Joseph Kittinger Joseph Kittinger Set a 102,800 foot record during the Man-High I Program in 1960. Worked with the French government to develop and market the Socata line of general aviation trainer aircraft in 1966. Was Bill Lear's chief design engineer for the first Learjet models. Peddled the human-powered aircraft, the MacCready Gossamer Condor, to the first figure-eight pattern around two pylons half a mile apart in 1977