COL. JOE KITTINGER

JULY 27, 1928 – DECEMBER 9, 2022

Col. Joe Kittinger was born in Tampa, Florida on July 27, 1928. Raised in Orlando, Joe became fascinated with flying and soloed in a Piper Cub at age 17. After attending the University of Florida, Joe entered the U.S. Air Force as a cadet in 1949. He received his pilot wings and was assigned to the 86th Fighter-Bomber Wing in Ramstein, West Germany, flying the F-84 Thunderjet and F-86 Sabre. Following this initial operational assignment, Joe participated in the special Project Manhigh and Project Excelsior, and in August 1960 achieved what no human had before. Clad in a spacesuit, Joe rose suspended beneath a helium balloon to 102,800 feet (greater than 19 miles), then jumped into “the void of space”. In doing so, Joe set historical numbers for highest balloon ascent, first person to witness the curvature of the earth, highest parachute jump, longest duration drogue-fall (four minutes), and fastest speed by a human being through the atmosphere without a plane or a spacecraft. Releasing his parachute at 15,000 feet and making his landing in the New Mexico desert, the achievement proved that survival from extreme altitudes was possible, paving the way for space exploration. Col. Joe’s record stood for 52 years, when at the age of 84, he served as capsule commander and guided fellow Living Legend Felix Baumgartner to a new record-breaking 24-mile freefall in 2012. Joe also shared a special friendship with Living Legend inductee, Alan Eustace, the current holder of the record (135,890 feet or 25.7 miles). Serving as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War, Col. Joe achieved an aerial kill of a North Vietnamese MiG-21 jet fighter and was later shot down himself, spending 11 months as a prisoner of war in a North Vietnamese prison camp, aka the “Hanoi Hilton.” In 1984, he made the first solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon. Col Joe Kittinger had a long list of military awards, among them three Distinguished Flying Crosses, a Purple Heart and a POW Medal. He was a member of the Explorer’s Club, Society of Experimental Test Pilots, inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, named a Fellow in the Royal Aeronautical Society, and inducted into the Living Legends of Aviation in January 2019. Col. Joe remained active in aviation activities before passing away December 9, 2022, in his beloved Florida. flexibility and access around the globe.

Evans has truly created a global community in business aviation employing 1,700+ people in 30+ countries in mission management services, a network of FBOs, in-flight catering, ground transportation, and a variety of business technology solutions.

In various leadership roles with the National Business Aviation Association, Evans was instrumental in defeating legislation calling for the so-called privatization of air

He is now focused on continuing to adapt Universal to the ever-changing landscape of international aviation delivering the industry’s first solution that spans the spectrum of high-touch to high-tech. He also continues to dedicate his time to fighting the critical battles for our industry and the evolving needs of its customers. Greg is supported by his wonderful wife Claudia and is committed, with his daughters, Sarah and Catherine, to transform Universal into a third-generation family business.