lndywillis 0 #1 September 30, 2003 Quoteto skypuppy & propblast... I was present in 1941 when Art Starnes made his 30000+ft high altitude jump at Rubinkam Airport, which was on US Hwy 6 (159th St.), between Harvey and Markham, Illinois. We watched a practice junp the day before the "real" one, and saw the preparation of his suit, instrumentation etc. The photos which ran in Popular Science et al were posed on the ground, showing him in a stance suggesting that he was just leaving the plane--the backgroung having been dodged out of th photos for publication. This jump was shown in newsreels and broadcast live on radio. Some of my high school buddies were thrilled to see thmselves in the background of the newsreels. I'm not sure, but I seem to recall that the power for his heated suit came from a battery pack which he carried. I do recall that it took a LONG time for the aircraft to reach jump altitude. I last saw Art in the late 1960s when, with his wife, he had a handwriting analysis booth at the Kankakee County Illinois Fair.[email] Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
skyking59 0 #2 October 13, 2008 My father used to jump at Chicago Hammond Airport (Lansing, IL) back in the 60's and early 70's. I have a book the describes the 1941 record jump that is autographed by Art Starnes. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
