

901
00:49:28.559 --> 00:49:30.599
<v Speaker 2>That says for about eighteen and a half hours.

902
00:49:30.679 --> 00:49:34.280
<v Speaker 1>Is that correctes eighteen and a half hours. And it

903
00:49:34.320 --> 00:49:40.440
<v Speaker 1>was a very interesting experiment and it was something that

904
00:49:41.719 --> 00:49:44.039
<v Speaker 1>was once again a prelude to what was going to

905
00:49:44.039 --> 00:49:48.679
<v Speaker 1>be done by NASA in the following years with putting

906
00:49:48.719 --> 00:49:51.840
<v Speaker 1>telescopes into space. But this was with an astronomer. They're

907
00:49:51.840 --> 00:49:52.400
<v Speaker 1>operating it.

908
00:49:52.639 --> 00:49:55.159
<v Speaker 2>Yes, that's quite fascina. I mean, still the same tight

909
00:49:55.239 --> 00:49:56.440
<v Speaker 2>quarter as I imagine, though.

910
00:49:56.519 --> 00:50:00.480
<v Speaker 1>Well, this was fairly spacious. This was eight feet across, uh,

911
00:50:00.559 --> 00:50:03.000
<v Speaker 1>I mean it was fairly comfortable. It was it was

912
00:50:03.159 --> 00:50:07.320
<v Speaker 1>this was meant for working a telescope, and it was

913
00:50:07.360 --> 00:50:11.159
<v Speaker 1>pretty comfortable environment. And that that capsule what.

914
00:50:11.119 --> 00:50:13.719
<v Speaker 2>Do you learn Primarily when you look at the differences

915
00:50:13.719 --> 00:50:16.840
<v Speaker 2>in the atmosphere as the stars. Of course, many people

916
00:50:16.880 --> 00:50:19.719
<v Speaker 2>think the stars twinkle, but the educated guess is that

917
00:50:19.800 --> 00:50:22.639
<v Speaker 2>the atmosphere makes them twinkle. What did we really learn though,

918
00:50:22.639 --> 00:50:24.559
<v Speaker 2>specifically from that it sounds fascinating.

919
00:50:24.880 --> 00:50:28.199
<v Speaker 1>Well, Steve, you hit the nail on the head. The

920
00:50:29.239 --> 00:50:32.480
<v Speaker 1>bane of astronomers is our own atmosphere. And if the

921
00:50:32.559 --> 00:50:38.559
<v Speaker 1>turbulence causes a scinate light, light scintillation and stars twinkling. Uh.

922
00:50:38.599 --> 00:50:40.920
<v Speaker 1>And if you get above the Earth's atmosphere, now you

923
00:50:40.960 --> 00:50:43.960
<v Speaker 1>have a clear medium where you can study stars and

924
00:50:44.000 --> 00:50:47.559
<v Speaker 1>planets without the disturbance of our own atmosphere. And that's

925
00:50:47.559 --> 00:50:49.880
<v Speaker 1>what an astronomer really likes to do. They like to

926
00:50:49.920 --> 00:50:54.000
<v Speaker 1>get above the Earth's atmosphere and where they're not handicapped

927
00:50:54.000 --> 00:50:56.599
<v Speaker 1>by the Earth's atmosphere. And that's what we did in

928
00:50:56.639 --> 00:50:57.320
<v Speaker 1>our project.

929
00:50:57.679 --> 00:50:58.760
<v Speaker 2>Sounds most exciting.

930
00:50:59.000 --> 00:51:03.960
<v Speaker 1>It was a very exciting program. It was sponsored jointly

931
00:51:04.039 --> 00:51:07.480
<v Speaker 1>by the Air Force and the Navy, and the National

932
00:51:07.559 --> 00:51:11.079
<v Speaker 1>Graphic was also a part of it in the Smithsonian Observatory.

933
00:51:11.119 --> 00:51:17.639
<v Speaker 1>That was a very intricate program with MIT involved, and

934
00:51:18.000 --> 00:51:20.679
<v Speaker 1>it was a very interesting program. But it was the

935
00:51:20.760 --> 00:51:24.039
<v Speaker 1>last one that was ever done. The last man flight

936
00:51:24.159 --> 00:51:26.599
<v Speaker 1>ever done was that flight that we did in nineteen

937
00:51:26.639 --> 00:51:27.159
<v Speaker 1>sixty two.

938
00:51:27.960 --> 00:51:29.840
<v Speaker 2>Why do you think we don't see any more of

939
00:51:29.880 --> 00:51:30.559
<v Speaker 2>these today?

940
00:51:31.079 --> 00:51:34.719
<v Speaker 1>Just well, there's really no lobby associated with trying to

941
00:51:34.760 --> 00:51:38.679
<v Speaker 1>do it. It's a very cheap and economical way to do it. Steve.

942
00:51:39.480 --> 00:51:42.199
<v Speaker 1>The amount of money that a bloom plush like this

943
00:51:42.360 --> 00:51:46.199
<v Speaker 1>cost is nothing by comparison with what a rocket in

944
00:51:46.360 --> 00:51:50.679
<v Speaker 1>the intricate and expensive systems that are being used by NASA.

945
00:51:50.960 --> 00:51:54.559
<v Speaker 1>It should be done. There's still a place today for

946
00:51:54.639 --> 00:51:58.039
<v Speaker 1>this type of man research that should be done.

947
00:51:58.280 --> 00:52:00.519
<v Speaker 2>As a matter of fact, Colonel Joyce, I saw here

948
00:52:00.559 --> 00:52:03.519
<v Speaker 2>in Phoenix, where we originate part of my Doctor Sky

949
00:52:03.639 --> 00:52:08.760
<v Speaker 2>show for teen tucknetwork dot com. About sometime either late

950
00:52:08.840 --> 00:52:10.960
<v Speaker 2>last year or early this year, there was a series

951
00:52:11.000 --> 00:52:13.639
<v Speaker 2>of balloons launched from New Mexico that were seen over

952
00:52:13.679 --> 00:52:16.719
<v Speaker 2>the west and some of these estimated altitudes are about

953
00:52:16.719 --> 00:52:19.000
<v Speaker 2>one hundred and twenty five thousand feet above the earth,

954
00:52:19.519 --> 00:52:22.519
<v Speaker 2>and they expanded upwards to about four or five hundred feet.

955
00:52:22.840 --> 00:52:26.000
<v Speaker 2>They were watched by people and reported as un identified

956
00:52:26.000 --> 00:52:29.000
<v Speaker 2>flying objects with the rising sun, and I followed the

957
00:52:29.039 --> 00:52:32.320
<v Speaker 2>object across the skies videotaped extensively. It stayed in the

958
00:52:32.360 --> 00:52:36.840
<v Speaker 2>skies almost all day and from that altitude that's pretty

959
00:52:36.880 --> 00:52:39.679
<v Speaker 2>similar to about how high you are. Totally amazing to

960
00:52:39.719 --> 00:52:41.880
<v Speaker 2>even be able to see that from the ground, and

961
00:52:41.960 --> 00:52:45.440
<v Speaker 2>its alleged diameter on expansion was about five or six

962
00:52:45.559 --> 00:52:47.639
<v Speaker 2>hundred feet and it looked like a little disk in

963
00:52:47.679 --> 00:52:48.360
<v Speaker 2>the sky.

964
00:52:48.480 --> 00:52:52.320
<v Speaker 1>Way up there. Well, they're forty million cubic foot displacement,

965
00:52:52.360 --> 00:52:56.039
<v Speaker 1>they're immense balloons and they get to very high altitude

966
00:52:56.360 --> 00:52:59.119
<v Speaker 1>and there's still a lot of them flown around the world.

967
00:52:59.280 --> 00:53:02.440
<v Speaker 1>Unmanned flights are flown all over the world gathering data.

968
00:53:02.639 --> 00:53:05.360
<v Speaker 1>That's a very good research tool that's being still used

969
00:53:05.400 --> 00:53:08.440
<v Speaker 1>today all over the world, from the Arctics, the Antarctic,

970
00:53:09.039 --> 00:53:12.840
<v Speaker 1>from Australia, and from our own country. A lot most

971
00:53:12.840 --> 00:53:15.639
<v Speaker 1>of them are launched from Palestine, Texas as a matter

972
00:53:15.679 --> 00:53:20.719
<v Speaker 1>of fact. But it's a very unique way to gather research.

973
00:53:21.400 --> 00:53:23.639
<v Speaker 1>And as you say, you can see him from the earth,

974
00:53:24.159 --> 00:53:26.480
<v Speaker 1>and you also point out about a lot of people

975
00:53:26.519 --> 00:53:29.800
<v Speaker 1>report him as flying saucers because they are so spectaculars

976
00:53:29.800 --> 00:53:30.559
<v Speaker 1>to see him up there.

977
00:53:30.760 --> 00:53:33.360
<v Speaker 2>Well, we did a television program as kind of a

978
00:53:33.760 --> 00:53:36.719
<v Speaker 2>special on this to let people know that there's some

979
00:53:36.880 --> 00:53:39.719
<v Speaker 2>science behind the UFO in this case, and it's good

980
00:53:39.719 --> 00:53:41.719
<v Speaker 2>to let people know about these kind of things when

981
00:53:41.760 --> 00:53:44.400
<v Speaker 2>they want to know them in the sky. But in

982
00:53:44.440 --> 00:53:46.519
<v Speaker 2>the time remaining, Colonel Joe, if you'd be kind enough

983
00:53:46.519 --> 00:53:49.440
<v Speaker 2>to just tell us you transition after this wonderful career

984
00:53:50.480 --> 00:53:54.480
<v Speaker 2>in the area of ballooning of both the Earth's atmosphere,

985
00:53:54.880 --> 00:53:56.920
<v Speaker 2>and then you serve time in Vietnam, if you'd be

986
00:53:57.000 --> 00:53:59.119
<v Speaker 2>kind enough to tell us about your involvement with the

987
00:53:59.400 --> 00:54:01.320
<v Speaker 2>Triple Nickel Tactical Fighter Squadron.

988
00:54:02.239 --> 00:54:07.679
<v Speaker 1>Well, Steve, Actually, my career was had two careers. First

989
00:54:07.719 --> 00:54:12.159
<v Speaker 1>career was in research and development and experimental test pilot,

990
00:54:12.199 --> 00:54:16.280
<v Speaker 1>and then as a fighter pilot. In nineteen sixty three,

991
00:54:16.440 --> 00:54:19.960
<v Speaker 1>I went to Vietnam for the first time, and then

992
00:54:19.960 --> 00:54:23.119
<v Speaker 1>I went again in sixty six sixty seven and I

993
00:54:23.159 --> 00:54:26.320
<v Speaker 1>was flying B twenty sixes and A twenty sixes. And

994
00:54:26.360 --> 00:54:31.400
<v Speaker 1>then in nineteen seventy one I returned to Thailand and

995
00:54:31.440 --> 00:54:34.239
<v Speaker 1>flying F four phantoms when I was a commander of

996
00:54:34.280 --> 00:54:39.559
<v Speaker 1>the very famous Triple Nickel Fighter Squadron at Udor in Thailand,

997
00:54:40.239 --> 00:54:44.960
<v Speaker 1>and I flew over one thousand hours of combat and

998
00:54:45.079 --> 00:54:51.159
<v Speaker 1>these street tours, and then in March of nineteen seventy two,

999
00:54:51.199 --> 00:54:54.360
<v Speaker 1>I shot down on mid twenty one and aerial combat.

1000
00:54:55.239 --> 00:54:58.639
<v Speaker 1>And then in the eleventh of May nineteen seventy two,

1001
00:54:58.639 --> 00:55:02.079
<v Speaker 1>I was shot down Hanoi and spent eleven months as

1002
00:55:02.159 --> 00:55:05.960
<v Speaker 1>a pow in the Hanoi Hilton.

1003
00:55:07.519 --> 00:55:10.039
<v Speaker 2>You move on beyond that time of your life to

1004
00:55:10.119 --> 00:55:13.760
<v Speaker 2>do something also quite incredible. In the nineteen eighties. You

1005
00:55:13.880 --> 00:55:17.400
<v Speaker 2>returned to flying what I imagined to be a little different

1006
00:55:17.440 --> 00:55:20.360
<v Speaker 2>type of balloon, known as the Rosio Grady, and you

1007
00:55:20.400 --> 00:55:23.000
<v Speaker 2>make a very historic flight. This is one the first

1008
00:55:23.239 --> 00:55:26.559
<v Speaker 2>man to attempt to cross the ocean from the.

1009
00:55:26.519 --> 00:55:29.159
<v Speaker 1>First solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. I made a

1010
00:55:29.199 --> 00:55:34.000
<v Speaker 1>flight in nineteen eighty four from Maine to Italy and

1011
00:55:34.360 --> 00:55:38.920
<v Speaker 1>an open gondola solo. I took three and a half days.

1012
00:55:39.760 --> 00:55:43.679
<v Speaker 1>And whereas all other programs in balloons was for research

1013
00:55:43.719 --> 00:55:46.280
<v Speaker 1>and for a good reason, my flight across the Atlantic

1014
00:55:46.320 --> 00:55:48.719
<v Speaker 1>Ocean was done just as an adventure had never been

1015
00:55:48.719 --> 00:55:51.679
<v Speaker 1>done before, and I wanted to do it, and I

1016
00:55:51.719 --> 00:55:53.679
<v Speaker 1>had a wonderful team of people, and we had a

1017
00:55:53.760 --> 00:55:57.440
<v Speaker 1>lot of fun, and I set several worlds records. It'll

1018
00:55:57.480 --> 00:55:59.719
<v Speaker 1>be a long time before they'd ever beat on that flight.

1019
00:56:00.039 --> 00:56:02.559
<v Speaker 2>Sounds exciting, but again, the key word here is solo.

1020
00:56:03.280 --> 00:56:05.960
<v Speaker 2>And how does one remain to do all the things

1021
00:56:06.039 --> 00:56:08.519
<v Speaker 2>on board the balloon. I mean, you rarely have a

1022
00:56:08.599 --> 00:56:11.280
<v Speaker 2>chance to sleep. I would imagine this type of a flight.

1023
00:56:11.719 --> 00:56:13.440
<v Speaker 1>Oh, you're right, Steve. As a matter of fact, in three

1024
00:56:13.440 --> 00:56:15.159
<v Speaker 1>and a half days, I only slept two and a

1025
00:56:15.199 --> 00:56:15.920
<v Speaker 1>half hours.

1026
00:56:16.079 --> 00:56:16.719
<v Speaker 2>That's amazing.

1027
00:56:16.960 --> 00:56:20.639
<v Speaker 1>I sleep ten minutes at a time because I was

1028
00:56:20.719 --> 00:56:22.559
<v Speaker 1>very busy, you know, I had to fly the balloon

1029
00:56:22.599 --> 00:56:26.760
<v Speaker 1>and communicate, navigate, manage all the systems. I was a

1030
00:56:26.880 --> 00:56:30.320
<v Speaker 1>very busy beaver on that flight. But I wanted to

1031
00:56:30.320 --> 00:56:32.519
<v Speaker 1>do a solo because it had already been done with

1032
00:56:32.599 --> 00:56:35.480
<v Speaker 1>a three man crew, and I'm a fighter pilot and

1033
00:56:35.559 --> 00:56:37.800
<v Speaker 1>I had confidence that I could do it. And by Gum,

1034
00:56:37.880 --> 00:56:38.480
<v Speaker 1>I did do it.

1035
00:56:38.519 --> 00:56:42.360
<v Speaker 2>And you sure did. And we salute the wonderful events

1036
00:56:42.360 --> 00:56:45.079
<v Speaker 2>and efforts of your career. As we're talking with again

1037
00:56:45.960 --> 00:56:49.800
<v Speaker 2>United States Air Force retired Colonel Joseph Kittingcher Junior about

1038
00:56:49.840 --> 00:56:53.480
<v Speaker 2>his long career and not only aviation, but in the

1039
00:56:53.559 --> 00:56:57.400
<v Speaker 2>area of flying into the clouds and beyond via balloons

1040
00:56:57.480 --> 00:56:59.639
<v Speaker 2>and transitioning across the ocean.

1041
00:56:59.639 --> 00:56:59.960
<v Speaker 1>Solo.

1042
00:57:00.519 --> 00:57:03.199
<v Speaker 2>But finally, Colonel, in the time remaining, what bit of

1043
00:57:03.199 --> 00:57:05.679
<v Speaker 2>advice would you give young people today if they want

1044
00:57:05.719 --> 00:57:08.280
<v Speaker 2>a career, let's say, in the United States military. I know,

1045
00:57:08.360 --> 00:57:10.559
<v Speaker 2>imagining now what's going on in our country that we're

1046
00:57:10.559 --> 00:57:13.639
<v Speaker 2>called possibly to arms here because of the tragic events

1047
00:57:13.639 --> 00:57:17.679
<v Speaker 2>that are happening to our country by terrorists, but also

1048
00:57:18.000 --> 00:57:20.440
<v Speaker 2>for commercial pilots and for anybody that wants to go

1049
00:57:20.519 --> 00:57:22.400
<v Speaker 2>into a career Litters, what do you recommend they do

1050
00:57:22.480 --> 00:57:23.840
<v Speaker 2>as a student to begin.

1051
00:57:24.280 --> 00:57:28.400
<v Speaker 1>Steve, I would recommend that they establish goals, that they

1052
00:57:28.480 --> 00:57:31.559
<v Speaker 1>work toward these goals, that they don't worry about peer pressure,

1053
00:57:32.159 --> 00:57:37.360
<v Speaker 1>they be themselves and not allow anybody to deter them

1054
00:57:37.519 --> 00:57:41.800
<v Speaker 1>or defer them from what they know is correct. There's

1055
00:57:41.840 --> 00:57:43.800
<v Speaker 1>a lot of adventures still out there in life. There's

1056
00:57:43.800 --> 00:57:46.480
<v Speaker 1>a lot of success that the young people can have,

1057
00:57:46.559 --> 00:57:49.920
<v Speaker 1>but it's up to them. There's no free lunches, there's

1058
00:57:49.920 --> 00:57:52.920
<v Speaker 1>no free anything, and what they get is what they

1059
00:57:52.960 --> 00:57:55.559
<v Speaker 1>put into it, and they just have to devote themselves

1060
00:57:55.639 --> 00:58:00.760
<v Speaker 1>to their future and set goals and stick with me.

1061
00:58:01.880 --> 00:58:05.440
<v Speaker 2>Well, Colonel, your information here is very mind stimulating and

1062
00:58:05.599 --> 00:58:08.440
<v Speaker 2>very very encouraging. And let me be the first of course,

1063
00:58:08.440 --> 00:58:10.440
<v Speaker 2>to thank you for spending the time with me here

1064
00:58:10.519 --> 00:58:14.400
<v Speaker 2>on the Doctor Sky Show. Steve Kate's reporting as we

1065
00:58:14.480 --> 00:58:19.199
<v Speaker 2>continue and conclude another exciting edition of our Teamtalknetwork dot

1066
00:58:19.239 --> 00:58:22.559
<v Speaker 2>Com program today, thanking you ahead of time, Colonel. We've

1067
00:58:22.559 --> 00:58:25.559
<v Speaker 2>been listening to a report here with the United States

1068
00:58:25.559 --> 00:58:29.400
<v Speaker 2>Air Force retired Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger Junior on some

1069
00:58:29.719 --> 00:58:32.679
<v Speaker 2>most amazing events that have happened in his career, and

1070
00:58:32.719 --> 00:58:34.440
<v Speaker 2>I want to thank you, colonel for spending the time

1071
00:58:34.480 --> 00:58:36.440
<v Speaker 2>with us today.

1072
00:58:36.440 --> 00:58:38.360
<v Speaker 1>Thank you for having me, Steve. My pleasure.