First jet powered Birdman flight....

[peckerhead 0]

I don't want to throw a weenie in the warp-drive here but isn't skydiving supposed to be flying without engines?

Technically he is not a skydiver anymore but an experimental aircraft that still needs a parachute to land in one piece.

All he needs is some wheels....

[waltappel 1]

Quote

I don't want to throw a weenie in the warp-drive here but isn't skydiving supposed to be flying without engines?

Technically he is not a skydiver anymore but an experimental aircraft that still needs a parachute to land in one piece.

All he needs is some wheels....

The boundaries of skydiving are dynamic in nature but have never before included a propulsion system on a jumper. Is it truly skydiving? Only time will tell. There is the possibility that it may send the sport in an entirely new direction or maybe it will become some sort of niche within the sport.

It's not something that appeals to me but I have to admit it's impressive.

Just to add another perspective. A BASE jumper might well consider the powered skydiver and mainstream skydiving to both be "impure" forms of parachuting. Of course BASE jumpers are usually too busy pondering things like whether jumping off a crane next to a building counts as a 'B' or an 'A' to be concerned about whether a powered skydiver is truly a skydiver.

It all matters very little, though. To each his own.

Walt

p.s. Please no PMs about the crane/building scenario. It can go either way and, if the crane has a very long horizontal boom that extends well past the building, might even count as an 'S'. And if it's an unbelievably wide building, then it's kind of like a dam, which we all know counts as an 'E'. Of course if it's all on the edge of a really tall cliff....

[peckerhead 0]

I agree.

How about if you swim off of a waterfall and deploy a parachute?

Is that a new catagory?

Technically you did not "jump" from land.....

[waltappel 1]

Quote

I agree.

How about if you swim off of a waterfall and deploy a parachute?

Is that a new catagory?

Technically you did not "jump" from land.....

That is practically daring someone to try it! I can see it now. A BASE jumper on a surfboard going over the falls...

Walt

[NlghtJumper 0]

Oh boy... I can hear the news reports already

"Man/Woman goes over Niagara Falls and survives, thanks to the use of his parachute... more at 11"

A man will do anything for the right woman,
and when that woman destroys him,
that man will become a hunk of meat with the common sense of a rodeo clown! ~ Christopher Titus

[tso-d_chris 0]

Quote

I don't want to throw a weenie in the warp-drive here but isn't skydiving supposed to be flying without engines?

Technically he is not a skydiver anymore but an experimental aircraft that still needs a parachute to land in one piece.

All he needs is some wheels....

He left an in-flight aircraft with intentions of landing a parachute. How is that not skydiving?

For Great Deals on Gear

[davelepka 4]

Technically, who gives a crap what you want to call it, it's fuckin cool. That dude strapped little jets to his feet and flew. It's like James Bond, minus the special effects.

Give him some time to perfect his technique, and maybe modify the suit a little, and he'll be going back up again. Get some more power behind him, and nice dive to build some airspeed, and he'll loop himself. Sweet.

[Broke 0]

Quote

I agree.

How about if you swim off of a waterfall and deploy a parachute?

Is that a new catagory?

Technically you did not "jump" from land.....

You wouldn't want to swin, because you could waterlog your gear, however a conoe or a jet ski?

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[erikzero 0]

Those rocket boots would be great for a camera flyer.
You could get so many cool angles, and move around the sky so fast you wouldn't miss a thing.

You could exit last, then fly up to every group that exited before you one after the other.

YES, I AM DREAMING.

[hexadecimal 0]

Quote

Technically, who gives a crap what you want to call it, it's fuckin cool.

Exactly.

I'm not sure what the purpose of this thread was, actually... it almost seems like the original poster was trying to discredit the achievement?

[BoostedXT 0]

I have always wanted to jet ski off Niagra Falls with a BASE rig on...launch at 60 mph...deploy and land on the Maid of the Mist tour boat roof...

joe

For long as you live and high you fly and smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry and all that you touch and all that you see is all your life will ever be.
Pedro Offers you his Protection.

[Guest]

Quote

I don't want to throw a weenie in the warp-drive here but isn't skydiving supposed to be flying without engines?

Technically he is not a skydiver anymore but an experimental aircraft that still needs a parachute to land in one piece.

All he needs is some wheels....

Yeah, but Wile E. Coyote would be proud. The Acme Company has really outdone itself this time...

Seriously, though, I think it's a great idea and I wish I'd thought of it.

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[peckerhead 0]

I'm not sure what the purpose of this thread was, actually... it almost seems like the original poster was trying to discredit the achievement?

[markd_nscr986 0]

I would be concerned about flaming out on one boot.........that would create a real nasty spin

Marc SCR 6046 SCS 3004

[NickDG 23]

Somebody already tried riding a jet ski off Niagara Falls wearing a parachute and they were killed. This fellow was not a jumper and the parachute he used (some type of ballistic recovery system like on a ultralite aircraft) wasn't properly connected to either him or his machine . . .

So yes, that stunt is still lurking out there and begging to be done right!

Just don’t put the jet ski through the deck of the “Maid of the Mist!”

NickD BASE 194

[sangiro 26]

This article got Slashdot-ed...

Safe swoops
Sangiro