Michel Fournier - 130,000ft

[3fLiEr 0]

So he is trying again after several failed attempts....... how many people are in the process of doing this record jump at the moment???
The last paragraph cracks me up........ "French Record 12,000ft"........mmmmmm written by a whuffo perhaps?????
Skydiver aims to fall to Earth faster than Concorde flies
A skydiver is to travel as fast as Concorde in an attempt to set four world records.
Michel Fournier, 57, from France, is planning to jump from 130,000ft – nearly 25 miles – from a balloon, reaching speeds of around 1,000mph as he falls back to earth.
The former French Army major hopes to set two new world records: to be the first man to go through the sound barrier in freefall and to set the record for fastest freefall – and break two more, the highest jump and the highest flight in a balloon.

He said that anything to do with flight and parachuting was his "passion", and he had created the challenge for the pleasure of creating it and succeeding.
A polythene balloon is being built by Bristol-based Cameron Balloons, who created the Breitling Orbiter balloon which circumnavigated the globe.
The canopy will be around 170 times the size of an average balloon, at 510,000 cubic metres (18 million cubic feet), and will be around 95 metres high, measuring around 105 metres in diameter.
Mr Fournier will spend around three hours ascending in an enclosed lightweight gondola before deflating the balloon and parachuting back to earth in six minutes and 25 seconds.
Around 30 seconds into the jump he will break the sound barrier at over 700mph and after about 60 seconds, he will reach terminal velocity, before opening a parachute to slow his descent and land. A parachute will also open on the gondola to allow it to descend safely.
The 57-year-old will wear a spacesuit to allow him to breathe and protect him from the extremely low temperatures, which can drop as low as – 90 C plus wind chill factor, as well as from UV and cosmic rays.
The parachutist, who has skydived more than 8,000 times, more than 100 of them at high altitude, said he was not at all afraid of his record beating attempt. He said: "What I like the most is the extreme, always higher, faster, further and more audacious."
He said that he has trained every day for the past 10 years, including running and yoga, as well as carrying out high altitude jumps in a simulator.
Mr Fournier, who was born at Treban in central France and lives near Bordeaux, already holds the French record for jumping at 12,000ft.

"In a world where we are slaves to gravity I am pleased to be a freedom fighter"

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

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Mr Fournier, who was born at Treban in central France and lives near Bordeaux, already holds the French record for jumping at 12,000ft.

I think a few of us are now record holders !! I'm sure we've all been to at least 14.5k !! I like my women like I like my coffee - hot and with a spoon in

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[MiataDRM 0]

I believe Cheryl Stearns is also seeking to break the record? I believe is taking part in "StratoQuest", to jump from 130,000. Her original jump was supposed to take place in April, but I think it got pushed to later date in October. Skydiving magazine reports that she got the US Army's backing, and now she is seeking NASA's sponsorship. I wish the best of luck to both of them. I can't imagine how magnificent of a site it would be to look down to see the planet...instead of just the county one is jumping over! :-)
Blue Sky & Semper Fi
Majdi

[ramon 0]

I've broken the French record more than 500 times

ramon

[flyinryan 0]

"to be the first man to go through the sound barrier in freefall "
No, he won't be. Kitinger (sp?) fell faster than the speed of sound when he did his space jump for project Man High in the 60's.

[chickenhawk420 0]

true, he jumped from 102,800 feet, fell usuing a pilot chute to stable himself, belly flying and over the speed of sound. I think the only record he didn't break was the freefall record because even though it was a kickass freefall (and the longest by far) he didn't freefall unaidied (because of the pilot chute) so the french dude might break a second record (other than the highest) if he falls unaided and for over 4 mins 30 secs (apprentice of the birdman suit inventor using one from not that high).
Hey even i ve broke that french 12000 feet record on my second ever jump, a tandem at that.

[flyinryan 0]

That makes sense, but I still favor the Kitenger 'cause he was doin' his falling for Uncle Sam.

[lummy 4]

I seem to remember that Kittinger breaking the sound barrier was in dispute. It's probably just a bunch of wreck.idiots squabbling over his speed, but I seem to remember that not everyone accepts that he did

[SkymonkeyONE 4]

Kittinger was in droguefall, not freefall, therefore it doesn't technically count.
My webpage HERE

[flyinryan 0]

So does that mean that Fournier is not going to be using a drouge? Do you log drouge fall and free fall difrently if you are a tandem master?

[Zennie 0]

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Kittinger was in droguefall, not freefall, therefore it doesn't technically count.

Oh gawd not this argument again!
I heard a funny story about the Kittinger jump...
Apparently when he left the balloon he looked up and saw it instantly shoot away like a rocket. His first thought was, "Wow I didn't think my weight would make that much difference for it to shoot up like that." Then he realized it wasn't the balloon shooting up. It was him screaming down through the basically nonexistent atmosphere.
"Zero Tolerance: the politically correct term for zero thought, zero common sense."

[freeflir29 0]

"Do you log drouge fall and free fall difrently if you are a tandem master?"
Yeah.....one says Free Fall...the other....Tandem....."Carb Heat On....Carb Heat On.....Carb Heat On..."-Phil Polstra Clay

[airann 1]

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Mr Fournier, who was born at Treban in central France and lives near Bordeaux,

I know this dude!!!!
He and Tibideaux are neighbors.
http://www.AirAnn.com
Ugly Girl #6

[SkydiveMonkey 0]

There's a signed print of Kittinger at my DZ and that says he nearly broke the sound barrier, but didn't quite reach it.
I like my women like I like my coffee - hot and with a spoon in

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[jtval 0]

actually, from what i read he was under drouge, he was on his back b/c it was more comfortable with all that stuff on. ubt he had three levels of deployment. so he could slow down enoough to use his parchute and not rip it to shreds. but whatever the case may be, i still think he is the and should be known as the coolest motha fuka in oour community, for one reason...he did this before the technology was available!
there was nooo internet to log on on find the answers etc. shit there werent many skydivers around at that time.soound barrier or not i am still jealous as hell of Mr. kittinger
Have fun, LIVE FREE, Skydive
JT

[freeflir29 0]

Yep......that was back when Skydiving was still dangerous! I mean.....this stuff now is just a web-cam marketing opportunity....LOL....
"Carb Heat On....Carb Heat On.....Carb Heat On..."-Phil Polstra Clay

[jtval 0]

yea but what a cool opportunity
Have fun, LIVE FREE, Skydive
JT

[dkearns 0]

Isn't the speed of sound adjusted for altitude?

[NtheSeaOrSky 0]

So does jumping from that altitude present a spotting problem?
-Wendy (yes I am just kidding)

[FallRate 0]

Actually Kittinger did not break the sound "barrier". He surpassed the speed of sound as it is measured near the surface of the Earth, where the air is relatively dense. The speed of sound increases as air pressure decreases (higher altitudes). Kittinger did not surpass the speed of sound relative to his altitude at any point in his skydive, which is also demonstrated by the fact that he did not experience the shock waves associated with exceeding the speed of sound and returning to a sub-sonic speed. This is a special consideration for those who are planning on doing this sort of jump in a drogueless fashion, as they will have to contend with the shock waves. (I believe that Cheryl Stearns is planning on making her attempt in a head-down position, at least partly due to the concern of shock-waves.)
FallRate

[dkearns 0]

I don't think that a person is going to be able to break the sound barrier in unpowered freefall. Course I could be wrong. I'm pretty sure that ldgp bombs don't break the sound barrier when they come out of a B-52 and they are alot more dense and streamlined than a person.

[flyhi 24]

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Isn't the speed of sound adjusted for altitude?

Actually, the speed of sound is only adjusted for temperature where there is atmosphere. The speed of sound is equal to 49 times the square root of temperature in Rankine. That gives it to you in feet per second.
I am not a geek!
flyhi

[jtval 0]

here's the address for airman magazine with all the info.
(b-52's, dont drop bombs from 100,000ft.i dont think they have time to biult that kinda speed)http://www.af.mil/news/airman/1299/ballon.htm
Have fun, LIVE FREE, Skydive
JT

[dkearns 0]

Well I knew B-52s didn't fly at 100000 feet, More like 35 to 50 thousand. The whole temp thing clears it up. That and some web sites.

[chickenhawk420 0]

Don't know wether im right or not but a couple of years ago i read a book by Tom (something) it was mostly about his life from paras, to the best in their display tea, to a hardass SAS muhfucker, to trying this attampt (his was going to be higer than Kittinger) to going insane and trying to kill his girlfriend because paranoia made him think "they" where after him- mind you if you read some of the shit this guy went through, especially getting royaly fucked by the crown for his services, you kinda see where he was coming from
Anyway during his research into how he was going to do it (including using the russians surplasss space race gear) he visited kittinger and found out as much as he could from the horses mouth) and basicly he broke it on his third try (first try he wasn't under drouge, but after nearly killing himself he felt maybe he should try it on his next go - now thats balls of steel in anyones book) and he did break the sound barrier as his speed was recorded above it- technicalities may change the spped of sound thing but this muh flew.
Also this is purley hear say but why would you feel the sonic boom its behind you?

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