"Stupid is as stupid does"

[Cavman]

....there was a tail gunner in WWII that jumped from a Lancaster Bomber over Germany and survived the fall WITHOUT a parachute. He landed in a deep snow bank.....no net!

http://m.wimp.com/man-jumps-from-250...out-parachute/

[Bob Denman]

Here's His story...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Alkemade

[cuznjohn]

how crazy was that. he was on the news today, and when they asked him if the other jumpers were there in case something happened, he said, once i left the plane, there was nothing anyone could do

[jaherbst]

Obviously the "ultimate " thrill seeker! Must have "cahone's" the size of basketballs!

​Jack

[Bob Denman]

Obviously the "ultimate " thrill seeker! Must have "cahone's" the size of basketballs!

​Jack

...And a brain that's the size of a pea...

Had he "cratered" the impact: I wonder if the video would have made it on Youtube?

[Chupaca]

Now try it without the net... well he will be famous till someone does it from 26,000 feet. Just not the kind of record I would want to hold...

[Bob Denman]

https://youtu.be/oXv3SSijPFc

[JerryB]

Hi Cavman,

Re: "Stupid is as stupid does"

I spent over 25 yrs jumping & have over 1,000 freefall jumps. I consider it a real dumb stunt.

However, Luke Aikens ( a 3rd generation skydiver ) is one of only very few people who could pull it off.

He has over 18,000 jumps and has been jumping since he was a young teenager; he's now 42.

I've known the Aikens family for nearly 50 yrs.

Jerry Baumchen

PS) Just for the trivia folks; the four corners of the net had these special laser lights that pointed directly vertical. Luke wore something on his helmet that could 'catch' the lights & let him know if he was inside of the four lights or outside of them. He really only had to keep all four lights within sight to hit the net.

[ARtraveler]

Both jumpers are very lucky. The Lancaster crewmember was definitely the luckiest.

The jump into a net person--a lucky break on the odds that he landed in the net and it didn't collapse or tear.

I for one would hesitate to press my luck that far.

I am sure there will be those who will though.

[JerryB]

Hi akspyderman,

Re: it didn't collapse or tear.

They did a bunch of drop tests with a metal dummy to find out just how much the net would withstand.

Jerry Baumchen

[ARtraveler]

Hi akspyderman,

Re: it didn't collapse or tear.

They did a bunch of drop tests with a metal dummy to find out just how much the net would withstand.

Jerry Baumchen

I was guessing that there was a lot of "behind the scenes" mathematics as well as the pre-tests. Too much at stake to leave it to "fate." Evil Knievel should have had his engineering crew.

[Bob Denman]

About the only way that I'd go out the door of a perfectly running airplane :

...Would be with a bullet in my brain!