[jwsea55]

There is a video on the article page.

[az_gila]

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?

[Vendome]

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

[luvbach1]

...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.

[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?"

[tired&retired]

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?

[SamAdams76]

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.

[Chode]

the completing of it was never in doubt, only surviving it was... good on him

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

2400 feet is nearly a mile? Wow, I didn’t realize inflation was so bad, that even mileage distance is only worth half what it used to be.

For the less mathematically inclined, a US mile is 5,280 feet. The jump was nearly “half” a mile.

Not to take away from the feat...