The impossible

Saturday, Luke Aikins, 42, stuntman, trainer and skydiver with nearly 20,000 jumps, wanted to find his limits.

So, naturally, he jumped from a plane flying at 25,000 feet. He jumped without a parachute or wing suit. The idea was to then land, if that is the word, in a net.

Other jumpers went with him for a while until they had to pop their chutes. One took Aikins’ oxygen mask when he reached an altitude at which he could breathe on his own.

Aikins went the rest of the way alone.

Then, as he plummeted closer and closer to earth, he had to try to steer his way to the net, which was a mere 100 feet by 100 feet. All this at terminal velocity.

He made the net. It appeared he was perilously close to the edge of it, but he hit it, and it absorbed his momentum. He and his wife hugged at ground zero. This history making dive took just two minutes.

The stunt harkens back to going over Niagara Falls in a barrel, attempting to jump the Snake River Canyon and tight-rope walking between skyscrapers.

As with other such stunts, it took bravery.

But, what was the point? Money? Entertainment? Challenge?

The point, according to Aikins, is that with hard work the impossible becomes possible. He reportedly worked on this dive for two years. He stressed the importance of proper preparation.

Well, this is not something everyone should try. Aikins is a thrill junkie. He, in fact, was the stand-by alternate for being the first sky diver to break the sound barrier. He is in a special club. He is part of an extreme sports community.

Still, the lesson is valuable. Hard work, planning and focus can pay off. They are not only valuable in shattering records, but in everyday life. Safely dropping into a small net from 25,000 feet does not happen by chance.

His advice on working hard, focusing and planning is good. As for the stunt itself, follow the old adage, “Don't try this at home.”

Gordon Forgey,

Publisher