(CLAIR) – Luke Aikins made history, as he became the first person to jump from a plane at 25,000 feet without a parachute and land on the ground in a net.
The incredible feat, known as “Heaven Sent,” took place at the Big Sky Movie Ranch located on Bennet Rd. in Simi Valley, California on July 30, 2016.
The two-minute free fall was part of Fox’s live “Heaven Sent” event, which had the world watching in awe. After the jump, Aikins landed in a 100-by-100-foot net. As cheers erupted, Aikins quickly climbed out and walked over to hug his wife and son, who had been watching from the ground.
It took two years for Aikins and his team to prepare for the jump, including the assembly of a high-tech 10,000-square-foot net to catch him. The net was made from Spectra, a high-density polyethylene cord, and had four compressed air cylinders designed to gently slow him down after impact.
Aikins admitted he was nervous before the jump, but his experience and training kicked in. He’s been skydiving since he was 16 years old and has coached United States Navy SEALs. He’s completed more than 18,000 jumps and helped skydiver Felix Baumgartner jump from a helium balloon in the stratosphere at 120,000 feet.
Although the headlines describe Aikins’ achievement as the first person to jump from a plane without a parachute, others have jumped from aircraft without a parachute when they departed the plane. Still, they were either handed a parachute by a fellow jumper while in freefall or maneuvered to a container carrying a parachute, with first successes dating back to 1965. Others have jumped out of an aircraft and returned to the same or another aircraft without making use of a parachute.
In the world of daredevil achievements, Aikins’ put Simi Valley on the map. This aerial stunt highlighted the city’s beautiful landscape and showcased Simi as a popular location for filming movies and TV shows.
