Man falls 2,400 feet from helicopter and lands safely without using a parachute

[Miguel]

VIDEO: http://news.sky.com/home/strange-news/article/16233460

Gary Connery, a 42-year-old stunt diver from Britain, became the first person to complete a successful wing-suit landing without using a parachute.

It was a scene fit for a Batman movie, Connery dropping from high above Henley-on-Thames, England, a dark speck in a clear blue sky. He launched from the helicopter at 3:32 p.m. and reached a speed of 75 miles an hour during his 40-second fall.

“It was bliss,” Connery said of the flight in a telephone interview. “It’s a special, humbling day.”

...Cushioning his landing at Mill End Farm were over 18,500 cardboard boxes that formed a 350-foot runway, arranged by about 100 volunteers, friends and family members. After crashing into the boxes, an unharmed Connery emerged in good spirits, according to those in attendance.

“It’s rather freaky watching someone pile into the ground from above,” said Mark Sutton, who flew in a wing suit above Connery to gather photos and video footage (he deployed his parachute).

...Connery admitted to being nervous in the moments before the dive, and even in the seconds before he landed.

“I have fear,” he said. “Without a doubt. It does scare me. Honestly, if it didn’t, it would be time to stop doing it.

...Watching a video of Connery’s flight online Wednesday afternoon, Corliss said he was surprised that Connery approached the cardboard-box runway headfirst, increasing his risk of neck injury, as opposed to with his back. (Connery said he wore a helmet and neck brace for his flight.)

...Six years ago, Corliss embarked on his own plan to try to fly without the aid of a parachute. He said Wednesday that he was still trying to raise funds. In February, speculation spread among stunt divers about Connery’s attempt.

“We had never heard of this guy,” Corliss said. “We thought it was crazy.”

...“It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen in my life,” Corliss said. “Because of movies, people don’t really understand what they witnessed. It’s monumental for a human to land at those speeds. It took an enormous amount of courage.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/24/sports...ml?_r=1&hp