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[Merged] Felix Baumgartner
- Thread starter wrkactjob
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Here is a view from his chest camera, pointing towards his helmet. The initial jump from the platform is neat to watch but I think this view shows just how high up he was the best.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fa1_1350274678
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=fa1_1350274678
Too bad about the fish-eye lens. He was only 24 miles high, not in orbit.
Very true. I do concede the fisheye lens makes it look like he was higher up. But he could still see quite far regardless.
Now I gotta go buy me an astronaut costume at Target so I can be next in line to do the jump!
Why thank you!!!!
Ok, that is pretty bad ass. The first step..... Good god!
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A stunt yes. But NASA said they could make a new type if high altitude space suit from this.
I found amazing and inspiring that the previous record holder, Joseph Kittinger was his earth contact. Even more the way Kittinger was speaking to him. Encouraging and soothing.
Earlier in the year I was fortunate enough to have a few drinks with Kittinger and talk to him about both his jump and this record attempt. Very nice guy, and it was nice to see him be enthusiastic about passing the torch onto someone new.
Apparently, he has no problems with heights. Jumps off tall things all the time. However, it seems Fearless Felix has serious problems being confined in a pressure-suit and/or small capsules. To the point that in 2010 he fled the US rather than submit to an endurance test that would have assessed his ability to sit in the suit and capsule long enough to be lifted to launch height.
He obviously got over this barrier, with the help of sports psychologists and others. One of those 'others' was - Kittinger. They had formed a friendship at that point, and Kittinger became the calming authority figure that Baumgartner needed keep his panic attack under control. All the way up to launch height Kittinger kept Baumgartner preoccupied by having him run through endless checklists. Most of the conversation was not broadcast because at point they had run into a small problem (the foggy visor, iirc) and Kittinger put their conversation into 'private' mode until just before the launch.
I wonder if Baumgartner would have gone up had Kittinger taken ill.
I think this actually makes Fearless Felix even braver. I believe that the measure of bravery is not that you are fearless, but that you have the strength to overcome your fears.
Still .... for all of that.... Kittinger's jump in 1960 needs to be kept in perspective. In 2012, there was very little that was going to surprise Baumgartner's team. Technical glitches was really the only worry. In 1960, people literally did not know what was going to happen when someone jumped out of an open gondola 19 miles above the earth.
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You are a very lucky person. Did you know anything about him at the time, or was it an education as you talked?
Now that you have me thinking about it, this was all a little over a year ago. But no, I had no idea at the time. It was at a small get-together of aviation folks, and one of the other guys pointed Kittinger out and told me to get him to tell me about his jump. That's where I first learned about it.
I was a guest that night, and I remember Kittinger constantly steering the conversation back to my aviation background. What exactly am I supposed to say to a guy like that?
Anyway, it speaks to the kind of guy he is - he'd talk about his past if asked, but was more interested in learning about others.Now that you have me thinking about it, this was all a little over a year ago. But no, I had no idea at the time. It was at a small get-together of aviation folks, and one of the other guys pointed Kittinger out and told me to get him to tell me about his jump. That's where I first learned about it.
I was a guest that night, and I remember Kittinger constantly steering the conversation back to my aviation background. What exactly am I supposed to say to a guy like that?
I am very jealous. What a special moment for you.... cheers.
