Skydiver Sets Record For Highest Jump Without Parachute

Megalith

24-bit/48kHz
Staff member
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
13,000
This guy must have balls of steel. Not only did he voluntarily jump out of a plane without a parachute, his survival hinged on landing in an area a third the size of a football field.

Luke Aikins on Saturday became the first skydiver to jump from a plane without a parachute or wingsuit and live to tell the story. In a stunt called, "Heaven Sent," the 42-year-old daredevil leaped 25,000 feet to Earth –- setting the world record for the highest jump. To accomplish this feat, Aikins had to direct his body in free fall using only the air currents around him to land safely on the high-tech 10,000-square-foot net (about a third the size of a football field) laid out to catch him. The jump was aired live on television via the Fox network during an hour-long special. Aikins fell for about two minutes above the California desert, appearing to soar effortlessly, arms extended, face downward. And as he neared the ground, with a mere second to go, he expertly flipped onto his back and landed without incident.
 
I saw that yesterday, pretty crazy! These guys are good at controlling their position with their bodies but:
1) At the last moment, he has to flip onto his back and hope that doesn't throw him off course
2) When up high at altitude, the area he has to hit looks so insanely small that I would have evacuated my bowels
3) Has anyone ever even attempted a net landing at truly terminal velocity before?
4) Even if he hit the net, what if a leg or arm get caught in one of the holes?
5) What if the net can't handle the weight of his balls and breaks?

Personally, I'd rather bareback a whole gang of thai bar girls if I'm feeling the need for extreme danger, lol!
 
This is just stupid. There are some things that should just not be records and this is one of them. As the record gets higher and higher the elements like wind direction/speed will play a bigger role and if the jumper is just off a tad, they're dead.

Then again maybe daredevils should just be left to kill themselves and remove themselves from the gene pool...
 
You can see him practicing his back-flip on the way down. I would hope he had practiced that a few thousand times before that jump.

And what kind of wife would agree to that stunt? I guess if my life insurance was high enough she'd go for it but damn
 
As mentioned earlier. This is an example of one of those stunts where flip the coin and he misses and we are all calling him a darwin award winner. Just incredibly stupid.
 
So what's his next trick going to be? Doing the same thing without a net? :p

I read about this Friday afternoon before leaving work and thought... "Well, I'll read about him in the headlines no matter how it turns out, survivor or splotch."
 
There are some things that should just not be records and this is one of them.

Yes, because way too many people will be jumping at the chance to break this record. /s
Then again maybe daredevils should just be left to kill themselves and remove themselves from the gene pool...

Just what we need, a bunch of pussies like you left over. This guy is awesome.
 
I thought this was going to be with a wingsuit and he was going to pull up and essentially stall out while hitting a more vertical net. Maybe next stunt. The ultimate would be to do that, stall just perfectly, wiping out most/all horizontal/vertical speed and land standing up. Either on an upward slope or ledge. THAT would be awesome.
 
I'm all for living life to the fullest each and every second but as much as a 'feat' this is, it's pretty reckless. So much that can go wrong and he'd be leaving behind a wife and child because... attention.
 
bjF5tNc.gif
 
This guy must have balls of steel. Not only did he voluntarily jump out of a plane without a parachute, his survival hinged on landing in an area a third the size of a football field.

Luke Aikins on Saturday became the first skydiver to jump from a plane without a parachute or wingsuit and live to tell the story. In a stunt called, "Heaven Sent," the 42-year-old daredevil leaped 25,000 feet to Earth –- setting the world record for the highest jump. To accomplish this feat, Aikins had to direct his body in free fall using only the air currents around him to land safely on the high-tech 10,000-square-foot net (about a third the size of a football field) laid out to catch him. The jump was aired live on television via the Fox network during an hour-long special. Aikins fell for about two minutes above the California desert, appearing to soar effortlessly, arms extended, face downward. And as he neared the ground, with a mere second to go, he expertly flipped onto his back and landed without incident.

Front page video link appears dead.
 
Amazing! No way I'd do something like that but I do have to admire at some level people with this amount of skill and courage.
 
You would think this would be more dangerous than taking a hot air balloon ride.

If as many people did this as took hot air balloon rides, I'm sure it would turn out to be more dangerous. We only have a sample of 1 right now.
 
How did a simple net restrain the force from his massive testicles? Carbon nanotube netting?
 
This is just stupid. There are some things that should just not be records and this is one of them. As the record gets higher and higher the elements like wind direction/speed will play a bigger role and if the jumper is just off a tad, they're dead.

Then again maybe daredevils should just be left to kill themselves and remove themselves from the gene pool...

Yes because armchair warriors that fear death will surely bring the next stage of exploration for our species
 
Travis Pastrana recreated the scene from point break only for real with no parachute back in 2010 I think:



but the thing is he was still tied to someone who had a parachute. Luke Aikins landing in a net without any parachute/wingsuit at terminal velocity is 100x harder than that.
 
This is just stupid. There are some things that should just not be records and this is one of them. As the record gets higher and higher the elements like wind direction/speed will play a bigger role and if the jumper is just off a tad, they're dead.

Then again maybe daredevils should just be left to kill themselves and remove themselves from the gene pool...

The only thing I ask for in case of daredevils and other extreme sport enthusiast, that their medical bill to be entirely footed by themselves, and their family. I don't want to pay for their broken neck in my insurance.
 
Everyone should be encouraged to show off their talent and passion, but only if it doesn't put other unsuspecting people in harms way.

This was both a great display of science and unbelievable talent. I can't believe someone would do this personally but I'm glad people like this exist.
 
Why? Just WHY!?

That said, too bad he didn't have any heart monitors hooked up to him, I'm curious if he freaked out at all or if he's one of those people that can keep it cool. Just like a lot of professional athletes, when the pressure is on the ones who have the ability to keep calm are usually the ones that win.
 
Why? Just WHY!?

That said, too bad he didn't have any heart monitors hooked up to him, I'm curious if he freaked out at all or if he's one of those people that can keep it cool. Just like a lot of professional athletes, when the pressure is on the ones who have the ability to keep calm are usually the ones that win.

He did have a heart monitor hooked up to him. Was watching it live on TV for most of the duration. He hit around 150BPM on the way up before he was about to jump.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CoqmB_pUEAA51fN.jpg:large (From @heavensentAPE twitter)
 
I saw this on MSN and just assumed that he landed using a wing suit or something.
I didn't know he was completely fucked in the head.
Good for him for setting that record, but that's definitely a recessive trait, and I wouldn't push my luck if I were him.
 
Crazy, ballsy, cool! If your single... I sure as hell know what MY wife and kid would say.
Probably something like this: "Like hell you are!!!!!!!!!! We like having you around!"

Then I'd go wash the dishes.
 
Crazy, ballsy, cool! If your single... I sure as hell know what MY wife and kid would say.
Probably something like this: "Like hell you are!!!!!!!!!!"
"Don't worry, I took out a $100,000,000 insurance policy, and verified coverage."
*kids start pushing dad out of the house*
"Have fun darling! Say bye to your father kids!"
"Break a ne... err leg dad!"
 
Pretty dam incredible but, I would never do that myself. (I would not do it with a parachute either and I could have been payed to do it back in my Marine Corp days. :) )
 
This is just stupid. There are some things that should just not be records and this is one of them. As the record gets higher and higher the elements like wind direction/speed will play a bigger role and if the jumper is just off a tad, they're dead.

Then again maybe daredevils should just be left to kill themselves and remove themselves from the gene pool...

Ok not meant to start a nerd war over here, but please tell me what exactly have YOU done with your life (besides Eat, sleep, shit and work at some freaking office, truck, factory, or bang a chick?)
 
Back
Top