Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Gary Connery: stuntman completes 2400ft skydive without a parachute
The Telegraph ^ | 23 May 2012 | Andrew Hough, and Richard Alleyne

Posted on 05/25/2012 11:26:15 PM PDT by jwsea55

Gary Connery: stuntman completes 2400ft skydive without a parachute

A stuntman, Gary Connery, has become the first man to leap 2400 feet and safely land without using a parachute.

The 42-year-old daredevil plunged from a helicopter in a death-defying feat before landing in an area containing 18,600 cardboard boxes.

The father-of-two, a veteran of 880 sky dives, 450 base jumps and dozens of film and television roles, jumped this afternoon above Ridge Wood, Bucks to become the first person to jump from such a height and live without deploying a parachute.

The entire flight of nearly a mile took less than a minute and was only given the green light because the weather conditions were “perfect”.

Mr Connery, from nearby Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, dropped for three seconds before reaching speeds of more than 80mph in a specially developed wing suit that "started to fly"

(Excerpt) Read more at The Telegraph ...

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Miscellaneous; Outdoors; UFO's
KEYWORDS: skydive; stuntman
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-25 next last

1 posted on 05/25/2012 11:26:32 PM PDT by jwsea55
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: jwsea55

There is a video on the article page.


2 posted on 05/25/2012 11:28:10 PM PDT by jwsea55
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jwsea55
You would think that a UK journalist could at least do a Google search.

Lots of folks remember the story of the WWII RAF tail gunner who jumped out of a Lancaster bomber at 18,000 ft and only suffered a sprained leg.

Full story here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_Alkemade

Don't newspapers do any research any more?

3 posted on 05/26/2012 12:11:46 AM PDT by az_gila
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jwsea55

If I ever have cancer that goes on my bucket list.


4 posted on 05/26/2012 12:17:24 AM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live athrough it anyway)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Vendome
If I ever have cancer that goes on my bucket list.

Whoa, you better start saving cardboard boxes..what'd it say, 18,600 of them?

5 posted on 05/26/2012 12:42:36 AM PDT by sockmonkey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: az_gila

Thanks for the link. Interesting read. That guy gets the record for highest fall without a parachute while expecting to die. The guy in this post gets the record doing it and expecting to live. The reporter just left that part out.


6 posted on 05/26/2012 2:25:09 AM PDT by gunsequalfreedom (Conservative is not a label of convenience. It is a guide to your actions.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: jwsea55
...wing suit that started to fly...

Not quite a parachute but obviously a device to slow him down. Next stunt will have to be someone jumping from 3,000 feet onto boxes wearing only briefs.

7 posted on 05/26/2012 2:41:43 AM PDT by luvbach1 (Stop the destruction in 2012 or continue the decline)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jwsea55
Flight Sergeant Nicholas Stephen Alkemade (1923–1987) was a tail gunner for a Royal Air Force Avro Lancaster bomber during World War II who survived a fall of 18,000 feet (5500 m) without a parachute after his plane was shot down over Germany.Ivan Chisov, Soviet Airforce Lieutenant who survived falling from his aircraft in 1942 Alan Magee, American, World War II airman, who survived 22,000-foot (6,700 m) fall from his damaged B-17 Vesna Vulović, Serbian flight–attendant, who survived the mid-air breakup of her aircraft in 1972 When did 2400 feet become "nearly a mile?"
8 posted on 05/26/2012 2:54:49 AM PDT by tired&retired
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jwsea55

If he jumped 2400 feet to land on 18,600 cardboard boxes, they must have been flat boxes. That many boxes can make a pretty high stack.

Wonder if they were filled with Styrofoam peanuts?


9 posted on 05/26/2012 3:00:58 AM PDT by tired&retired
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: tired&retired

Wonder if they were filled with Styrofoam peanuts?

No: But his head is. No brain there.


10 posted on 05/26/2012 3:17:44 AM PDT by Venturer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: luvbach1
Next stunt will have to be someone jumping from 3,000 feet onto boxes wearing only briefs.

Eventually- someone will jump from the International Space Station wearing only some sunblock, goggles and a SCUBA tank, and land on a damp sponge.

:-P

11 posted on 05/26/2012 3:59:52 AM PDT by Riley (The Fourth Estate is the Fifth Column.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: tired&retired

They were lined up to create a cushioned “runway” for him to land. He was wearing a very large wingsuit which created lift and forward motion. He was a human flying squirrel. There certainly was a great danger of him missing the runway and so it took a bit of skill, and nerve, to control the “glide” in order to hit the runway, so to speak.


12 posted on 05/26/2012 4:19:51 AM PDT by HerrBlucher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: tired&retired

They were lined up to create a cushioned “runway” for him to land. He was wearing a very large wingsuit which created lift and forward motion. He was a human flying squirrel. There certainly was a great danger of him missing the runway and so it took a bit of skill, and nerve, to control the “glide” in order to hit the runway, so to speak.


13 posted on 05/26/2012 4:20:03 AM PDT by HerrBlucher
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: jwsea55
I think the video linked here is even more amazing. This shows the jump from above and you can get a better grasp of just how little the margin for error was.
14 posted on 05/26/2012 4:28:44 AM PDT by SamAdams76
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: jwsea55
the completing of it was never in doubt, only surviving it was... good on him
15 posted on 05/26/2012 4:48:38 AM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sockmonkey

I’ll turn the whole thing into a charity event with me as the donor of course but, since I will also be the entertainment.....

Yeah, it will be billed as the “Live and Let Die” tour.


16 posted on 05/26/2012 6:14:26 AM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live athrough it anyway)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: SamAdams76; Chode; Vendome; az_gila
Thanks for all the links! Great link by SamAdams on different view. Another great flying squirrel is Jeb Corbliss Grinding the Crack

uhhhhhhhhh...this one is probably missing my bucketlist, rather have fun with the new Toyota FR-S/GT-86...this thing looks like an absolute blast. Greddy already has this thing tuned to 600HP.

17 posted on 05/26/2012 9:28:35 AM PDT by jwsea55
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: tired&retired
Flight Sergeant Nicholas Stephen Alkemade (1923–1987) was a tail gunner for a Royal Air Force Avro Lancaster bomber during World War II who survived a fall of 18,000 feet (5500 m) without a parachute after his plane was shot down over Germany.Ivan Chisov, Soviet Airforce Lieutenant who survived falling from his aircraft in 1942 Alan Magee, American, World War II airman, who survived 22,000-foot (6,700 m) fall from his damaged B-17 Vesna Vulović, Serbian flight–attendant, who survived the mid-air breakup of her aircraft in 1972 When did 2400 feet become "nearly a mile?"

---------------------------

Thanks for the extra cases, I thought it was a B-17 in WWII I remembered, but Google found the RAF Lancaster. It just shows the reporter missed even more occurrences...:^)

18 posted on 05/26/2012 9:47:59 AM PDT by az_gila
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: luvbach1

Yeah, he was wearing his parachute.

Lets see him HALO jump in his skivies onto a pile of angle farts! Now THAT would be impressive.


19 posted on 05/26/2012 10:06:24 AM PDT by Delta 21 (Oh Crap !! Did I say that out loud ??!??)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: jwsea55
no helmet, even though he didn't push the car to it's limit, i can't tell if it too much confidence or not enough brains...
20 posted on 05/26/2012 12:38:38 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - *DTOM* -ww- NO Pity for the LAZY)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-25 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson