Way back in 1999, waaf.com was still a new thing. We were just learning all of the cool things that we could do with it. Well, watch this video, and feel free to laugh at our "fancy" in-studio computer, and our website. Oh, and you can laugh at me too! :)
In 1998 I made my first tandem skydive. I loved every second of it! When it was over, and I was safely back on Earth, I said what most people say after their first jump... "I have to do that again! I'll be back to get my license!" Most people don't come back. They simply check it off of their 'bucket list' and for whatever reason, money, family, time... they never return.
Here's a picture of my first student jump. AFF Level 1
Memorial Day weekend of 1999, I started my AFF training (Accelerated Free Fall) and began the process of becoming a licensed skydiver and USPA (United States Parachute Association) member. Labor Day weekend, after a long summer of studying, training, and waiting for the next sunny day, I passed my final exam and got my license. I had to, among other things, pack my own parachute and jump it. It opened... obviously!
Here's a picture of my final student dive! AFF Level 8
Leonardo Da Vinci, is the patron saint of skydiving. His famous skydiving quote, is printed on T-Shirts in every drop zone all around the world. "For once you have tasted flight you will walk the Earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return". You know what? He's right! He invented the first parachute, long before flight was even possible. And, just to prove his brilliance, his invention was constructed, and it flew!
Over the years, I've jumped hundreds of times, traveled around the U.S. jumping in a variety of places. I've met some of the most interesting people, from all walks of life. We almost never talk about work, we all have that one common experience, we're skydivers. We're a family, a group that can only be understood if you are a member. We laugh when someone asks "Why would someone jump out of a perfectly good airplane!?"
That's why when a guy like Felix, dares to challenge what is possible. Who takes the sport to the next level and beyond, we are all in awe, but for skydivers... it's something different. Watching his historic leap into the void brought me to tears. What he did could be considered crazy, or dangerous, or even stupid. But for me, it was miraculous!
My top speed is 176 MPH. I jump with people that are on the brink of 300MPH, and I went 630 in an F-15 and passed out, but to hit Mach 1.24, outside of any aircraft, in a space suit designed and built in Worcester and live to talk about it? Well, that is just awe inspiring.
Here is a picture of Felix breaking the sound barrier!
Many people don't see the value in the Space Program. They think in this economy, the money would be better spent elsewhere. The list of things that we use everyday that has come from space exploration is long. Microwaves, Velcro, memory foam, scratch resistant lenses, ear thermometers, cordless tools, and even water filters all found their way into our homes through NASA. They hold over 6300 patents. Countless advancements have been made because of Felix, and RedBull Stratus. It just may take a few more years to find out what they are. And to use them? We'll be paying RedBull!
Just in case you weren't one of the millions of people that watched Felix leap into history yesterday, check out these videos! It almost doesn't look real, but the amazing thing is... it IS real!
Watch the jump here!
And see what Felix saw from his helmetcam!
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Some of my favorite quotes from yesterday...
“Start the cameras and our guardian angel will take care of you.” Col. Joe Kittinger
"One of the most exciting moments was standing out on top of the world, 30 seconds before stepping off." Felix Baumgartner
" I feet that The whole world is watching, I wish they would see what I see. Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you are" Felix Baumgartner
"I want to inspire the next generation. I want to be in mission control with someone younger than me wanting to break my record." Felix
"I'd like to give the one-fingered salute to everyone who said he was going to break apart when he went supersonic." Col Joe
Stats from the jump:
Exit Altitude: 128,100 feet
Free Fall Time: 4 minutes, 20 seconds
Free Fall Distance: 119,846 feet
Maximum Velocity: 373 meters/second — He achieved Mach 1.24!
Felix, you have made a generation see what is possible, and you have made Da Vinci proud! Blue Skies!
There couldn't be 2 more polar opposites this election year than Kid Rock & Sean Penn. They are on opposite sides of the voting booth, and like most of America, they are split right down the middle. They have shot insults back and forth in the press over the years about the war... But, one thing brings them together... They are both Americans.
I can't tell you how sick I am of the commercials, facebook status updates, tweets, and opinions from both sides. It's ripping this nation apart, and sometimes I think that's EXACTLY what the extreme left and extreme right want... And most Americans fall somewhere in the middle. As citizens we know what it's like to compromise... But in DC, they don't even know how to spell it! I love this country more than anything, and after my trips overseas to Iraq & Afghanistan, I was even more convinced that I was so lucky to be born a girl in the USA! If I had been born anywhere else on Earth, I would be lucky to still be alive. Sometimes Americans need a reminder of how lucky we are. Our country may not be perfect, but we're free to say that out loud and do something about it!
Well, leave it to Kid Rock and Sean Penn, two opposites, who are both living the American dream, to remind us of how lucky we all are!
This movie will make you laugh, but more importantly, it should make you think!
Well, I thought that I had seen it all... Until I saw this! The Air Sex World Championships! It's like Air Guitar, but just not as nerdy, and a lot more slutty! Or maybe it's MORE nerdy, and less slutty? I don't know, But you have to admire their techniques no matter how scary they may be!
