On Saturday Luke Aikins, 42 years old, became the first
skydiver to jump 7620 meters from a plane without a parachute or wingsuit and
live to tell the story.
Aikins directed his body in free fall using only the air
currents around him to land safely on the high-tech net about a third the size
of a football field laid out to catch him.
The jump was aired live on television via the Fox network
during an hour-long special. Aikins fell for about two minutes above the California
desert, arms extended, face downward. And as he neared the ground, with a mere
second to go, he expertly flipped onto his back and landed without incident.
He then climbed out of the net and embraced his wife,
Monica, who was among a cheering group of family and friends, including their
4-year-old son, Aikins' dad, two brothers and a sister, who had all anxiously
watched the breathtaking spectacle.
" I've been skydiving since the age of 16. I’ve been
preparing for this jump for two years and I’ve done 18,000 parachute jumps ,"
Aikins said in a press release prior to the jump.
In fact, Aikins, whose grandfather co-founded a skydiving
school after serving in World War II, is a third-generation skydiver. The
family owns Skydive Kapowsin near Tacoma, Wash.
Further to his credit, Aiken is a safety and training
advisor for the United States Parachute Association (USPA) where he provides
advanced skydiving training to elite military Special Forces.
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After a two-minute free fall, Luke
Aikins successfully lands at the Big Sky Ranch in Simi Valley, Calif
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Photo Credit: Mondelez International via AP
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