GyroKumpass » Skydiving

Supersonic Suit

Andrew Steketee — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 15:22:10 +0000

Austrian-born skydiver and world renowned BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner (“Fearless Felix”) plans to ride a helium balloon to an atmospheric height of 120,000 feet, and then jump–all in an attempt to surpass the 50-year record for the highest-altitude parachute jump set in 1960 by retired U.S. Air Force pilot Joe Kittinger.

Jason Paur of Wired writes about David Clark’s supersonic suit that will help keep Felix alive during the jump: “Baumgartner (like Kittinger did) is working with several scientists to research new, safer suit designs for pilots and future space travelers. The hope is to develop the next generation of full pressure suits that would help increase survival if the need to bail out of a spacecraft should ever arise at extremely high altitudes.”

Questioning The Supersonic Free Fall

Andrew Steketee — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:43:57 +0000

John Tierney (“TierneyLab”) of The New York Times wonders about the value of Baumgartner’s proposed supersonic jump: “I can think of one obvious explanation for jumping into the void: Because it’s not there. Or more simply: Because it’s cool.”

“Skyaking”: Throwing Plastic Boats From High Places

Andrew Steketee — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:18:52 +0000

Yes, “skyaking” is what it sounds like: skydiving with a kayak. Miles Daisher, a resident of Twin Falls, Idaho and a longtime BASE jumper and skydiver, tells The Daily Telegraph how he came up with the idea of throwing himself and plastic boats out of planes and helicopters.

“‘It took us nearly a year before we could get our wish to come true as no one was really looking to throw a kayak out of an aeroplane. To begin with we did it off a 600ft bridge on a static line, and landed in Feather River, California,’” says Daisher. “‘A year later I got permission to jump out of an aeroplane and so since that time I have jumped out of four different aircraft, including a helicopter.’”

Supersonic Free Fall

Andrew Steketee — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:43:22 +0000

Stratos Mission: Austrian-born skydiver and world renowned BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner (“Fearless Felix”) plans to ride a helium balloon to an atmospheric height of 120,000 feet, and then jump–all in an attempt to surpass the 50-year record for the highest-altitude parachute jump set in 1960 by retired U.S. Air Force pilot Joe Kittinger.

Production by Red Bull

Felix Baumgartner: 2010 Supersonic Free Fall

Andrew Steketee — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 22:50:10 +0000

photo credit: divemasterking2000

“Baumgartner could set new records for the highest manned balloon flight and the longest free fall as well as become the first person to break the sound barrier without a protective craft. Baumgartner said he would exceed the speed of sound within about 35 seconds of free fall but would not pull his chute for another five minutes… Kittinger’s advice to his successor: ‘Have fun, enjoy it, and tell us all about it when you get down,’” reports John Matson of Scientific American.

Red Bull is sponsoring Baumgartner’s jump as the Stratos mission: