Special Recognition for a Giant of Soaring Flight

Boulder, Colorado, May 4th

German Consul-General to the United States Wolfgang Drautz quipped
"Professor Doktor Doktor", recognizing the distinctive academic and
scientific achievements of Dr. Joachim Kuettner during the
presentation of the Bundesverdienstkreuz, the Federal Cross of Merit
from the Federal Republic of Germany. This is considered the highest
honor given to a civilian. Dr. Kuettner, 100, was accompanied by his
wife of 61 years, Monika, to the event at the UCAR/NCAR Table Mesa
Facility above Boulder. Among the many guests were representatives
from the German Government, UCAR/NCAR, US Air Force Academy, Soaring
Society of Boulder, Soaring Society of America, the Luftwaffe, and the
Mountain Wave Project.

Dr. Kuettner is known affectionately among sailplane pilots around the
world as "father of the wave" as a result of his 1938 analysis of
atmospheric waves. This served as a basis for much of his research,
including as Scientific Field Director of the USAF/UCLA Sierra Wave
Project in the mid-1950's. Dr. Kuettner was awarded the Lilienthal
Gliding Medal in 1955, soaring's highest honor.

Dr. Kuettner was invited by Werner Von Braun in 1958 to join NASA to
development the missile and capsule project that became Project
Mercury. He worked on the Apollo program until he left NASA in 1965.
He joined UCAR/NCAR and has held the UCAR Distinguished Chair for
Atmospheric Science and International Research since 1994, where he
has led many national and international field projects.

The award ceremony was followed by presentation by Mountain Wave
Project pilot and scientist team Klaus Ohlmann (43 world soaring
records) and Rene Heise including exchanges with Dr. Kuettner about
the challenges of soaring extreme distances in mountain waves.

Original post here with some interesting links
http://www.topix.net/hobbies/gliding...soaring-flight