Felix Baumgartner and Joe Kittinger

I watched Baumgartner's amazing 24 mile fall and safe landing a few days after it happened. What passes for an internet connection here precludes streaming or fast downloads. Velociman has the wonderful inside story:

The Dive
Looking at the last post it seems apparent I haven't posted in a week. Well, that will change tonight. Besides, I've been busy leaving worrisome, troubling comments on peoples' Facebook accounts, and tweeting hit-and-run attacks on the unsuspecting.

I held off on commenting about Felix Baumgartner's successful spacedive because I wanted to see some confirmation of the sound barrier breakage. It appears he made it. 800 mph plus.

Old time readers know I have been wanting to see Joe Kittinger's record broken for a long time. Felix not only put the 84-year-old Kittinger on his team, he made him the Capcom, the one guy in communication with Baumgartner during his ascent and descent. This, to me, was an incredible example of homage and humility. No one else ever attempting to break this record ever thought to bring Joe into the mix. And Joe is a hoss. After setting his spacedive altitude record he shot down an enemy plane in Vietnam, was himself shot down, and was a POW for 11 months. Another of those heroes we seldom hear about.

Here's the other thing: Baumgartner broke the records for highest balloon ascent, highest altitude dive, fastest dive, and being the first human to break the speed of sound with body alone. The one record he did not break? Kittinger's record for longest freefall, 4 minutes and 36 seconds. Felix pulled the cord at 4 minutes and 20 seconds. I'm not sure he was cognizant of the minutes and seconds involved before deploying his chute, having just survived a flat spin, but I like to think he pulled the cord a few seconds early. He left Joe a record. That's how guys in that rarefied world of achievement act. If so, it was an even more decent gesture than having Kittinger actively participate.

That's class. That's a winner. Ten years I've waited for this moment, and I was able to watch it livestreaming. What a marvelous, modern world we live in.

Marvelous indeed. Colonel Kittinger has lived quite the life.