This has interested me for a couple of reasons.
Firstly having already blogged Project Excelsior where in 1960 USAAF test pilot Col Joe Kittenger stepped off of a Gondola suspended by a helium balloon at 102, 000 ft to test an experimental high altitude (U2 spy plane) emergency survival suit and high altitude two stage parachute he set a world free fall record unequalled until 7pm UK time on Sunday evening...
Red Bull Stratos.com...
Felix Baumgartner is a free fall parachuter who wanted to beat this record that has stood since 1960...
That says something about the dangers involved in what he was wanting to attempt, also the achievement of Joe Kittenger -remember all the kit they had then was experimental and no one had any idea of how the human body would react to such high altitude jumps...
The film here brings home the risks that Kittenger took back in 1960...
Red Bull Stratos Preparation...
Some film of rehersal for the jump...
14th October 2012...
Felix Baumgartner steps up to the challenge and working with Joe Kittenger who talks Felix through the pre jump sequence as he prepares to step out of the Gondola at a record breaking 128,100 ft...
Falling at a top speed of 833 mph Felix broke the sound barrier on the day that 65 years earlier Chuck Yeagar was first to break the barrier in an experimental jet.
Born in 1971 i missed watching live the Moon Landings, but was glad to watch this live on Youtube...
Here is Felix`s incredible jump...
Felix set two new world records of highest balloon flight and highest free fall...
Longest Free fall still belongs to Joe Kittenger...
Watching the video shot by the camera over Felix's head as he stood in the doorway of the capsule made my stomach flip flop! Looking straight down to the ground 128,100 feet below knowing he was going to step off the platform.....
ReplyDeleteMad as a box of frogs!
Thank God for folk with that sort of loose screw.
This was a pretty amazing event...I'm not normally affected by heights..but looking out of that capsule had the same effect on my stomach as it did on Fuzzy.!!
ReplyDelete-Trevor
My stomach went a bit onto slow spin when he stood up on that step and you saw the view below!
ReplyDelete