Nick Piantanida facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nicholas J. Piantanida
|
|
|---|---|
Piantanida in 1966
|
|
| Born |
Nicholas John Piantanida
August 15, 1932 Union City, New Jersey, U.S.
|
| Died | August 29, 1966 (aged 34) |
| Known for | Setting balloon altitude record |
| Spouse(s) | Janice McDowell (1963–1966; his death) |
| Children | 3 |
Nicholas John Piantanida (born August 15, 1932 – died August 29, 1966) was an American adventurer and parachute jumper. He became famous for flying a special balloon called Strato Jump II higher than anyone before him. On February 2, 1966, he reached an amazing 123,500 feet (about 37,600 meters or 23.39 miles). This was a world record for a crewed balloon flight at the time. It stood for many years until Felix Baumgartner's flight in 2012. Piantanida was always pushing boundaries and dreamed of making the highest parachute jump ever.
Contents
Nicholas Piantanida: Skydiving Pioneer
Nicholas John Piantanida, often called Nick, was born in Union City, New Jersey. Even as a young boy, he loved adventure. When he was about 10 years old, he started experimenting with homemade parachutes. He even tested one himself by jumping from a low roof, which led to him breaking his arm. This showed his early determination and daring spirit.
As he grew up, Nick played basketball in leagues on the East Coast of the United States. After finishing high school, he joined the U.S. Army for two years. He earned the rank of corporal during his service.
After his time in the Army, Nick continued his adventurous life. He and a climbing friend, Walt Tomashoff, were the first to climb a challenging route on the north side of Auyán-tepui. This is a large plateau in Venezuela where the famous Angel Falls begins. Because of this amazing climb, he was even interviewed on a popular TV show called Today Show.
Later, Nick worked in an embroidery factory and as an ironworker on the huge Verrazano Narrows Bridge in New York.
Chasing Skydiving Records
In 1963, Nick discovered skydiving and quickly became very good at it. He made hundreds of jumps and earned an expert license. He soon learned that the world record for the highest parachute jump was held by a Soviet jumper, Yevgeni Nikolayevich Andreyev, who jumped from 83,000 feet. Nick was determined to bring this record back to the United States. (Another American, Joseph Kittinger, held an unofficial record that Nick also wanted to beat.)
To achieve his goal, Nick worked hard. He took a job driving trucks so he could train on weekends. He studied many things, like weather patterns, how balloons work, and survival techniques. He became like a one-person research team, learning everything he could. He also found sponsors to help pay for his expensive projects. The United States Air Force even gave him access to their training facilities. A company loaned him a special pressure suit to wear at high altitudes. He gathered a team of volunteers to help him try for the world free-fall record.
Strato Jump I: First Try
On October 22, 1965, Nick made his first attempt to break the record. His balloon was named Strato Jump I. However, strong winds tore the top of his balloon when he was only at about 16,000 feet. This forced him to parachute safely to the ground.
Strato Jump II: Reaching New Heights
Nick didn't give up. On February 2, 1966, he launched his second balloon, Strato Jump II, from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This time, he reached an incredible altitude of 123,500 feet (about 37,600 meters). This was higher than any person had ever flown in a balloon before!
From this amazing height, Nick planned to jump out of his gondola to set a new world record for the highest parachute jump. But, he faced a problem: he couldn't disconnect himself from his oxygen line. Because he couldn't jump, he decided to abort the attempt. He detached the gondola from the balloon and returned safely to Earth inside the gondola.
Even though he reached a record-breaking altitude, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (the group that keeps official aviation records) did not recognize his balloon altitude as a world record. This was because he did not return to Earth with his balloon. And since he didn't jump, he earned no parachute altitude record.
Strato Jump III: A Brave Final Attempt
Nick was still determined to achieve his dream. On May 1, 1966, he made his third attempt in Strato Jump III. He wore a bright orange pressure suit and was secured inside a small, insulated gondola. His plan was to free-fall from over 120,000 feet.
As he was ascending, ground controllers heard a sudden whoosh of air and Nick's urgent call to abort the mission. His special suit had lost its air pressure at about 57,000 feet. Ground controllers quickly released the balloon, and Nick's gondola parachuted back to the ground for 25 minutes.
Nick survived the fall, but the lack of oxygen at such a high altitude caused him a very serious injury. He fell into a coma and never recovered. Nicholas Piantanida passed away four months later, on August 29, 1966. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, New Jersey.
His Legacy
The gondola from Nick's Strato Jump III is now preserved and displayed at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. It serves as a reminder of his incredible courage and his quest to explore the limits of human flight.
Nick Piantanida was a Roman Catholic. He married Janice McDowell in 1963, and they had three daughters: Donna, Diane, and Debbie.
His life story was made into a film called Angry Sky, which premiered in 2015. It was also shown on ESPN as part of their 30 for 30 series.
See also
In Spanish: Nick Piantanida para niños
