Fearless Felix did it!
With “the whole world watching”, he jumped out of a capsule into a
free-fall from over 128,000 feet above the earth’s surface, hurtling himself
into space at a speed of nearly 700 miles per hour. To think that any human being would even
consider travelling that distance in a mere capsule suspended from a helium
balloon is mind boggling, but then to jump out of it is unfathomable. Like the rest of the world, I watched the TV
screen in a state of near paralysis as he stepped out of the capsule and stood
for a few seconds on the platform before taking the ultimate plunge. Thank God the live news feed was blocked out
at that second or I might have gone into an unplanned free-fall myself.
What an inspiration!
Yet, Mr. Baumgartner didn’t just take a willy-nilly leap of faith into
thin air. He carefully planned for this
event over a period of five years and sought the advice and expertise of many
aeronautical professionals before attempting the big dive. His efforts culminated, therefore, not in a
daredevil stunt, but in a masterful combination of scientific knowledge,
personal ingenuity, and undeniable bravery.
Call him crazy or courageous, he at least dared to dream big and he had
the gumption to turn that dream into reality.
I doubt that very many people will be lining up to take a stab at
breaking his records anytime soon. As
for me, the closest I’ll come to achieving anything similar will be if I can
conquer my claustrophobia the next time I fly the friendly skies in a
conventional aircraft.
Way to go, Felix.
As Capt. Kirk might say, you have boldly gone where no one has gone
before.
“I’m
gonna free-fall, out into nothin’
Gonna
leave this world for awhile
And I’m
free, free-fallin’
Yeah,
I’m free, free-fallin’”
(Tom Petty/Jeff
Lynne)
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