World Records:

  1. Highest Parachute Jump - 102,800 ft. August 16, 1960
  2. Longest Parachute Freefall - 4 min. 36 sec. August 16, 1960
  3. Most High Altitude Balloon Flights, 5 times.  Man High I, 96,000 ft; Excelsior I, 76,000 ft.; Excelsior II, 75,000 ft.;
    Excelsior III, 102,800 ft.; and Stargazer, 86,000 ft.
  4. Longest distance flown in a 1,000 cubic meter helium balloon.  2001 miles in 72 hours. November 15-18, 1983.  Solo flight from Las Vegas to Franklinville, Ny. 
  5. Longest distance flown in a 3,000 cubic meter helium balloon.  3543 miles in 86 hours.  September 14-18, 1984.
  6. First person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a helium balloon.  Maine to Italy.  September 14-18, 1984.
  7. NAA Speed Record - Piper Cheyenne 400 LS - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Orlando, Florida.  1986.

Military Awards:

Picture
  • Silver Star with Oak Leaf Cluster 
  • Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster
  • Distinguished Flying Cross - Project Man High
  • Distinguished Flying Cross - Project Excelsior (Parachute jump from 102,800 feet)
  • Distinguished Flying Cross - 4 Oak Leaf Clusters - Vietnam
  • Bronze Star Medal with "V" device and two Oak Leaf Clusters
  • Meritorious Service Medal
  • Air Medal with twenty three Oak Leaf Clusters 
  • Purple Heart with Oak Leaf Clusters
  • Presidential Unit Citation
  • Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
  • Army of Occupation Medal
  • National Defense Service Medal
  • Vietnam Service Medal with seven Service stars
  • Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm
  • Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal 
  • POW Medal
 

Civilian Awards:

  • Harmon International Trophy (Aeronaut) 1959 give by President Eisenhower
  • Aeronaut Leo Stevens Parachute Medal, 1959 for outstanding contributions to medical research, 1960
  • The John Jeffries Award, Institute of Aerospace Sciences
  • Aerospace Primus, Air Research and Development Command, 1960
  • Hall of Fame, USAF Special Operations
  • FAI Montgolfier Diplome, 1983 & 1984
  • Santos Dumont Medal, French Aero Club, 1984
  • Le Grande Medaille, City of Paris, 1984
  • Legion of Merit (Italy), 1984
  • Joe W. Kittinger Medal of Achievement, Board of County Commissioners, Orange County, Florida, 1984
  • Heroic Achievement Award, City of Orlando, 1984
  • Chateau de Balleroy Award, 1984
  • John Young Award, Orlando Chamber of Commerce, 1985
  • Paul Harris Fellow, Rotary International, 1985
  • Revoredo Trophy, International Flight Research Corporation, 1985
  • W. Randolph Lovelace Award, Society of NASA Flight Surgeons, 1985
  • Godfrey L. Cabot Award, Aero Club of New England, 1985
  • Order of Daedalians Distinguished Achievement Award, 1993
  • Society of Experimental Test Pilots, Fellow, 1995
  • National Aeronautics Association Elder Statesman of Aviation Award, for lifetime contributions to aviation, 1995
  • Barnstormer of the Year, International Society of Aviation Barnstorming Historians, 1996
  • Inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame, 1997
  • Wright Brothers Memorial Hall of Fame, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, 1998
  • Inductee, International Forest of Friendship-Atchison, Kansas, 1999
  • Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Award, 2000
  • Honorary Member of Parachute Industry Association (PIA), 2001
  • Florida Aviation Hall of Fame, 2003
  • Distinguished Achievement Award, American ex-POWs
  • Achievement Award, Wingfoot Lighter Than Air Society
  • Prix de L'Aventure Sportive, French Sporting Adventure Trophy
  • John Young History Maker Award, 2006
  • National Air And Space Museum Trophy Lifetime Achievement in Aviation Award, 2008
  • Bolles School, Signey W. Register, Sr. Memorial Award, 2010

Ballooning Experience and Awards:

  • Gordon Bennett Balloon Race (California) Won First Place in The Rosie O'Grady's Flying Circus Helium balloon 1982, 1984,1985 and  1988.  The third consecutive win entitled Kittinger to retire the
coveted Gordon Bennett trophy which now resides in the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum.
(Placed second in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1987, 1989)
  • Participated in the U>S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship in Indianola, Iowa in 1980 where he flew a Rosie O'Grady's gas balloon.
  • U.S. National Gas Balloon Champion fot the year 1988
  • Participant in the following International Balloon Events
  • France ~ Chateau Balleroy, 1984 and 1985
  • Germany ~ Christening Ceremony of Rosie's gas balloon -1987
  • Australia ~ Bicentennial Celbration 1988
  • Germany Opa Rally Gas Balloon Race, 1989
  • Russia ~ Hot Air Balloon Rally, 1989
  • Austria ~ Gordon Bennett Balloon Race, 1990, 1994.  Placed third in 1990 with Co-pilot Bob Snow
  • Morocco ~ 1996
  • Inducted into the U.S. Ballooning Hall of Fame at the National Balloon Museum in Indianola, Iowa, 08-01-2010

Other Awards:

Civil Air Patrol Squadron named in Honor of Joe in Austin, Texas
  • Inducted into the Aviation Hall of Fame in 1997
  • Florida Aviation Hall of Fame in 2003
  • Air and Space Museum Lifetime Achievement in Aviation in 2008
  • National Ballooning Hall of Fame in 2010
  • National Skydiving Hall of Fame in 2010



i and y creations