ntrprnr 0 #1 May 27, 2008 If I were his sponsors right now, I'd be RIPSHIT pissed off. I don't have all the facts, granted, but this seems like stupid human error. Can't do it because of weather, understandable. Acts of God? Sure. But to not tie down the freaking balloon? Amateur hour. If I were any of his sponsors, I'd be not only completely pulled out by now, but possibly prepping a lawsuit. I'm speaking strictly from a corporate side - I do stunts and events and such for a living - we have countless clauses we have to sign - it something goes wrong because of me or my staff's stupidity, it's my fault, end of story. Thoughts?_______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrwrong 0 #2 May 27, 2008 Well..... It MIGHT be equipment failure.. Then it's a different story... But I'll guess there will be reports about it... Human error or equipment issues.. [Edit - spelling issues]“The sum of intelligence on the planet is a constant; the population is growing.” - George Bernard Shaw He who dies with the most toys, wins..... dudeist skydiver # 19515 Buy quality and cry once! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bluepill 0 #3 May 27, 2008 At least he is getting a heck of alot of publicity. BP Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Thanatos340 1 #4 May 27, 2008 The dude is French, What did you expect? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ntrprnr 0 #5 May 27, 2008 Quote At least he is getting a heck of alot of publicity. BP When you think about it though, he's not. Comparative to what he would get if he made it, which is what the sponsors signed on for and forked over cash for, he's not. Balloon went up without him, ha ha ha, he's an idiot, story forgotten, life moves on. Shatters record, helps save future astronaut lives, the "Fournier maneuver" becomes standard on space stations, whatever - that's what they signed on for. See the difference? What was the ST:TNG episode where the first scientist to hit warp flight had a whole bunch of crap named after him, and that's what people remembered? Same thing. To be a sponsor/part of that is huge - to be the company who put up $500k so some dumbass could forget to tie a hitch knot? I don't think so. -PHS _______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
piisfish 135 #6 May 27, 2008 Quote The dude is French, What did you expect? I hope the guy who had to attach the balloon wasn't german. The always blame the germans scissors beat paper, paper beat rock, rock beat wingsuit - KarlM Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
happythoughts 0 #7 May 27, 2008 When selling the idea to corporate sponsorship, it's got to be tough. There is other groups out there doing the same thing. The selling points are: It's really difficult. There are a lot of technical issues and we've got experts. Instead, you've got no balloon and a guy walking around in a yellow suit. If I was a sponsor, I'd be looking at the other groups right now. If there were other issues, maybe someone could spin it. If you lose a balloon, nobody returns your calls. This may have been his last shot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
normiss 622 #8 May 27, 2008 a white flag at the end of the lines??? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,400 #9 May 27, 2008 Maybe he will become the 'Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards' of high-altitude skydiving. "There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #10 May 27, 2008 Quote Maybe he will become the 'Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards' of high-altitude skydiving. Michelle "The Lutz" Fournier? I know - I amuse myself way to easily . . .I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryoder 1,400 #11 May 27, 2008 Quote I know - I abuse myself way to easily . . . There. Fixed it for you."There are only three things of value: younger women, faster airplanes, and bigger crocodiles" - Arthur Jones. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lawrocket 3 #12 May 27, 2008 Quote Maybe he will become the 'Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards' of high-altitude skydiving. No, Eddie actually completed his ski jumps, or ski drops with him. I'm trying to think of an UN-spectacular failure caused by something so simple. I could think of Mariner 1, but that was a single hyphen in computer code that caused it - and it was spectacular. I think that had the failure been spectacular, it would be better for the sponsors. On the other hand, the understated nature of this failure is mind boggling! The ballon floated away without even the gondola attached. It'd be like some low-rate motorcycle stunt man who puts diesel in the tank and has to cancel. My wife is hotter than your wife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
turtlespeed 212 #13 May 27, 2008 Quote Quote I know - I abuse myself way to easily . . . There. Fixed it for you. Hey - I didn't forget to tie the string around my wrist - that was FournierI'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest #14 May 27, 2008 I hope he's got a spare this time...mh . "The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MikeForsythe 0 #15 May 27, 2008 I agree with Peter, I would be calling my legal counsel so quickly that he would not have time to get his gear off. There is no acceptable excuse for this type of negligence. The technical difficulty of this jump would have required pages of redundant operational procedures involving multiple staff. For this to happen would require total incompetence on the whole team. The only other option that I could think of is that it was intentional.Time and pressure will always show you who a person really is! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
livendive 8 #16 May 27, 2008 QuoteThe only other option that I could think of is that it was intentional. I gotta admit that was my first thought. Blues, Dave"I AM A PROFESSIONAL EXTREME ATHLETE!" (drink Mountain Dew) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckakers 370 #17 May 27, 2008 This boneheaded move might actually be a good thing, at least for him. After all, if he can't get an equipment inspection right, imagine the possible outcome had he actually made it to altitude and exited! "Hey look, it's raining little yellow pieces of....spacesuit?" Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jimmytavino 16 #18 May 28, 2008 Quote Quote The only other option that I could think of is that it was intentional. I gotta admit that was my first thought. Blues, Dave ditto... could it be that a determination had been made that the "jump" would not be survivable.. or some other aspect of the plan was found to be faulty... and so they just "let the whole thing drift away" , willing to accept the shame of "idoicy" rather than the potential for "loss of life".. yet be unwilling to cancel..... at the twelfth hour... i DUNNO...... seems awful weird to have the damn balloon not secured.....any reason to be filling it with helium BEFORE the gondola had been attached???? ( static elec. etc ????? ) only just picked up on this story, a couple of days ago.. was sad to see it end that way....wow... lots of coin..... lots of work. lots of nuthin'..... too bad. as for the OP yes... you are correct,,, in feeling that the sponsers are Not "getting what they bargained for"...if the loss of the envelope was due to negligence.... could be trouble for the team... jt Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
