There’s nads of uranium and then there’s this guy. This seems to one of the greatest feats of skill and daring in human history: 25k jump with no chute to hit a 100’x100’ specially designed net. No human has ever done that. Yet, it seemed to get little press when it happened a few years ago. The one guy did land in a bunch of boxes wearing a wingsuit, which was amazing enough, but this is insane.
Maybe a some starlet got a new butt lift that day and the media et al missed it? Every time I watch this it makes me stomach tighten, even knowing how it ends. Years of prep went into it. Imagine the feeling when the guys around him pulled their chutes and were gone and he was alone making minor adjustments? Imagine the number of variables that all had to go right, and the few that if they’d gone wrong, and splat. Imagine realizing that you were off say 50ft and you were not gonna make it…
Sadly, he will do some stunt one day that will kill him.
But yeah, it was incredibly insane. I’m guessing he rolled onto his back (I couldn’t tell) right before impact…you wouldn’t want to be bent backwards as you slowed from ~ 126mph terminal velocity. Wonder if it knocked the wind out of him?
I’m never gonna need to feel that cool. It’s impressive, but I remember when the wingsuit dude lost to vegas odds.
That said, I’m in complete agreement with grnamin and wish the WTC had been surrounded by those nets on 9-11. Looks like a promising “low tech” solution.
Well if you are going to potentially die, might as well set the record. And honestly, for the record, Kittinger had the most important jump at 102,800 feet back in 1960 going 614 miles per hour. He held the record until 2012.
I don’t believe you have hit terminal velocity at 50ft and plunging toward a target that you can’t even see must be far scarier and of course more difficult.
Terminal velocity is as much of an advantage as a disadvantage. At terminal velocity, his glide ratio was likely ~1:2 or maybe even ~1:1 (compared to ~1:5-1:10 during a fall from, say, an altitude of 300ft, which would be just as deadly). Heck, his speed even allowed him to maneuver and roll on his back before impact. You can’t do that at 100ft or even 200ft of altitude, but as the other poster said, you’re just as dead. He probably had more advantage being at terminal velocity than say being at 50% of it at a much lower altitude.
You see a lot of this in the aviation world, with simpletons being impressed with a lack of understanding of the basic physics of flight (“watch this amazing pilot land a plane with no engine power whatsoever!!!”).
Doesn’t mean the guy didn’t do something impressive, but there comes a point where it’s a lot of hype.
While this was truly awesome- I personally find it to borderline, if not outright morally irresponsible…see the wife & child? Its all good he made it- had he not…think of that boy seeing his dad’s body splat all over the ground. TERRIBLE idea in my opinion.
That perspective is probably correct. I hadn’t looked at it that way. Although his family could be like The Flying Wallendas where growing up the kids come to accept that likelihood.
Also I’m assuming those safeties were with him to 3,000 feet before breakaway. If he wasn’t lined up correctly at that point, I’m sure they had a plan.
Fine line between brave and stupid. I think this falls into the stupid category. If it paves the way towards some nifty high rise escape doohickey then it’s not stupid. Just to say you did it - stupid.
