World record setter for flying an airplane at 126,200 feet above Earth
Iven C. “Kinch” Kincheloe Jr. graduated with a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering in 1949. A Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) student at Purdue, he joined the U.S. Air Force's flight training program upon graduation. Kincheloe distinguished himself during the Korean War, flying 131 combat missions and earning a Silver Star for downing five MIG-15s. Following his military service, Kincheloe became a test pilot for the Bell X-2 program. In one historic flight, he reached speeds exceeding 2,000 miles per hour and soared to 126,200 feet, marking the first time an aircraft had flown higher than 100,000 feet. This accomplishment earned him the nickname "America's Number 1 Spaceman" although the flight was suborbital and did not meet the threshold of space. Kincheloe Air Force Base in Michigan's Upper Peninsula was named after him.