So there is talk around town about a stunt that is so intense, so dangerous, so precision-demanding, that it might just be the most awesome stunt ever accomplished by humans! Skydiving then landing without a parachute.

Actually, this is an international race. People like Jeb Corliss from America, Loic Jean-Albert from France, and many others around the world are hoping to be the first to accomplish this stunt.

This idea hit big headlines back in 2004 and was projected to be complete in ‘05. That didn’t happen.

The funding is quite expensive for such a project. Not only are investors and project team members forking over a huge chunk of money to sponsor this plan that may only be good for one try, but if it does not succeed like they anticipate, they face some possible liability if the diver… well, crashes.

For an investor, these odds are high-risk and are possibly the reasons this project has not been completed, yet.

There is still hope and the project will, eventually, become a reality. Hopefully, a successful reality and not the alternative!

There are a lot of physics involved in this project. Mostly having to do with gravity, but also speed. The diver will inevitably wear a wingsuit (a jumpsuit with fabric between the arms to the torso, and between the legs. A bit like webbing or the wings on a flying squirrel) This suit will slow their speed of descent and create a lift: a 2 to 1 ratio meaning for every 1 foot the diver falls, they move horizontally 2 feet.

But this can’t be the only technique. Due to the interational race, word about what techniques are being used and how are kept top secret, as not to assist competitors in their own work.

But, physicists have no reservations giving away possible techniques

• One idea is to build a runway. One that has a moving platform that can compensate for the speed of the diver.
• Or, a slope covered in snow or frictionless ice
• Or, the diver could use air brakes, air bags, or a tail chute, all of which seem like cheating to me, indeed!

Now it seems the inclined platform is the most popular out of the ideas, but who knows what these people are going to come up with!

Wow! I mean, where do we go from here?

So just a suggestion, if you are an investor this is the project for you!! If successful you will have a stake in something HUGE and don’t you want to be there when the media is crazy and talk is ebbing through the people??

You can check out more of this topic and proximity flying  by clicking here and visiting our other Rushmonkeys post.

Proximity flying

Jeb Corliss flies down Matterhorn Peak

Yves Rossy and the Jet Pack flight across the Swiss Alps

The Wingsuit Landing Project