Jump from one plane to another.

August 18, 2006 7:31 AM

Whether or not you generally enjoy testosterone-ridden activities, watching Greg Gasson jump from one plane to another is pretty cool. Also: a longer video of a second such jump, plus lots of annoying commentary. Registration required.
posted by louigi (21 comments total)

The first video shows a man telling another man he loves him and attempting to kiss him. This is typical of liberal back-dooring attempts to normalise homosexuality as part of a normal, healthy free-falling lifestyle. So this is what you mean by 'testosterone-ridden activities' Louigi. For shame!
posted by fingerbang at 7:45 AM on August 18, 2006

How does one get started doing something like that? One thing's for sure, you can only screw up once.
posted by clevershark at 7:48 AM on August 18, 2006

That looks a lot more dangerous for the pilot in the plane then the jumper. He's going almost straight down in something that's powered and aerodynamic and has lots of moving parts that can break.
posted by smackfu at 7:49 AM on August 18, 2006

MetaFilter: Lots of annoying commentary. Registration required.
posted by phaedon at 8:01 AM on August 18, 2006 [1 favorite]

That's really badass. Crazy respect for the pilot, too, smackfu is right.
posted by jonson at 8:01 AM on August 18, 2006

Man. Why hasn't James Bond ever done that?
posted by shanevsevil at 8:09 AM on August 18, 2006

James Bond did jump off a cliff into a diving plane. Isn't that pretty much the same thing?
posted by rusty at 8:17 AM on August 18, 2006

louigi,

I see based on the url that you saw this video on another site. I was just curious what the site was that you originally found this on?
posted by sourbrew at 8:23 AM on August 18, 2006

I'm amazed at that. Many moons ago, in my foolish youth, I did a fixed line parachute jump from a plane like that. Climbing out onto the platform whilst holding onto the strut before I jumped was the single most terrifying thing I've ever done.

But when we were getting trained they told us that once you exited the plane you weren't coming back in, as a modern chute would hold up a plane that size so that it stalled, and they couldn't take the risk of it opening by accident or through a tear and bringing the plane down. Put simply, once you've decided you're jumping that's the only way you're going home.

Later in the day one of our party went to do his jump, but had secopnd thoughts as he let go, lunged forward and grabbed, ending up holding onto the small platform you jump from. Rather than pull him back in the instructors were as good as their word and smacked his hands till he let go and (without any further problem) parachuted back to earth. So I'm amazed and impressed at the risk they're taking in the video.

And if anyone on mefi is thinking of doing a jump, fixed line or tandem, I'd say don't be put off by this. I don't think I'd ever do it again, but I am soooo glad I did it once. It's an absoluetly amazing experience.
posted by ciderwoman at 8:39 AM on August 18, 2006

sourbrew, my friend originally sent me the video on this page.
posted by louigi at 9:00 AM on August 18, 2006

Does this ring any bells?....

I once heard a story (that's gotta be BS) about somebody who exited the (forward) crew door on a C-130 and re-entered the aircraft via the portside troop door about 30 feet further aft along the fuselage. I'm unclear whether he Spiderman-crawled or was blown in, and I'm having trouble understanding why anyone would try going out the crew door (folding stairs, etc.) in the first place.
posted by pax digita at 9:20 AM on August 18, 2006

lougi,

sweet thanks, i was hoping it was some vlog that i could add to my fapidly expanding collection of time wasting sites. I suppose i could possibly bring myself to peruse some sports info, but it's asking a lot.

/awesome video by the way
posted by sourbrew at 9:32 AM on August 18, 2006

curses, fapidly should be rapidly
posted by sourbrew at 9:32 AM on August 18, 2006

ciderwoman is indeed right about them not letting you back into the plane - I did the same type of jump some years back, and they told us that if you changed your mind or refused to let go of the strut, that they would refuse to let you back in, close the door, and instruct the pilot to manuever to shake you off.
posted by agregoli at 11:11 AM on August 18, 2006

A sharp pang of Disappointment as soon as I saw that he was wearing a parachute (reduces the penalty for failure to a significant degree, don'tcha think?)....
posted by squalor at 12:11 PM on August 18, 2006

"curses, fapidly should be rapidly"

I guess that depends on what kind of video.
posted by Eideteker at 2:19 PM on August 18, 2006

Squalor said: ...he was wearing a parachute (reduces the penalty for failure to a significant degree, don'tcha think?)...

Rod Pack's Chuteless Jump, 1965 (and more recent others via The Icarus Report.)
posted by cenoxo at 7:01 PM on August 18, 2006

the plane was also dragging a small drogue chute to keep its terminal velocity down to the same as Captain Testosterone.
posted by marvin at 8:58 PM on August 18, 2006

Didn't Harrison Ford do this in Air Force One?
posted by kirkaracha at 8:49 AM on August 19, 2006

"Didn't Harrison Ford do this in Air Force One?

They connected the two planes by some kinda rope. It was completely unbelievable. I mean maybe it CAN be done. Maybe there's youtube videos where one guy falls from one plane to another holding a cord. He attaches said cord to other plane, and then you hook up other people to the cord and they fall back to the first plane by having the first plane lower its altitude. By that time, suspension of disbelief had so gone out the window for me it was not even funny.
posted by ZachsMind at 9:05 AM on August 19, 2006

i know this thread's a little old now, but re. the scene from Air Force One: I recall thinking at the time that this scene looked pretty realistic, and thought it was an innovative stunt. I was increasingly convinced that the cable scene was real when I saw the cheesy, unconvincing special effects at the end when AF1 ditches at sea. But... I was wrong. From IMDB:

# The final sequence where a cable is extended from an MC-130 to the 747 was filmed near California's Channel Islands. Paul Bishop flew the 747 in formation within a few feet of the MC-130. The camera plane, a modified B-25, had a top speed of about 230 mph, so the sequence was filmed at about 200 mph and the 747 had to be flown with flaps extended.

# The cable really was trailed behind the MC-130, but its connection to the 747 was a special effect.

# When a dummy was put on the cable, the 747's bow wave blew off its coat and tie. Rather than put the plane's engines at risk, the filmmakers decided to use special effects for all shots of the people on the cable.

posted by Tubes at 9:10 AM on August 21, 2006