[aculeus]

Gravity sucks.

[NYS_Eric]

The unofficial world record for the highest skydive was set at 102,000ft by Joe Kittinger, an American, in 1960.

This record still stuns me. I remember reading about it a couple of years ago. Extreme bravery or extreme death wish.

[gcruse]

Millner began intensive training for the jump in July.

What do you suppose his intensive training included?  Looking real hard
out the window of a clothes dryer?  Timed climbing-out-of-a-basket?
Looking down?  Staying warm?  Pinin' ?

[DouglasKC]

He appears undaunted by warnings from scientists that the descent through near-space could be so fast that his head will explode.

If I had a nickel for everytime somebody told me something would make my head explode I'd be a rich man.

[Tacis]

I'm betting that his widow will sue the parachute manufacturer because the 'chute will be found torn to ribbons; the airplane driver for not preventing him from jumping; that owner of the land on which he splats for maintaining a dangerous landing zone; and scientists for not clearly explaining the law of gravity. At least the baloon guys, who always fail, leave themselves some room for failure. What is that Indian guy's name that he is supposed to yell?

[daedal]

It's not the gravity that stinks, it's the solid mass of rock associated with the gravity.

[Trailer Trash]

I hope he has one of these

.....*

[Poohbah]

Sounds like this guy did a few too many HAHO jumps without an oxygen bottle...

[mombonn]

He sounds like a shoo-in for the Darwin Awards.

[itsinthebag]

"The unofficial world record for the highest skydive was set at 102,000ft by Joe Kittinger, an American, in 1960.

Whatever happened to Joe? Did he suffer any kind of brain damage I wonder.

[SamAdams76]

Personally I think this is a dumb stunt. I don't think he'll make it. Might as well be jumping from the moon.

[JoeGar]

Remember when Evil Kneivel planned to jump out of a jet at 40,000 feet without a parachute and attempt to land on a large haystack? He planned to wear a skydiver suit that had panels sewn under the arms that would help him slow down to 60 m.p.h. He also planned to have his spleen removed because his greatest threat would be a burst spleen. I don't know why he dropped the project.

[Diamond]

... will have a camera attached to his body so that millions of viewers can watch live on television.

Well, at least if his head explodes we will get to see it on TV.

Cordially,

[Zathras]

Joe Kittinger was the first man to go supersonic without a plane.

[socal_parrot]

Rule of thumb from from any movie I have seen where in someone plummets to their death-

Never jump/fall from a height where the distance of the fall is longer than the length of a scream.

[NMC EXP]

Kittinger, who jumped from 102K, had a small drogue chute to maintain some degree of stability until his main opened, as I recall. Don't know how there would be enough air (if any) that high to inflate a drogue.

My skydiving instructors taught us that "Out of 10,000 feet of fall, it's the last half inch that hurts the most".

Their answer to the question "what happens if neither chute opens" was "Cross your right leg over your left leg, raise your arms and cross the right over the left, and fall feet first." What will that do?" Response; "It'll make easier to screw you out of the ground." What a fun loving bunch.

Regards

J.R.

[paul51]

He appears undaunted by warnings from scientists that the descent through near-space could be so fast that his head will explode. Millner plans to make the jump early next year wearing a pressurised spacesuit, and will have a camera attached to his body so that millions of viewers can watch live on television.

Just in case, don't use one of those cameras attached to you helmut. It might get broken.

[HeadOn]

LOL! I had Tom Petty playing over the headphones, and just after I clicked on this post, he started playing "Free Fallin'"...

BTW, 25 miles will beat the old record by the altitude/distance/height of THIRTY World Trade Centers (30,000 feet)

[Basil314]

Activate the Darwin Awards mobile team for a possible nominee filming.

[TRY ONE]

What, ol' chap, happens to testicles at - 200*F when they hit Ayers Rock, central Australia, from 125,000 ft.?????

[rogers21774]

Rodd Millner, 37, hopes to freefall for six minutes before opening his parachute and touching down within 30 miles of Ayers Rock in central Australia.

That averages out to about 250 mph. You know that in the first 30,000 ft or so he'll probably be traveling about twice that speed. Cool!