There are some in the world that really really want to fly like the birds… but they hate paragliders, hang gliders and sailplanes. So what is left for these people? Maybe strapping some small engines to your legs and using a wingsuit might do the trick… this guy claims he managed to fly straight and level for almost 30 seconds and that is quite impressive considering he was propelled by two small rc jet engines.
On August 16, 1960, Joseph Kittinger jumped into the record books with his record breaking Excelsior jump, doing so from an air-thin height of 102,800 feet (31,334 meters). From that nearly 20 miles altitude, his tumble toward terra firma took some 4 minutes and 36 seconds. Exceeding the speed of sound during the fall, Kittinger used a small stabilizing chute before a larger, main parachute opened in the denser atmosphere. He safely touched down in barren New Mexico desert, 13 minutes 45 seconds after he vaulted into the void. Guess you can say this guy had balls of steel… or something because that is really one very impressive jump!
This guy loses his right risers and quickly finds himself on the way down. It’s not the fall that kills you, it’s the sudden stop at the bottom. Luckily for him, he manages to open his reserve chute, land safely in the drink and live to tell the tail.
