Nick Piantanida

Nicholas J. Piantanida
Piantanida in 1966
Born
Nicholas John Piantanida

(1932-08-15)August 15, 1932
Union City, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedAugust 29, 1966(1966-08-29) (aged 34)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.[1]
Known forSetting balloon altitude record
SpouseJanice McDowell (1963–1966; his death)
Children3

Nicholas John Piantanida (August 15, 1932 – August 29, 1966) was an American amateur parachute jumper who reached 123,500 feet (37,600 meters; 23.39 miles)[1][2][3][4] with his Strato Jump II balloon on February 2, 1966, flying a crewed balloon higher than anyone before, a record that stood until Felix Baumgartner's flight on October 14, 2012.

  1. ^ a b Ryan, Craig (2003). The Pre-Astronauts: Manned Ballooning on the Threshold of Space. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. pp. 258–269. ISBN 1-55750-732-5. Nick Piantanida 123,500.
  2. ^ Ryan, Craig (2003). Magnificent Failure: Free Fall from the Edge of Space. Smithsonian Books. ISBN 978-1588341419.
  3. ^ Betancourt, Mark (July 2012). "The 120,000-Foot Leap". Air & Space/Smithsonian. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  4. ^ "Chutist Changes Mind 123,500 Feet in Sky". The New York Times. February 2, 1966. Retrieved October 13, 2012.