Jumping from 25,000 Feet Without a Parachute and Landing Safely

WHAAAAAAATTT the hell did I just watch? In 2016, Luke Aikins became the first person to intentionally jump and land without the aid of a parachute or wingsuit — check out the video above to see how he does it. At one point, his heart rate is displayed on the screen and I’m certain that mine was in the same ballpark just before he landed. I recommend you also watch a video of the jump narrated by Aikins as he talks through what’s happening before, during, and after the jump.

See also Gary Connery’s 2012 jump — he fell 2400 feet from a helicopter and landed on a huge pile of cardboard boxes with the aid of a wingsuit, which slowed his vertical velocity to about 15 mph.

FYI: The jump height of 25,000 feet seems impressive (and it’s probably trickier hitting the target from higher up) but in terms of speed, about 1500 feet is sufficient for a freefalling human in the spread-eagle position to reach their maximum (terminal) velocity of ~120 mph. Anything over 1500 feet, about half the height of El Capitan’s granite face, doesn’t add any additional speed. (via @mikeindustries)

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