CARIBOU, Maine — In 1984, Col. Joseph William Kittinger II became the first person to make a solo trans-Atlantic balloon journey, launching from Caribou.
The city recently welcomed Kittinger back to the balloon site for an Aug. 24 event commemorating his flight in the “Rosie O’Grady.”
“Caribou was the choice,” Kittinger said. “It was so fortunate because people in Caribou are just wonderful people. We’ve enjoyed our relationship with this beautiful city.”
Kittinger, 90, shared his memories of the journey — everything from preparations, to logistics, and even the in-flight menu.
On Sept. 14, 1984, Caribou celebrated with a parade of the balloon through town and citizens gathered in the field that is now a monument to the launch.
“We also had a Catholic priest, a Protestant minister and a Jewish rabbi come here to give a prayer. I figured you might as well use every advantage you could ever get,” Kittinger said.
He recalled working with the Caribou Municipal Airport, local meteorologists and city management to make his dream a reality. He slept 10 minutes at a time during the journey, only getting two and a half hours of rest during the three-day trip.
“I went a total of 3,600 miles, 86 hours, and I set six world records that will be there for a long, long time. It all started right here in Caribou,” he told the crowd.
“A lot of the people here today were out there that night. Half of Caribou came out to celebrate the launch.”
Kittinger thanked the City of Caribou for their support and dedication even to this day. He said he advised other thrill-seekers to consider Caribou as the perfect launch site.
“People in Caribou are just so wonderful and they helped us every which way. You’re all just a wonderful community. We are all in awe and in appreciation of all your help.”
Kittinger closed the event by stressing the importance of courage and faith in achieving your goals. “You have to have confidence in your team. You have to have confidence in your equipment. You have to have confidence in yourself. Whatever you’re going to do, you need those three ingredients to make it work.”
