While literally inheriting the full burden of full fate into his own hands, a man was able to survive a spectacular 25,000 foot controlled free fall from an aircraft Saturday.
Aikins, who has performed over 18,000 jumps with the assistance of a parachute in his career, became the first human to complete a planned and safe jump from an aircraft and directly to earth’s surface. In the process, he achieved terminal velocity at 120 mph before plunging into the net hung by four cranes well above the desert floor.
A resident in the state of Washington, Aikins practiced incessantly in pulling the rip-cord at 1000 feet from impact over the less than yielding target of only 10,000 square feet in area. The culmination of his accomplishment reached an apex, after receiving a much needed hug from his wife.
VIDEO: Aikin’s Legendary Plunge