On December 14, 1959, a Lockheed F-104C Starfighter reclaimed the world altitude record for the United States Air Force.Piloted by Captain Joe B. Jordan, an experimental test, he beat another record, the world’s time-to-climb. The Starfighter reached 98,424 (30,000 meters) feet in 15’4″ from brake release.Ultimately, the official record altitude was 103,395 feet (31,514 meters), shattering the previous records at the time.