meekerboy 0 #1 November 6, 2003 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/tv_and_radio/3246287.stm Illusionist David Blaine has announced his next stunt - jumping hundreds of feet from a helicopter into a river. The US magician is already planning his next adventure, which will take place on his birthday - 4 April, 2004. The announcement comes just weeks after he ended his enforced 44-day stay in a plastic box in London. Blaine has not said where the helicopter plunge will take place, but added only a few had survived the jump - dubbed the "dive of death". Speaking on CNN, he said: "If you go in (to the water) a little bit off if your body is not perfectly straight - you do not pierce the water right, you rip your ligaments off, you're paralysed, anything can go wrong," he said. He also gave assurances that he would be doing the jump with no parachute and "no dummy either - it will actually be me". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meekerboy 0 #2 November 6, 2003 I watched this programe called Extremists on Channel 4 in the UK and it showed high cliff divers doing jumps from 30 meters. One chap landed in the water and the energy wave bounced off the bottom and broke his pelvis. I have also heard that 50 meters is the maximum anyone can survive a jump without speeding up too much to enter the water safely. On oil rigs, if they need to be evacuated, you cannot jump off the edge as it is too high. Sounds to me like Blaine will either be dead or walking like John Wayne. Meeker Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meekerboy 0 #3 November 6, 2003 Just seen this also on http://www.truthsearcher.com/AbnFacts.htm?o=0: What is the Highest Jump WITHOUT a Parachute? 1. "Lieutenant I. M. Chisov of the former Soviet Union was flying his Ilyushin 4 on a bitter cold day in January 1942, when it was attacked by 12 German Messerschmitts. Convinced that he had no chance of surviving if he staged with his badly battered plane, Chisov bailed out at 21,980 feet. With the fighters still buzzing around, Chisov cleverly decided to fall freely out of the arena. It was his plan not to open his chute until he was down to only 1000 ft above the ground. Unfortunately, he lost consciousness en route. As luck would have it, he crashed at the edge of a steep ravine covered with 3 ft of snow. Hitting at about 120 mi/h, he plowed along its slope until he came to rest at the bottom. Chisov awoke 20 min later, bruised and sore, but miraclously he had suffered only a concussion of the spine and a fractured pelvis. Three and one-half months later he was back at work as a flight instructor." Hecht, Eugene. Physics: Calculus. 2nd ed. United States: Brooks/Cole, 2000. p 85 2. Flight Sergeant Nicholas Steven Alkemade was on a bombing mission over Germany on 23 March 1944 when his Lancaster bomber flying at 18,000 feet was blazed apart and in flames when he was forced to jump, without a parachute or be burn to death. He dove out of his destroyed aircraft hoping on a quick death. His speed accelerated to over 120 miles per hour and he impacted on a snow covered sloping forest. He was completely uninjured and later captured by the Germans who refused to believe his story. (www.urbanlegends.com/death) 3. The longest survivable fall, 26 January 1972, was Vesna Vulovic a stewardess in a DC-9 which blew up at 33,330 feet. She was in the tail section of the aircraft and though injured survived the fall. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The111 1 #4 November 6, 2003 QuoteI watched this programe called Extremists on Channel 4 in the UK and it showed high cliff divers doing jumps from 30 meters. One chap landed in the water and the energy wave bounced off the bottom and broke his pelvis. I'm not sure I believe that's possible. As far as height, I've jumped (not parachuted) feet first off of a 75 ft bridge, AND I didn't even have most ideal body position when I hit the water... I was vertical, but my feet were flat and my arms were out to my sides a bit (hands about 6 inches from thighs). It hurt quite a bit for a few minutes, but I still did it again. :) I'm sure there are skilled divers who can do much higher, but "several hundred feet" sounds like too much to me.www.WingsuitPhotos.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 25 #5 November 6, 2003 I believe that the little cliff at the boat dock by the legal span has been jumped without a parachute. I lasered it at 150'.-- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LouYoung 0 #6 November 6, 2003 I've also jumped a 70 to 80 foot high cliff at Lake Powell. Twice. It was too much fun to do once. The first time I jumped I thought that maybe it might be too high when I started hearing the wind really pick up speed. Half way down I'm thinking, "Uh oh." My previous highest jump was only 35 feet or so. Later in the day I saw someone dive off the same cliff. Woo! Lou Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The111 1 #7 November 6, 2003 Yeh, I did a 35 foot bridge about 10 times before the 75 footer. I wouldn't imagine diving off of either of them though. That's just cause I don't know how. Guess if I had to learn I'd want to start more like 15-20 foot.www.WingsuitPhotos.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
base428 1 #8 November 6, 2003 If you would have used a parachute, the NPS would have arrested you! It's only legal to jump off those cliffs WITHOUT a parachute. What a joke. QuoteI've also jumped a 70 to 80 foot high cliff at Lake Powell.(c)2010 Vertical Visions. No unauthorized duplication permitted. <==For the media only Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
460 0 #9 November 6, 2003 The error margin for the stunt is significantly reduced by relying on the turbulent water surface to vastly reduce the destructive power of surface tension. Hot dog skiers frequently practive over pools of water with huge bubble generators to make the impact much, much softer.Looks like a death sandwich without the bread - Steve Deadman Morrell, BASE 174 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hooknswoop 19 #10 November 6, 2003 QuoteThe error margin for the stunt is significantly reduced by relying on the turbulent water surface to vastly reduce the destructive power of surface tension. Hot dog skiers frequently practive over pools of water with huge bubble generators to make the impact much, much softer. That was my first thought, a tank under the water relasing a large amount of air to cushion the impact. Derek Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The111 1 #11 November 6, 2003 QuoteThe error margin for the stunt is significantly reduced by relying on the turbulent water surface to vastly reduce the destructive power of surface tension. Hot dog skiers frequently practive over pools of water with huge bubble generators to make the impact much, much softer. Yeh, I've thought about that for a long time too but didn't know if anybody did it. I always thought about the possibility of jumping into some turbulent water near a waterfall, but the safety gained by the turbulence is outweighed by the other dangers the waterfall environment probably would create. What is a hot dog skier? Are you saying the water skiers that do the huge jumps land in bubbly water?www.WingsuitPhotos.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TomAiello 25 #12 November 6, 2003 QuoteThe error margin for the stunt is significantly reduced by relying on the turbulent water surface to vastly reduce the destructive power of surface tension. Platform divers have used this technique for years. There are even commerical bubblers that are designed to sit at the bottom of diving wells, for practice. We used one at DW's aerial seminar, so I guess BASE jumpers are using this technique for training, too.-- Tom Aiello [email protected] SnakeRiverBASE.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Spike 0 #13 November 6, 2003 At a bridge I took a tour of, the guides tell a story about its construction. One of the steel erectors back in the 1920's fell from near the top, 130 metres above sea level and survived. The story goes that as he fell, rivets tumbled from a bag he was carrying and broke the surface tension of the water. While he did survive he suffered fractures in both legs. edit: Please read the "Before you Post" link in the upper right hand corner. ~Tom Aiello Sorry Tom, I didn't make the connection between my post, the forum rules and this place being potentially active. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
park1231 0 #14 November 6, 2003 This is old news but its along the same lines. The waterfall created a natural bubbling effect that allowed him to survive a 180ft fall http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2003/10/21/international1409EDT0625.DTL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meekerboy 0 #15 November 6, 2003 I think as he is an illusionist he will have a backup plan. Think about it this way... if he hits the water wrong and is twisted up with limbs everywhere, that will be on live TV. You can guarantee the complaints of seeing a live death / mutilation will flow thick and fast. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zennie 0 #16 November 6, 2003 QuoteThe story goes that as he fell, rivets tumbled from a bag he was carrying and broke the surface tension of the water. Interestingly enough, they did a segment on the Discovery Channel's Mythbusters about that legend. They took a crash test dummy and hooked it up to an accelerometer. Then they hauled it up a crane and dropped it into water from 100-ish feet. The dummy was getting ripped apart and the accelerometer was reading close to 90 Gs. Then they dropped a hammer in front of it to test the surface tension theory. It maybe lopped off 5 Gs. So it looks that that story is an urban legend. - Z "Always be yourself... unless you suck." - Joss Whedon Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rfarris 1 #17 November 6, 2003 QuoteI think as he is an illusionist he will have a backup planQuote I have to agree with you on this. I remember seeing one of his street performance shows where he was levitating on the side walk. For real, he did. Don't be surprised to see him stop himself just short of the water and float there for a while, like 45 days or something. Just watch... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites freakydiver 0 #18 November 6, 2003 I thought those bubbles were just for a visual reference of where the surface is. -- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." -- Share this post Link to post Share on other sites QuickDraw 0 #19 November 6, 2003 Doesn't creating bubbles affect the density of the water ? is that what we're talking about here ? -- Hope you don't die. -- I'm fucking winning Share this post Link to post Share on other sites The111 1 #20 November 6, 2003 The *water* still has the same density, but you are no longer jumping into water... you are jumping into a mixture of air and water. That mixture is less dense, and has less surface tension, than water.www.WingsuitPhotos.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites skydiverek 58 #21 November 6, 2003 QuoteI remember seeing one of his street performance shows where he was levitating on the side walk. For real, he did. Was it really for real... I do not think so. I can do this trick too... And if you wand to levitate for real, click here for instructions, scroll down the page and click next to the levitating guy for an explenation... http://203.120.90.137/~guezs/magic/magic-new.htm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites link1 0 #22 November 6, 2003 I have a tube that creates bubbles. Does that count? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LivingInClip 0 #23 November 7, 2003 While you all are trying to figure out who has done what and when and where - I think we've over looked something. David Blaine is an illusionist - not a Base Jumper / Skydiver. Do you honestly think he is jumping without some "trick" or illusion? :) (*No, I don't Base , but I read all the different sub-forums. :D *) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites meekerboy 0 #24 November 7, 2003 Bingo, my sentiments exactly. I bet you he has some Inspector Gadget powers such as go go gadet extendible feet or go go gadget helicopter in a hat. Or maybe this is not a stunt and he is simply going to cane as much tequilla as he can and hope it doesn't hurt too much. :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JimGuyer 0 #25 November 9, 2003 The following is not such a big deal because I did use a BASE rig. Probably plenty have done similar stunts before;but, at an airshow (unnamed) last spring, I jumped my BASE rig from 900 feet off the lower wing of a Steerman. It gave the crowd a thrill anyway.To them, it was a stunt, and interesting, because they could see me on the wing from launch to landing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 0 Go To Topic Listing
freakydiver 0 #18 November 6, 2003 I thought those bubbles were just for a visual reference of where the surface is. -- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." -- Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QuickDraw 0 #19 November 6, 2003 Doesn't creating bubbles affect the density of the water ? is that what we're talking about here ? -- Hope you don't die. -- I'm fucking winning Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The111 1 #20 November 6, 2003 The *water* still has the same density, but you are no longer jumping into water... you are jumping into a mixture of air and water. That mixture is less dense, and has less surface tension, than water.www.WingsuitPhotos.com Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skydiverek 58 #21 November 6, 2003 QuoteI remember seeing one of his street performance shows where he was levitating on the side walk. For real, he did. Was it really for real... I do not think so. I can do this trick too... And if you wand to levitate for real, click here for instructions, scroll down the page and click next to the levitating guy for an explenation... http://203.120.90.137/~guezs/magic/magic-new.htm Share this post Link to post Share on other sites link1 0 #22 November 6, 2003 I have a tube that creates bubbles. Does that count? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites LivingInClip 0 #23 November 7, 2003 While you all are trying to figure out who has done what and when and where - I think we've over looked something. David Blaine is an illusionist - not a Base Jumper / Skydiver. Do you honestly think he is jumping without some "trick" or illusion? :) (*No, I don't Base , but I read all the different sub-forums. :D *) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites meekerboy 0 #24 November 7, 2003 Bingo, my sentiments exactly. I bet you he has some Inspector Gadget powers such as go go gadet extendible feet or go go gadget helicopter in a hat. Or maybe this is not a stunt and he is simply going to cane as much tequilla as he can and hope it doesn't hurt too much. :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites JimGuyer 0 #25 November 9, 2003 The following is not such a big deal because I did use a BASE rig. Probably plenty have done similar stunts before;but, at an airshow (unnamed) last spring, I jumped my BASE rig from 900 feet off the lower wing of a Steerman. It gave the crowd a thrill anyway.To them, it was a stunt, and interesting, because they could see me on the wing from launch to landing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 0
link1 0 #22 November 6, 2003 I have a tube that creates bubbles. Does that count? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LivingInClip 0 #23 November 7, 2003 While you all are trying to figure out who has done what and when and where - I think we've over looked something. David Blaine is an illusionist - not a Base Jumper / Skydiver. Do you honestly think he is jumping without some "trick" or illusion? :) (*No, I don't Base , but I read all the different sub-forums. :D *) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
meekerboy 0 #24 November 7, 2003 Bingo, my sentiments exactly. I bet you he has some Inspector Gadget powers such as go go gadet extendible feet or go go gadget helicopter in a hat. Or maybe this is not a stunt and he is simply going to cane as much tequilla as he can and hope it doesn't hurt too much. :-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JimGuyer 0 #25 November 9, 2003 The following is not such a big deal because I did use a BASE rig. Probably plenty have done similar stunts before;but, at an airshow (unnamed) last spring, I jumped my BASE rig from 900 feet off the lower wing of a Steerman. It gave the crowd a thrill anyway.To them, it was a stunt, and interesting, because they could see me on the wing from launch to landing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
