If you’re terrified of heights, you may want to look away now.
A skydiver made history after becoming the first ever person to leap without a parachute (rather him than me).
After a unenviable two-minute 25,000ft free fall (fuck that), Luke Aikins, 42, managed to land in the dead centre of a 100x100ft net at the Big Sky movie ranch on the outskirts of Simi Valley, California, the BBC reports.
Understandably, the ecstatic skydiver was a bit lost for words after his incredible feat.
“I’m almost levitating, it’s incredible. This thing just happened! I can’t even get the words out of my mouth,” he said.
Aikins revealed that the stunt almost didn’t come off, as just before he climbed into the plane the Screen Actors Guild had ordered him to wear a parachute for his own safety.
Considering the enormity of the situation, it’s no surprise that he considered pulling the parachute out at one point, but having the canister on his back would have made the landing a lot more dangerous.
But if he did have to wear it, he added that he wouldn’t have bothered pulling the ripcord anyway.
Luke said:
I’m going all the way to the net, no question about it. I’ll just have to deal with the consequences when I land of wearing the parachute on my back and what it’s going to do to my body.
Just moments before the jump, one of the show’s hosts said the requirement had been lifted, so Aikins left the plane without the chute.
Mr Aikins, who is a safety and training adviser for the US Parachute Association, said his friend came up with the idea two years ago.
Good job Luke, we salute you!
