Cross-channel skydive successfull

[Buck Wild]

The guy made it ! 30Kfeet, 6'carbon wing with winglets on his back.
Looked pretty cool to me. Now I wanna see a streamlined body fairing &
control surfaces.

[Mark James Boyd]

I saw the Red Bull Flugtag in SF a while back. Same idea.
What a blast. How many glider pilots would release if
they KNEW that the result was a landing in 55 degree (cold)
Pacific water?

This guy is crazy and fun. Good for him! I know I wouldn't
do it... I hope they get some glider expert on the
BBC to talk about it and give a good wink at the end...

[Justin Fielding]

I sorta found it a bit boring and a bit of a con, I mean sure nobody has
done it before, but it's not like it's an amazing feat. Hell I would do it
tomorrow if someone else would pay for it (like redbull). Bit of a publicity
stunt no doubt hyped to the media by his sponsor. At the beginning of the
week, the BBC were advertising it as the first attempt to cross the channel
unpowered which was very wrong. The channel has been crossed by a
hang-glider before, and that was without a lift to 30k feet. I would
classify it in the same sort of category really, I know that it's not
actually a hang glider as he has it strapped to his back, he's not hanging,
but still, in reality it's the same principle.

Just my moan,

Justin.


"Mark James Boyd" > wrote in message
...
> I saw the Red Bull Flugtag in SF a while back. Same idea.
> What a blast. How many glider pilots would release if
> they KNEW that the result was a landing in 55 degree (cold)
> Pacific water?
>
> This guy is crazy and fun. Good for him! I know I wouldn't
> do it... I hope they get some glider expert on the
> BBC to talk about it and give a good wink at the end...
>
>

[Justin Fielding]

Well thats what I was saying. Sure nobody has jumped out of a plane with a
wing strapped to their back and crossed the channel before, but it has been
crossed unpowered before, so why the big deal? just a publicity stunt.

Justin.

"Tim Newport-Peace" ]> wrote in message
...
> X-no-archive: yes
> In article >, Justin
> Fielding <justinATthrill-seekers.net@?.?> writes
> >I sorta found it a bit boring and a bit of a con, I mean sure nobody has
> >done it before,
>
> Not Quite true. On 22nd April 1939 Geoffrey Stephenson flew from
> Dunstable (from a winch launch) to 10 miles east of Boulogne.
>
> >but it's not like it's an amazing feat. Hell I would do it
> >tomorrow if someone else would pay for it (like redbull). Bit of a
publicity
> >stunt no doubt hyped to the media by his sponsor. At the beginning of the
> >week, the BBC were advertising it as the first attempt to cross the
channel
> >unpowered which was very wrong. The channel has been crossed by a
> >hang-glider before, and that was without a lift to 30k feet. I would
> >classify it in the same sort of category really, I know that it's not
> >actually a hang glider as he has it strapped to his back, he's not
hanging,
> >but still, in reality it's the same principle.
> >
> >Just my moan,
> >
> >Justin.
> >
> >
> >"Mark James Boyd" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> I saw the Red Bull Flugtag in SF a while back. Same idea.
> >> What a blast. How many glider pilots would release if
> >> they KNEW that the result was a landing in 55 degree (cold)
> >> Pacific water?
> >>
> >> This guy is crazy and fun. Good for him! I know I wouldn't
> >> do it... I hope they get some glider expert on the
> >> BBC to talk about it and give a good wink at the end...
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
> Tim Newport-Peace
>
> "Indecision is the Key to Flexibility."

[Buck Wild]

"Justin Fielding" <justinATthrill-seekers.net> wrote in message >...
> Well thats what I was saying. Sure nobody has jumped out of a plane with a
> wing strapped to their back and crossed the channel before, but it has been
> crossed unpowered before, so why the big deal? just a publicity stunt.
>
> Justin.
>
No big deal, I just enjoy seeing people try different things. First
time I've seen an actual wing on a skydiver. Takes the "wing-suit" to
a whole new level.
Screw the channel. I could care less. I just think skydiving (falling)
looks like more fun with forward speed, an L/D better than 2/1, and
more airtime.
Now, how to keep from lighting your shoes on fire when you add the
turbojet....
Dan

[Al]

I can see it now " Dan Murphy Rocketeer"

Al

"Buck Wild" > wrote in message
om...
> "Justin Fielding" <justinATthrill-seekers.net> wrote in message
>...
> > Well thats what I was saying. Sure nobody has jumped out of a plane
with a
> > wing strapped to their back and crossed the channel before, but it has
been
> > crossed unpowered before, so why the big deal? just a publicity stunt.
> >
> > Justin.
> >
> No big deal, I just enjoy seeing people try different things. First
> time I've seen an actual wing on a skydiver. Takes the "wing-suit" to
> a whole new level.
> Screw the channel. I could care less. I just think skydiving (falling)
> looks like more fun with forward speed, an L/D better than 2/1, and
> more airtime.
> Now, how to keep from lighting your shoes on fire when you add the
> turbojet....
> Dan

[Andy Smith]

There was a French guy called Valentin, who in the fifties did the same =
sort of thing with a wing of some sort or a special suit. As I recall he =
ended up doing a passable imitation of Wylie Coyote and made a big =
impression on a field somewhere in southern England.

[Test]

Haha, I was having a similar thought, you could have a pair of model
aircraft jet engines mounted in/on the wing, with the wing full of fuel and
possibly movable elevons (though weight shift should do) you could probably
cruise quite nicely for quite a distance. A bit like a development of the
"Rocketeer" idea, but no takeoff/landing issues. You launch by jumping out
of a plane at about 8-10k, then just fly! Landing you cut the throttle,
lose some speed and pull the chute. Protection from heat shouldn't be too
much of an issue, the cooling from the air at those sort of speeds you would
be doing would easily cool the engine, I think an external pod mount would
be safest as mounting it in the wing would add issues with cooling / fuel!
Heh imagine the headache it would cause ATC and light aircraft if it took
off as the next big extreme sport, lol.

Justin.


"Buck Wild" > wrote in message
om...
> "Justin Fielding" <justinATthrill-seekers.net> wrote in message
>...
> > Well thats what I was saying. Sure nobody has jumped out of a plane
with a
> > wing strapped to their back and crossed the channel before, but it has
been
> > crossed unpowered before, so why the big deal? just a publicity stunt.
> >
> > Justin.
> >
> No big deal, I just enjoy seeing people try different things. First
> time I've seen an actual wing on a skydiver. Takes the "wing-suit" to
> a whole new level.
> Screw the channel. I could care less. I just think skydiving (falling)
> looks like more fun with forward speed, an L/D better than 2/1, and
> more airtime.
> Now, how to keep from lighting your shoes on fire when you add the
> turbojet....
> Dan