Colonel /ˈkɜrnəl/, abbreviated Col, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally captain. In air forces with a separate rank structure, the equivalent rank is generally group captain. It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures. A colonel is typically in charge of a regiment in an army.

'Colonel' is usually the highest or second-highest field rank, and is below the general ranks.

History and origins[link]

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With the shift from primarily mercenary to primarily national armies in the course of the seventeenth century, a colonel (normally a member of the aristocracy) became a holder (German Inhaber) or proprietor of a military contract with a sovereign. The colonel purchased the regimental contract — the right to hold the regiment — from the previous holder of that right or directly from the sovereign when a new regiment was formed or an incumbent was killed.^{[citation needed]}

The rank of colonel was popularized by the Spanish tercios in the 16th and 17th centuries. Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, nicknamed 'the Great Captain', divided his armies in 'cornelias' or colonelcies, each led by a 'coronel' or colonel. ^[1] The use of 'colonel' became more widespread as the tercios led by commanders of many nationalities fought all over Europe.

As the office of colonel became an established practice, the colonel became the senior captain in a group of companies which were all sworn to observe his personal authority — to be ruled or regimented by him. This regiment, or governance, was to some extent embodied in a contract and set of written rules, also referred to as the colonel's regiment or standing regulation(s). By extension, the group of companies subject to a colonel's regiment (in the foregoing sense) came to be referred to as his regiment (in the modern sense) as well.

In French usage of this period the senior colonel in the army or, in a field force, the senior military contractor, was the colonel general and, in the absence of the sovereign or his designate, the colonel general might serve as the commander of a force. The position, however, was primarily contractual and it became progressively more of a functionless sinecure. (The head of a single regiment or demi brigade would be called a 'mestre de camp' or, after the Revolution, a 'chef de brigade'.)

By the late 19th century, colonel was a professional military rank though still held typically by an officer in command of a regiment or equivalent unit. Along with other ranks it has become progressively more a matter of ranked duties, qualifications and experience and of corresponding titles and pay scale than of functional office in a particular organization.

As European military influence expanded throughout the world, the rank of colonel became adopted by nearly every nation under a variety of names.

With the rise of communism, some of the large communist militaries saw fit to expand the colonel rank into several grades, resulting in the unique senior colonel rank which was found and is still used in such nations as China and North Korea.

Colonel-in-chief[link]

In many modern armies the 'regiment' has more importance as a ceremonial unit or a focus of members' loyalty than as an actual battle formation. Troops tend to be deployed in 'battalions' (commanded by a lieutenant colonel) as a more convenient size of military unit and, as such, colonels have tended to have a higher profile in specialist and command roles than as actual commanders of regiments. However, in Commonwealth armies the position of the colonel as the figurehead of a regiment is maintained in the honorary role of colonel-in-chief, usually held by a member of the royal family,^[2] the nobility, or a retired senior military officer. The colonel-in-chief wears a colonel's uniform and encourages the members of the regiment, but takes no active part in the actual command structure or in any operational duties.^[3]

Colonel and equivalent ranks by country[link]

Colonel in individual military forces[link]

The following articles deal with the rank of colonel as it is used in various national militaries.

• Kolonel (Belgium, Estonia & Netherlands)
• Colonel (Canada)
• Colonel (India)
• Colonel (Pakistan)
• Colonel (United Kingdom)
• Colonel (United States)

Central and Eastern European equivalent ranks[link]

Since the 16th century, the rank of regimental commander was adopted by several Central and Eastern European armies, most notably the forces of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Cossacks and then Muscovy. In countries with slavic languages, the exact name of the rank maintains a variety of spellings, all descendant from the Old Slavonic^{[disambiguation needed ]} word plk or polk meaning unit of standing army (see The Tale of Igor's Campaign), and include the following:

• Plukovník (Czech Republic and Slovakia)
• Pułkownik (Poland)
• Pulkininkas (Lithuania)
• Polkovnik (Russia, Slovenia, Bulgaria)
• Polkovnyk (Ukraine)
• Pukovnik (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia)

The Hungarian equivalent ezredes literally means 'leader of a thousand' (i.e. of a regiment)

Western European equivalent ranks[link]

• Oberst (Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Norway)
• Överste (Sweden)
• Ofursti (Iceland)
• Eversti/Överste (Finland)

Other national equivalent ranks[link]

•  Afghanistan Dagarwal (دګروال)
•  Albania Kolonel
•  Armenia — Gndapet (գնդապետ)
•  Georgia Polkovniki (პოლკოვნიკი)

•  People's Republic of China Shang Xiao
•  Greece Syntagmatarchis (Συνταγματάρχης)
•  Hungary Ezredes
•  Iran Sarhang (سرهنگ)
•  Israel Aluf Mishne (אלוף משנה)

•  North Korea Sangchwa
•  Republic of Korea Taeryong

•  Republic of China (Taiwan) Shang Hsiao

•  Thailand Nai Phan (TH: นายพัน) Chief of 1,000
  • Phan Ek (TH: พันเอก) First of 1,000: Colonel
  • Phan Tho (TH: พันโท) Second of 1,000: Lieutenant colonel

•  Turkey Albay
•  Viet Nam Đại tá
•  Egypt عقيد Aqid (Egypt and most Arab League member countries)

Gallery[link]

Army colonels[link]

• Australian-Army-COL.gif

  Australia

• 

  Belgium

• Coronel-Brazil.gif

  Brazil (Coronel)

• Army slip-on Col.png

  Canada

• 

  Chile (Coronel)

• 

  Colombia

• 

  Finland (Eversti)

• 

  Germany (Oberst Bundeswehr

• 

  Greece (Syntagmatarchis)

• 

  Indian Army

• IE-Army-OF5.png

  Republic of Ireland

• 

  Italy (Colonnello)

• 

  Netherlands (Kolonel)

• Colonel Pak Army.jpg

  Pakistan

• Rank insignia of pułkownik of the Army of Poland.svg

  Poland (Pułkownik)

• 

  Portugal (Coronel)

• ROCA-COL.jpg

  ROC (Taiwan)(Shang Xiao)

• 

  Romania

• 

  Soviet Union (Polkovnik / Полковник)

• SL-Army-OF5 Colonel.PNG

  Sri Lanka

• 

  Sweden (Överste)

• 

  Thailand

• 

  United States

Air force colonels[link]

• 

  Belgium

• 

  Canada

• 

  Chile (Coronel)

• 

  Denmark (Oberst)

• 

  France

• 

  Germany (Oberst)

• 

  Italy (Colonnello)

• 

  Netherlands (Kolonel)

• 

  Poland (Pułkownik)

• 

  Spain (Coronel)

• 

  United States

Colonel as highest ranking officer[link]

Some military forces have a colonel as their highest ranking officer, with no 'general' ranks, and no superior authority (except, perhaps, the head of state as a titular commander-in-chief) other than the respective national government. Examples include the following (arranged alphabetically by country name):

• Antigua and Barbuda (170 personnel)
• Benin (4,500 personnel)
• Costa Rica (about 8,000 personnel)
• Gambia (1,900 personnel)
• Iceland (100 personnel, employed only for peacekeeping duties)
• Libya ( Commands all the Armed Forces -Muammar Gaddafi (Until 2011)
• Monaco (two branches, with a total of about 250 personnel)
• Niger (8,000 personnel)
• Suriname (1,800 personnel)
• Vatican City State (135 personnel - the Swiss Guard)

Rank insignia for a colonel in several nations which have no higher military rank.
Iceland	Monaco		Vatican City
	Colonel CCP	Colonel CSP
50px	50px	50px	50px

Other uses of colonel ranks[link]

The term colonel is also used as a title for auctioneers in the United States; there are a variety of theories or folk etymologies to explain the use of the term.^[4] One of these is the claim that during the American Civil War goods seized by armies were sold at auction by the colonel of the division.^[5]

See also[link]

• List of comparative military ranks

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• Keegan, John; & Wheatcroft, Andrew (1996). Who's Who in Military History: From 1453 to the Present Day. London: Routledge.

Notes[link]

Harland "Colonel" Sanders
200px
Born	(1890-09-09)September 9, 1890 Henryville, Indiana, U.S.
Died	December 16, 1980(1980-12-16) (aged 90) Louisville, Kentucky, U.S.
Nationality	American
Education	School dropout[1]
Occupation	Entrepreneur
Religion	Disciples of Christ
Spouse	Josephine King (divorced) Claudia Price
Children	Harland David Sanders, Jr. Margaret Sanders Mildred Sanders Ruggles
Parents	Wilbur David Sanders Margaret Ann Sanders (née Dunlevy)[2]
Signature

Harland David "Colonel" Sanders (September 9, 1890 – December 16, 1980) was an American fast food businessman who founded the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) restaurant chain. His image remains iconic in KFC promotions, and a foundation he established in his later years aids charities and funds scholarships with more than a million dollars in grants a year.

Early life and career[link]

Sanders was born to a Presbyterian family in Henryville, Indiana. His father, Wilbur David Sanders, died when Harland was six years old, and, since his mother worked, he was required to cook for his family. He dropped out of school in seventh grade. When his mother remarried, he ran away from home because his stepfather beat him.^{[citation needed]} Sanders falsified his date of birth and enlisted in the United States Army at the age of sixteen, completing his entire service commitment in Cuba.^[3] During his early years, Sanders held many jobs, including: steamboat pilot, insurance salesman, railroad fireman and farmer.^[4] He had a son, Harland, Jr., who died at an early age, and two daughters, Margaret Sanders and Mildred Sanders Ruggles.^[5][6]

Harland Sanders at age 20

In 1929 Sanders opened a service station in Corbin, Kentucky where he cooked chicken dishes and other meals for customers. Since he did not have a restaurant, he served customers in his adjacent living quarters. His local popularity grew, and Sanders moved to a motel and 142 seat restaurant, later Harland Sanders Café and Museum. Over the next nine years he developed his "secret recipe" for frying chicken in a pressure fryer that cooked the chicken much faster than pan frying.

Sanders was given the honorary title "Kentucky Colonel" in 1935 by Governor Ruby Laffoon. He was "re-commissioned" in 1950 by Governor Lawrence Wetherby.^[7]

Around 1950, Sanders began developing his distinctive appearance, growing his trademark mustache and goatee and donning a white suit and string tie.^[7] He never wore anything else in public during the last 20 years of his life, using a heavy wool suit in the winter and a light cotton suit in the summer.^[4]

At age 65, Sanders' store having failed^[4] due to the new Interstate 75 reducing his restaurant's customer traffic, he took $105 from his first Social Security check and began visiting potential franchisees.^[8]

The restaurant in Corbin, Kentucky where Colonel Sanders developed Kentucky Fried Chicken

The franchise approach was successful, and less than ten years later (in 1964) Sanders sold the Kentucky Fried Chicken corporation for $2 million to a partnership of Kentucky businessmen headed by John Y. Brown, Jr. The deal did not include the Canadian operations. In 1965 Sanders moved to Mississauga, Ontario to oversee his Canadian franchises and continued to collect franchise and appearance fees there and appearance fees in the U.S. (He was locally active. For example, his 80th birthday was held at the Inn on the Park in North York, Ontario, hosted by Jerry Lewis as a Canadian Muscular Dystrophy Association fundraiser.)^[9] In 1973, he sued Heublein Inc. — then parent company of Kentucky Fried Chicken — over alleged misuse of his image in promoting products he had not helped develop. In 1975, Heublein Inc. unsuccessfully sued Sanders for libel after he publicly referred to their gravy as "sludge" that tasted like "wallpaper paste".^[10]

Death and legacy[link]

Sanders later used his stockholdings to create the Colonel Harland Sanders Trust and Colonel Harland Sanders Charitable Organization, which used the proceeds to aid charities and fund scholarships. His trusts continue to donate money to groups like the Trillium Health Care Centre; a wing of their building specializes in women's and children's care and has been named after him.^[11] The Sidney, British Columbia based foundation granted over $1,000,000 in 2007, according to its 2007 tax return.^[12]

Sanders died in Louisville, Kentucky, of pneumonia on December 16, 1980.^[13][14] He had been diagnosed with acute leukemia the previous June.^[5] His body lay in state in the rotunda of the Kentucky State Capitol; after a funeral service at the Southern Baptist Seminary Chapel attended by more than 1,000 people. He was buried in his characteristic white suit and black western string tie in Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville.

Gravesite of Harland Sanders

Since his death, Sanders has been portrayed by voice actors in Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials in radio and an animated version of him has been used for television commercials.

A 1982 episode of Little House on the Prairie ("Wave of the Future") paid tribute to KFC by featuring a character implied to be Col. Sanders (portrayed by John Roberts) offering Mrs. Olson a fried chicken franchise. For legal reasons, this character was listed in the credits as "Bearded Man".

Sanders was inducted into the Junior Achievement U.S. Business Hall of Fame in 2000.

The Japanese Nippon Professional Baseball league has developed an urban legend of the "Curse of the Colonel". A statue of Colonel Sanders was thrown into the river and lost during a 1985 fan celebration, and (according to the legend) the "curse" has caused Japan's Hanshin Tigers to perform poorly since the incident.^[15]

A manuscript of a book on cooking, which Sanders apparently wrote in the mid-1960s, has been found in KFC archives. It includes some cooking recipes from Sanders as well as stories. KFC plans to try some of the recipes, and to offer the book online.^[16]

References[link]

Notes

Further reading

• Pearce, John, The Colonel (1982) ISBN 0-385-18122-1
• Kleber, John J. et al. (1992). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. Lexington, Kentucky: University of Kentucky Press. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0. 
• Encyclopedia of Kentucky. New York, New York: Somerset Publishers. 1987. pp. 185–186. ISBN 0-403-09981-1. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Harland Sanders

Wikinews has related news: Colonel Sanders statue lost in 1985 recovered from river in Japan

• Kentucky Fried Chicken
• Harland "Colonel" Sanders at Find a Grave
• CBC Archives CBC Radio talks with Colonel Sanders about Canadian food and cooking (from 1957).
• Harland Sanders Café and Museum, Corbin, KY
• FBI file on "Colonel" Sanders
• Sanders on What's My Line? when he was unknown nationally
• Colonel Sanders at the Internet Movie Database

Joseph W. Kittinger II
Joseph W. Kittinger II
Nickname	Red
Born	(1928-07-27) July 27, 1928 (age 83) Tampa, Florida
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Air Force
Years of service	1950-1978
Rank	Colonel
Battles/wars	Korean War and Vietnam War
Awards	Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit (2) Distinguished Flying Cross (6) Bronze Star (3) Purple Heart (2) Meritorious Service Medal Air Medal (24) Prisoner of War Medal

Joseph William Kittinger II (born July 27, 1928) is a former Command Pilot and career military officer in the United States Air Force. He is most famous for his participation in Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior, holding the records for having the highest, fastest and longest skydive, from a height greater than 31 kilometres (19 mi),^[1] and for being the first man to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon. Serving as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, he was shot down and spent 11 months in a North Vietnamese prison.

Early life and military career[link]

Born in Tampa, Florida, Kittinger was educated at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, and the University of Florida. After racing speedboats as a teenager, he entered the U.S. Air Force in March 1949. On completion of aviation cadet training in March 1950, he received a pilot rating and a commission as a second lieutenant. He was subsequently assigned to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing based at Ramstein Air Base in West Germany, flying the F-84 Thunderjet and F-86 Sabre.

In 1954 Kittinger was transferred to Holloman AFB, New Mexico and the Air Force Missile Development Center (AFMDC). He flew the observation/chase plane which monitored flight surgeon Colonel John Stapp's rocket sled run of 632 mph (1,017 km/h) in 1955. Kittinger was impressed by Stapp's dedication and leadership as a pioneer in aerospace medicine. Stapp, in turn, was impressed with Kittinger's skillful jet piloting, later recommending him for space-related aviation research work. Stapp was to foster the high altitude balloon tests which would later lead to Kittinger's record-setting leap from over 102,800 feet (31,300 m). In 1957, as part of Project Manhigh, Kittinger set an interim balloon altitude record of 96,760 feet (29,490 m) in Manhigh I, for which he was awarded his first Distinguished Flying Cross.

Project Excelsior[link]

Kittinger next to the Excelsior gondola

Captain Kittinger was next assigned to the Aerospace Medical Research Laboratories at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. For Project Excelsior (meaning "ever upward"), a name given to the project by Colonel Stapp as part of research into high altitude bailouts,^{[citation needed]} he made a series of three extreme altitude parachute jumps from an open gondola carried aloft by large helium balloons.

Kittinger's first high-altitude jump, from about 76,400 feet (23,300 m) on November 16, 1959, was a near-disaster when an equipment malfunction caused him to lose consciousness.^[2] The automatic parachute opener in his equipment saved his life. He went into a flat spin at a rotational velocity of about 120 rpm. The g-forces at his extremities have been calculated to be over 22 times the force of gravity, setting another record.^{[citation needed]} On December 11, 1959, he jumped again from about 74,700 feet (22,800 m). For that leap, Kittinger was awarded the A. Leo Stevens Parachute Medal.Template:Http://www.aero.com/publications/parachutes/9601/pc0196.htm

Kittinger's record-breaking skydive

On August 16, 1960, he made the final jump from the Excelsior III at 102,800 feet (31,300 m).^[2] Towing a small drogue parachute for initial stabilization, he fell for four minutes and 36 seconds, reaching a maximum speed of 614 miles per hour (988 km/h)^[3][4] before opening his parachute at 18,000 feet (5,500 m). Pressurization for his right glove malfunctioned during the ascent, and his right hand swelled up to twice its normal size.^[5][6] He set historical numbers for highest balloon ascent, highest parachute jump, longest drogue-fall (four minutes), and fastest speed by a human being through the atmosphere.^[7] These are still current USAF records, but were not submitted for aerospace world records to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).^{[citation needed]}

These jumps were made in a "rocking-chair" position, descending on his back, rather than in the usual face-down position familiar to skydivers. This was because he was wearing a 60 lb (27 kg) "kit" on his behind, and his pressure suit naturally formed a sitting shape when it was inflated, a shape appropriate for sitting in an airplane cockpit.^{[citation needed]} For this series of jumps, Kittinger was decorated with a second Distinguished Flying Cross, and he was awarded the Harmon Trophy by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.^{[citation needed]}

Project Stargazer[link]

Back at Holloman Air Force Base, Kittinger took part in Project Stargazer on December 13–14, 1963. He and the astronomer William C. White took an open-gondola helium balloon packed with scientific equipment to an altitude of about 82,200 feet (25,100 m), where they spent over 18 hours performing astronomical observations.

Later USAF career[link]

Kittinger later served three combat tours of duty during the Vietnam War, flying a total of 483 missions. During his first two tours he flew as aircraft commander in Douglas A-26 Invaders and modified On Mark Engineering B-26K Counter-Invaders as part of Projects Farm Gate and Big Eagle. Following his first two Vietnam tours, he returned to the United States, and he soon transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II. During a voluntary third tour of duty to Vietnam in 1971-72, he commanded the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron (555 TFS), the noted "Triple Nickel" squadron, flying the F-4D Phantom II. Kittinger would also later serve as vice commander of the 432nd Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. During this period he was also credited with shooting down a North Vietnamese MiG-21.^[8]

Kittinger was shot down on May 11, 1972, just before the end of his third tour of duty. While flying an F-4D, USAF Serial No. 66-0230, with his Weapons Systems Officer, 1st Lieutenant William J. Reich, Lieutenant Colonel Kittinger was leading a flight of Phantoms approximately five miles northwest of the village of Thai Nguyen, North Vietnam, when they were engaged by a flight of MiG-21 fighter planes. Kittinger and his wingman were chasing a MiG-21 when Kittinger's Phantom II was hit by an air-to-air missile that damaged the fighter's starboard wing and set the airplane on fire. Kittinger and Reich ejected a few miles from Thai Nguyen and were soon captured and taken to the city of Hanoi. During the same engagement, Kittinger's wingman, Captain S. E. Nichols, shot down the MiG-21 they had been chasing.^[9]

Kittinger and Reich spent 11 months as prisoners of war (POWs) in the "Hanoi Hilton" prison. Kittinger was put through "rope torture" soon after his arrival at the POW compound and this made a lasting impression on him. Kittinger was the senior ranking officer (SRO) among the newer prisoners of war (those captured after 1969), and in John D. Sherwood's book, Fast Movers, he was described as having been in conflict with some of his fellow prisoners over his leadership style. He tried to keep the aggressive junior officers under his command from active resistance to their captors on the basis that it might result in more torture for the POWs. In Kittinger's autobiography "Come Up and Get Me" by Kittinger and Craig Ryan, Kittinger defended himself as being very serious about maintaining the military structure that he considered essential to survival. Kittinger and Reich were returned to American hands on March 28, 1973, and they continued their Air Force careers, with Kittinger promoted to full colonel shortly thereafter.

Later civilian career[link]

Kittinger retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 1978, and initially he went to work for Martin Marietta Corporation in Orlando, Florida.

Still interested in ballooning, he set a gas balloon world distance record for the AA-06 size class (since broken) of 3,221.23 km in 1983.^[10] He then completed the first solo Atlantic crossing in the 106,000 cubic foot (3,000 m³) Balloon of Peace from September 14 to September 18, 1984.^[11] As an official FAI world aerospace record, it is (as of December 2008) the longest gas balloon distance flight in AA-10 size category (5,703.03 km).^[10] He participated in the Gordon Bennett Cup in ballooning in 1989 (ranked 3rd) and 1994 (ranked 12th).

Kittinger still lives in the Orlando area, and he was the Vice President of Flight Operations for Rosie O'Grady's Flying Circus, part of the Rosie O'Grady's/Church Street Station entertainment complex in Orlando, prior to the parent company's dissolution. Kittinger is still active in the aviation community as a consultant and touring barnstormer.

Legacy[link]

In September 1992, Colonel Joe Kittinger Park in Orlando, Florida was completed by the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (GOAA) for the city of Orlando. It was located on the southwest corner of the Orlando Executive Airport (KORL). The aviation-themed park was named in Kittinger's honor, but was temporarily demolished to permit a highway expansion project of the Florida State Road 408 East-West Expressway.

In March 2011 the park was reopened, relocated to the corner of Crystal Lake Drive and South Street at Orlando Executive Airport.^[12] City officials are also considering inclusion in the park of a restored USAF F-4 Phantom II aircraft, to be placed on pylon static display and painted with the colors of an F-4D formerly flown by Colonel Kittinger.^{[citation needed]} Kittinger has also been honored at a ceremony in Caribou, Maine, where he served as the guest of honor at a sesquicentennial celebration.^{[citation needed]}

In 1997, Kittinger was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton, Ohio.^[13]

On January 23, 2007, the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), the United States Air Force Auxiliary, honored Kittinger by renaming the Texas CAP wing's TX-352 Squadron for him. Texas Governor Rick Perry cited Kittinger's work, as did the Texas state senate with a special resolution presented during the dedication ceremony attended by Kittinger and his wife Sherry. The Colonel Joseph W. Kittinger Phantom Senior Squadron of CAP's Texas Wing is based at the former Bergstrom AFB, which is now the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

The Project Manhigh and Excelsior balloon capsules and the suit from his highest jump are on display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson AFB in Dayton, Ohio. An additional exhibit depicting his highest balloon jump opened at the National Air and Space Museum on 6 April 2008.

Kittinger is currently advising Felix Baumgartner on a planned free-fall from 120,000 feet (about 36,000m).^[6] The project is called the Red Bull Stratos project and has collected leading experts in the fields of aeronautics, medicine and engineering to ensure its success. If his jump is successful, Baumgartner will become the first person ever to break the sound barrier while in free fall. Baumgartner's jump will be used to test the next generation of full pressure space suits and to collect medical and scientific information.^[14] Although the jump was originally planned for 2010, it has been delayed by a legal case between Red Bull and promoter Daniel Hogan, who claims that he was first to propose the jump to Red Bull in 2004 and alleges that Red Bull backed out before resurrecting the project some years later.^[15] The lawsuit was resolved out of court in June 2011, and two test jumps were made on March 15, 2012.^[16]

See also[link]

United States Air Force portal

• Eugene Andreev
• Felix Baumgartner
• Michel Fournier
• Nick Piantanida
• Cheryl Stearns
• Steve Truglia

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Kittinger, Joseph (1961). The Long, Lonely Leap. New York: E. P. Dutton.  (Kittinger's autobiography)
• Kennedy, Gregory P. (2007). Touching Space: the story of Project Manhigh. Schiffer. ISBN 0-7643-2788-7. 
• Ryan, Craig (1995). The Pre-Astronauts: Manned Ballooning on the Threshold of Space. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 1-55750-732-5. 
• Kittinger, Joseph (2010). Come Up and Get Me. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. ISBN 0-8263-4803-3. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Joseph Kittinger

• "National Affairs: The 20-Mile Fall". Time. August 29, 1960. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,939169,00.html. 
• USAF People, Colonel Joe Kittinger Jr.
• USAF Museum Fact Sheet
• Overview of his life for Centennial of Flight
• Joe Kittinger: A Legend Looks Back - slideshow by Life magazine
• Clash, James M. (December 8, 2003). "Adventurer: One Giant Step". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/global/2003/1208/060.html. 
• Clash, James M. (December 8, 2003). "Above His Peers". Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/1208/282.html. 
• "Aviation Pioneer Recognized For Parachute Jump From Edge Of Space". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. April 18, 2008. http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2008/04/87b0b0d8-4e31-461b-a347-97acb9df5797.html. Retrieved 2011-01-18. 
• "Joseph W. Kittinger and the Highest Step in the World". Greg Kennedy. March 17, 2010. http://stratocat.com.ar/artics/excelsior-e.htm. 
• Anderson-Sweet, Mason (March 4, 2010). "This Guy Jumped Out of a Balloon at 102,800 Feet". Vice. http://www.viceland.com/blogs/en/2010/03/04/this-guy-jumped-out-of-a-balloon-at-102800-feet/. 
• Details of his Big Jump from a stratospheric balloon in 1960
• Details of the MANHIGH-I mission that took Kittinger to the stratosphere in 1957
• Details of the STARGAZER mission that took Kittinger along with William C. White to the stratosphere in 1962
• Huang, Jian (1997). "Speed of a Skydiver (Terminal Velocity)". The Physics Factbook. http://hypertextbook.com/facts/JianHuang.shtml. 
• Yoon, Joe (September 18, 2005). "Fastest Skydiver Joseph Kittinger". "Ask a Rocket Scientist," aerospaceweb.org. http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/aerodynamics/q0243.shtml. 
• Video: First man In Space - Skydiving from the edge of the world
• Joseph Kittinger getting suited up for a test flight 23 minute video, no sound
• The Red Bull Stratos Project — The mission to the edge of space
• The Ballad Of The Rosie O'Grady - 2011 live performance of a song by Thomas Burby about the solo Atlantic flight.