100,000 feet in a BALLOON?

[Hugh Johnson]

This is off subject a little, but there was an airforce flight surgeon cross qualified as a pilot who was testing that rig used to pick up special forces, like in "The Green Beret" movie. Supposedly he was the first guy (military maybe) to land a plane he hadn't taken off in.

 

[WMUchickenhawk]

This is off subject a little, but there was an airforce flight surgeon cross qualified as a pilot who was testing that rig used to pick up special forces, like in "The Green Beret" movie. Supposedly he was the first guy (military maybe) to land a plane he hadn't taken off in.

James Bond did that in GoldenEye, so it must be possible. I saw it in a movie.

 

[AdlerDriver]

James Bond did that in GoldenEye, so it must be possible. I saw it in a movie.

Thunderball. 1965 - A converted B-17 did the pickup.

Robert E. Fulton Jr.

Robert Edison Fulton Jr. once wrote: "One measure of a man is what he does when he has nothing to do." During his 95 years on the planet, Fulton avoided boredom by filling his days with travel, architecture, writing, film and science.

Fulton first experienced wanderlust and adventure at 12 when he rode the first commercial air flight from Miami to Havana. Two years later, he was present at the opening of King Tutankhamun's tomb in Egypt. After studying architecture at Harvard University and earning a master's degree from the University of Vienna, Fulton decided to take a motorcycle trip around the world.

Fulton also designed the Skyhook aerial rescue system, an inflatable balloon with an attached hook that the CIA used in the 1950s to pull agents out of enemy territory. The Skyhook was featured in the 1965 James Bond film "Thunderball."

Fulton died on May 7 of congestive heart failure.

 

[SkyWestCRJPilot]

I understand when the guy jumped out of the ballon he had a drag chute to keep him from tumbling in the thin air. It didn't work and he tumbled and tumbled and was worried he would lose consciousness. At those high altitudes it's almost a vacuum. He wouldn't have heard air rushing by or anything. That's why he accelearated to mach 1 so quickly. As he fell into thicker air he decelearated and eventually pulled his main chute. I saw some great footage of it on the Wings Channel a few years ago.

 

[BoDEAN]

A friend of mine says he read somewhere that a manned balloon has reached 100,000 feet. Anyone know if there is any truth to this.

That wasn't over Howell was it?

 

[User546]

I understand when the guy jumped out of the ballon he had a drag chute to keep him from tumbling in the thin air. It didn't work and he tumbled and tumbled and was worried he would lose consciousness...

To add to your story, the reason he was fighting to stay concious was because he was wearing a full pressure suit (similar to the Mercury astronauts - or Mark IV for you in the know) and the helmet ring became dislodged, and was being pressed into his neck, essentially cutting off the air supply. He fought and fought to reposition it, but he was free falling so quickly that he was unable to dislodge it. One way or the other he managed to stave off unconciousness until he reached thicker air and was able to resolve the problem.

 

[FN FAL]

A friend of mine says he read somewhere that a manned balloon has reached 100,000 feet. Anyone know if there is any truth to this.

Why would that surprise you? Pinnacle did 41,000 in a glider!

 

[FN FAL]

I thought there was some hype about three years ago that a lady was looking at beating Kittenger's freefall?

 

[Crimson03]

There was/is a couple of people talking about beating kittinger's record. I heard from someone involved that the two big problems were money of course no one wanted to sponser it. And governments aren't to keen on selling or loaning out spacesuits.

 

[FN FAL]

There was/is a couple of people talking about beating kittinger's record. I heard from someone involved that the two big problems were money of course no one wanted to sponser it. And governments aren't to keen on selling or loaning out spacesuits.

Not only that, in space no one can hear you scream!

 

[User546]

And governments aren't to keen on selling or loaning out spacesuits.

That shouldn't be too big of a problem, cause you can buy bonafide space-ready suits from the Soviet space program all day long for as little as $15,000 a piece. You just have to know who to talk to - which isn't that difficult to do if you really want to obtain one.

 

[FN FAL]

That shouldn't be too big of a problem, cause you can buy bonafide space-ready suits from the Soviet space program all day long for as little as $15,000 a piece. You just have to know who to talk to - which isn't that difficult to do if you really want to obtain one.

Always look at the brighter side of things! Not only is that a great value in a space suit, you never know when you might need a metric body bag.

 

[Crimson03]

The guy I spoke with claimed getting a usable russian suit hadn't worked out. They probably didn't find the right guy. I don't know why they don't just call the EAA I'm sure they could whip something up.