trumpetfish 0 #1 July 31, 2003 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3112095.stm An Austrian man has become the first person to skydive across the English Channel. Felix Baumgartner landed safely in Calais after the eight-minute flight See the flight plan in detail Felix Baumgartner leapt from a plane above Dover at 0509 BST, landing 22 miles (35 kilometres) away in Cap Blanc-Nez near Calais just 14 minutes later. He wore only an aerodynamic jumpsuit with a 6ft (1.8m) carbon fin strapped to his back, oxygen to breathe, and a parachute to land. He told the BBC just after landing he was exhausted but the jump was "great". "It was total freedom. If you step out of the aeroplane at this altitude, it's perfect because you see the sun rise right over there, it's the beginning of the day. "You're totally alone, there's just you, your equipment, your wing - and your skills. I like it." The freefall was stressful but "great", said Baumgartner The 34-year-old former mechanic said there had been a few problems at the beginning of the flight. A cameraman following him passed out through lack of oxygen in the plane before the jump. And when he jumped his legs and glider got entangled and he had to cut his glider into pieces, he said. It was also extremely cold initially - with temperatures of -40C - and cloud cover meant he could not see where he was going. "I couldn't see the other side so I had no reference point. I was flying over the clouds all the time. "But the last 2,000 metres I could see those lights right over there, so I knew I'm going to make it." 360km per hour Mr Baumgartner said the plane was at 30,000 feet (9,000 metres) when he jumped - and he initially reached speeds of 360 kilometres (220 miles) per hour. For most of the freefall he was travelling at about 220 kilometres (135 miles) per hour, he said. Baumgartner parachuted into Calais The BBC's Caroline Wyatt in Calais, who was watching the flight, said Mr Baumgartner's journey had made a strange spectacle. "At first he was just a distant speck hurtling through the morning sky, only occasionally visible between the clouds. With his carbon fibre wings silhouetted against the rising sun it was a bizarre sight." The process of leaping out of the plane involved lots of delicate manoeuvring, she said. "Clearly he had to judge just the right minute to jump out of the plane so he could ensure the right currents. "He was saying any single mistake in the way he uses his body or the way he places himself could put him off course, could be very dangerous." Daredevil Mr Baumgartner had prepared for three years for this flight, with rigorous training including strapping himself onto the top of a speeding Porsche. But he hinted he was still thirsty for a new challenge. "This was my biggest project so far but there's still something left, so don't worry," he said. "It's top secret, but it's going to be awesome." The Austrian is no stranger to daredevil feats, usually launched from great heights. In 1999, he jumped from the statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur - the tallest building in the world. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mikkey 0 #2 July 31, 2003 Clicky with pics and illustration ( a big beat up IMO): http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3112095.stm--------------------------------------------------------- When people look like ants - pull. When ants look like people - pray. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cpoxon 0 #3 July 31, 2003 QuoteA cameraman following him passed out through lack of oxygen in the plane before the jump. Quote"I couldn't see the other side so I had no reference point. I was flying over the clouds all the time. Quote"At first he was just a distant speck hurtling through the morning sky, only occasionally visible between the clouds. With his carbon fibre wings silhouetted against the rising sun it was a bizarre sight." Hmm, so nobody actually saw it then? :-) I hope he was carrying a GPS or visible on radar. I would be interested in seeing the data. QuoteAnd when he jumped his legs and glider got entangled and he had to cut his glider into pieces, he said. Classic piece of journalism! What he actually said was, "On opening, I went directly into the opening with my legs so I had to cut my slider in pieces because it was hanging up in the lines, but I made it, which is great"Skydiving Fatalities - Cease not to learn 'til thou cease to live Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lazyfrog 0 #4 July 31, 2003 poor glider... he crossed the channel approx 4 times faster than bleriot, flying the other way... morality : much faster to go from UK to France...---------- Fumer tue, péter pue ------------- ourson #10, Mosquito Uno, CBT 579 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
