Aeronautical Insanity: switching to secondary tolerances

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Automotive Insanity > Aeronautical Insanity: switching to secondary tolerances

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Bondematt: Jan 26, 2007; Not too stupid

OptimusMatrix posted:

Good loving god. Pretty sure this is pure luck he didn't slam into the ground.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=68f_1306880662

Did he just burn the grass on that pass?

You can clearly see the trail he left.

# ? Jun 2, 2011 00:15

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# ? May 22, 2024 00:50

Sterndotstern: Nov 16, 2002; by Y Kant Ozma Post

OptimusMatrix posted:

Good loving god. Pretty sure this is pure luck he didn't slam into the ground.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=68f_1306880662

That's a screengrab from the video. That pilot is either going to kill his friends in a fiery burning death or impress the gently caress out of them.

# ? Jun 2, 2011 03:49

Bondematt: Jan 26, 2007; Not too stupid

Or first one and then the other.

# ? Jun 2, 2011 04:26

Slo-Tek: Jun 8, 2001; WINDOWS 98 BEAT HIS FRIEND WITH A SHOVEL

Sterndotstern posted:

That's a screengrab from the video. That pilot is either going to kill his friends in a fiery burning death or impress the gently caress out of them.

I seem to remember there being some video of a Saab Viggen doing a low pass and roasting the onlookers with jet blast. Like sending people to the hospital.

There we go:

http://www.havkom.se/virtupload/reports/rm2003_01e.pdf

Thought it was longer ago than that.

# ? Jun 2, 2011 06:08

Ola: Jul 19, 2004

BonzoESC posted:

Cognitive overload from all the other alarms that went off probably made them miss that the control systems went into "alternate law," where you can't just command max thrust and pull back and let the computer keep you from stalling.

The pilots did acknowledge it, one of them saying "alternate law" is in the preliminary report. That's not to say their heads went into alternate law as well, perhaps they kept flying it like normal.

# ? Jun 2, 2011 11:12

OptimusMatrix: Nov 13, 2003; ASK ME ABOUT MUTILATING MY PET TO SUIT MY OWN AESTHETIC PREFERENCES

Slo-Tek posted:

I seem to remember there being some video of a Saab Viggen doing a low pass and roasting the onlookers with jet blast. Like sending people to the hospital.

There we go:

http://www.havkom.se/virtupload/reports/rm2003_01e.pdf

Thought it was longer ago than that.

Holy poo poo I never heard about that. From the picture above though had people been standing in the path there wouldn't have been burns only mush to collect in ziploc bags.

# ? Jun 2, 2011 13:11

rcman50166: Mar 23, 2010; by XyloJW

From Accident Report posted:

Person A: Very lightly singed hair. Did not seek medical care.
Person B: Mild burn wounds in the back of head and on right wrist. Hospitalization not required.
Person C: Dressing on small burn wound. Hospitalization not required.
Person D: Burn wounds on face approximately 2 % of body area, contaminated with dirt and gravel. Hospitalized for four days.
Person E: Superficial second degree burns and wounds in the face, contaminated with soot and gravel particles. Light redness in the left eye. Hospitalized for five days.
Person F: Burn wounds on 46 % of body area, on the head, neck, torso and
arms. Burn injuries on left cornea. Lung injuries and bleeding under one of 12
the soft cerebral membranes. Had a period with fever and treated with antibiotics. Hospitalized for 19 days. Continued medication after release from
hospital.
Person G: Burn wounds on 45 % of body area, on the face, arms, torso, right
thigh and left lower leg. Punctured lung on the right side, left elbow fracture, bleeding under one of the soft cerebral membranes, burst right eardrum, suspected inhalation of unburned jet fuel, superficial damage to cornea. Trachea opened for breathing support. Treated with antibiotics. Hospitalized in the intensive care section for four days, then the burn wound section for 12 days. Continued treatment and care.
Person H: Burn wounds on 24 % of body area, on the face, arms, torso, and
left lower leg. Hospitalized for 14 days.

Also:

From Accident Report posted:

The report
gives the exhaust temperature radially and axially behind the aircraft when 13
the AB is lit (zone 3). Axially behind the AB exhaust nozzle the temperature
is 1100 �C. The same temperature is found out to a distance of approximately ten meters behind the aircraft with a radius of about 0.5 meters,
after which the temperature drops drastically.

Jesus Christ.

Fake Edit: Here is the exact location where it happened (down to the minute from the report) You can clearly see the hill mentioned.

Runway

# ? Jun 2, 2011 19:07

blambert: Jul 2, 2007; you spin me right round baby right round.

Edit: Repost. I can't read.

# ? Jun 3, 2011 02:22

LOO: Mar 5, 2004

Speaking of low.

Only registered members can see post attachments!

# ? Jun 3, 2011 03:20

Godholio: Aug 28, 2002; Does a bear split in the woods near Zheleznogorsk?

Fifty Feet.
Twenty five.
Ten.
Five.
Setting gear down.
*bump*
Three locked and green.

# ? Jun 3, 2011 04:12

Cocoa Crispies: Jul 20, 2001; Vehicular Manslaughter!; Pillbug

Godholio posted:

Fifty Feet.
Twenty five.
Ten.
Five.
Setting gear down.
*bump*
Three locked and green.

Gear? How quaint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE_PlwJn-N0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE_PlwJn-N0

# ? Jun 3, 2011 04:32

LOO: Mar 5, 2004

Godholio posted:

Fifty Feet.
Twenty five.
Ten.
Five.
Setting gear down.
*bump*
Three locked and green.

No Flaps. And, the AOA appears wrong for landing.

Edit: Also note the open engine cowl flaps. The Beechcraft Baron "approach" checklist has you close them, and not open again until taxi.

LOO fucked around with this message at 11:40 on Jun 3, 2011

# ? Jun 3, 2011 05:13

shadow diver: Dec 25, 2004

Some of the best helicopter piloting ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZKSDx7ZsY0

Some douchebag who thinks he's hot poo poo. I hope he gets his license revoked after being stupid enough to do such a thing and post it on youtube with his name and contact info.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eKsDwU7kdo

And holy poo poo, these guys must spend most of their time in the shaded section of the dead man's curve, while surrounded by wires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zwn2CvwACY

# ? Jun 3, 2011 10:26

Bondematt: Jan 26, 2007; Not too stupid

shadow diver posted:

Some douchebag who thinks he's hot poo poo. I hope he gets his license revoked after being stupid enough to do such a thing and post it on youtube with his name and contact info.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eKsDwU7kdo

This is an amazing amount of bad judgement, he will probably never have a job in aviation again.

# ? Jun 3, 2011 10:39

Ferremit: Sep 14, 2007; if I haven't posted about MY LANDCRUISER yet, check my bullbars for kangaroo prints

BonzoESC posted:

Gear? How quaint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE_PlwJn-N0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE_PlwJn-N0

Ignore the shockingly bad Australian news coverage but...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTNMcs4-29Y

# ? Jun 3, 2011 12:35

grover: Jan 23, 2002; PEW PEW PEW

shadow diver posted:

Some douchebag who thinks he's hot poo poo. I hope he gets his license revoked after being stupid enough to do such a thing and post it on youtube with his name and contact info.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eKsDwU7kdo

Did he fly under those power lines? Twice?

# ? Jun 3, 2011 12:51

2ndclasscitizen: Jan 2, 2009; by Y Kant Ozma Post

shadow diver posted:

And holy poo poo, these guys must spend most of their time in the shaded section of the dead man's curve, while surrounded by wires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zwn2CvwACY

If anyone's interested in seeing more of this flying in greater detail, an episode of World's Biggest Fixes on Nat Geo has an ep about HV cable crews.

Ferremit posted:

Ignore the shockingly bad Australian news coverage but...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTNMcs4-29Y

Related vid relevant to the earlier discussion:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8124lhm6d7o

Blammo.

# ? Jun 3, 2011 13:16

Megillah Gorilla: Sep 22, 2003; If only all of life's problems could be solved by smoking a professor of ancient evil texts.; Bread Liar

Over in the History thread in GBS, Phanatic posted this utterly glorious story of a SR-71 pilot Brian Shul from his book Sled Driver.

I cannot recommend strongly enough that everyone reads it all the way through.

quote:

Ripping across the barren deserts 80,000 feet below us, I could already see the coast of California from the Arizona border. I was, finally, after many humbling months of simulators and study, ahead of the jet. I was beginning to feel a bit sorry for Walter in the back seat.

There he was, with no really good view of the incredible sights before us, tasked with monitoring four different radios. This was good practice for him for when we began flying real missions, when a priority transmission from headquarters could be vital. It had been difficult, too, for me to relinquish control of the radios, as during my entire flying career I had controlled my own transmissions. But it was part of the division of duties in this plane and I had adjusted to it. I still insisted on talking on the radio while we were on the ground, however. Walt was so good at many things, but he couldn't match my expertise at sounding smooth on the radios, a skill that had been honed sharply with years in fighter squadrons where the slightest radio miscue was grounds for beheading. He understood that and allowed me that luxury. Just to get a sense of what Walt had to contend with, I pulled the radio toggle switches and monitored the frequencies along with him.

The predominant radio chatter was from Los Angeles Center, far below us, controlling daily traffic in their sector. While they had us on their scope (albeit briefly), we were in uncontrolled airspace and normally would not talk to them unless we needed to descend into their airspace. We listened as the shaky voice of a lone Cessna pilot who asked Center for a read-out of his ground speed. Center replied: �November Charlie 175, I'm showing you at ninety knots on the ground.�

Now the thing to understand about Center controllers was that whether they were talking to a rookie pilot in a Cessna or to Air Force One, they always spoke in the exact same, calm, deep, professional tone that made one feel important. I referred to it as the "Houston Center voice." I have always felt that after years of seeing documentaries on this country's space program and listening to the calm and distinct voice of the Houston controllers, that all other controllers since then wanted to sound like that and that they basically did. And it didn't matter what sector of the country we would be flying in, it always seemed like the same guy was talking. Over the years that tone of voice had become somewhat of a comforting sound to pilots everywhere. Conversely, over the years, pilots always wanted to ensure that, when transmitting, they sounded like Chuck Yeager, or at least like John Wayne. Better to die than sound bad on the radios. Just moments after the Cessna's inquiry, a Twin Beech piped up on frequency, in a rather superior tone, asking for his ground speed in Beech. �I have you at one hundred and twenty-five knots of ground speed.�

Boy, I thought, the Beechcraft really must think he is dazzling his Cessna brethren. Then out of the blue, a navy F-18 pilot out of NAS Lemoore came up on frequency. You knew right away it was a Navy jock because he sounded very cool on the radios. �Center, Dusty 52 ground speed check.� Before Center could reply, I'm thinking to myself, hey, Dusty 52 has a ground speed indicator in that million-dollar cockpit, so why is he asking Center for a read-out? Then I got it, ol' Dusty here is making sure that every bug smasher from Mount Whitney to the Mojave knows what true speed is. He's the fastest dude in the valley today, and he just wants everyone to know how much fun he is having in his new Hornet. And the reply, always with that same, calm, voice, with more distinct alliteration than emotion: �Dusty 52, Center, we have you at 620 on the ground.�

And I thought to myself, is this a ripe situation, or what? As my hand instinctively reached for the mic button, I had to remind myself that Walt was in control of the radios. Still, I thought, it must be done - in mere seconds we'll be out of the sector and the opportunity will be lost. That Hornet must die, and die now. I thought about all of our Sim training and how important it was that we developed well as a crew and knew that to jump in on the radios now would destroy the integrity of all that we had worked toward becoming. I was torn. Somewhere, 13 miles above Arizona, there was a pilot screaming inside his space helmet. Then, I heard it - the click of the mic button from the back seat. That was the very moment that I knew Walter and I had become a crew. Very professionally, and with no emotion, Walter spoke: �Los Angeles Center, Aspen 20, can you give us a ground speed check?� There was no hesitation, and the replay came as if was an everyday request. �Aspen 20, I show you at one thousand eight hundred and forty-two knots, across the ground.�

I think it was the forty-two knots that I liked the best, so accurate and proud was Center to deliver that information without hesitation, and you just knew he was smiling. But the precise point at which I knew that Walt and I were going to be really good friends for a long time was when he keyed the mic once again to say, in his most fighter-pilot-like voice: �Ah, Center, much thanks, we're showing closer to nineteen hundred on the money.� For a moment Walter was a god. And we finally heard a little crack in the armor of the Houston Center voice, when L.A. came back with, �Roger that Aspen. Your equipment is probably more accurate than ours. You boys have a good one.�

# ? Jun 3, 2011 16:45

Mr.Peabody: Jul 15, 2009

Gorilla Salad posted:

Over in the History thread in GBS, Phanatic posted this utterly glorious story of a SR-71 pilot Brian Shul from his book Sled Driver.

I cannot recommend strongly enough that everyone reads it all the way through.

This is awesome. Was there ever a second edition printing of this book?

# ? Jun 3, 2011 17:09

the chic in psychic: Jun 18, 2005; U r Stinky Mcbutt mkay?

Mr.Peabody posted:

This is awesome. Was there ever a second edition printing of this book?

I need this drat book

i neeeed it

# ? Jun 3, 2011 18:54

Cocoa Crispies: Jul 20, 2001; Vehicular Manslaughter!; Pillbug

Mr.Peabody posted:

This is awesome. Was there ever a second edition printing of this book?

From the discussion every ten pages in this thread, no.

# ? Jun 3, 2011 19:11

Phanatic: Mar 13, 2007; Please don't forget that I am an extremely racist idiot who also has terrible opinions about the Culture series.

Mr.Peabody posted:

This is awesome. Was there ever a second edition printing of this book?

I didn't mean to suggest that that story's in the book (I don't own a copy myself, I don't have that kind of money), I was just trying to say "This story's from the pilot who wrote _Sled Driver_".

# ? Jun 3, 2011 21:18

superdylan: Oct 13, 2005; not 100% stupid

Boomerjinks posted:

It's free. Call up the Public Affairs office and just ask for the booklet on the A-12 at Langley. (703) 482-0623

Thanks for the tip, just got mine in the mail and it is awesome.

# ? Jun 3, 2011 22:12

Full Collapse: Dec 4, 2002

I hate working out in the 'burbs, but the one saving grace is my datacenter is along the SIDS and STARS for 14R and 32L for O'Hare. Nothing like going on a smoke break or sitting in a drive through and have a jet liner fly overhead.

# ? Jun 4, 2011 03:24

ursa_minor: Oct 17, 2006; I'm hella in tents.

Gorilla Salad posted:

Over in the History thread in GBS, Phanatic posted this utterly glorious story of a SR-71 pilot Brian Shul from his book Sled Driver.

I cannot recommend strongly enough that everyone reads it all the way through.

Goddamnit - My dad has a signed copy of this book, and I think this is the excerpt that is finally going to make me go snag it from him.

# ? Jun 4, 2011 03:33

iyaayas01: Feb 19, 2010; Perry'd

shadow diver posted:

Some of the best helicopter piloting ever:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZKSDx7ZsY0

Sad postscript to that video...I believe the pilot was Ziggy Hoffmann; he later met his end in a BO-105 that crashed while doing aerobatics: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiEfX3PDzTc.

I do love the music in the "Flying Tiger" demo vid, though...I keep expecting John Shaft to jump out of the helicopter.

Marketing sticker from MBB:

shadow diver posted:

And holy poo poo, these guys must spend most of their time in the shaded section of the dead man's curve, while surrounded by wires.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zwn2CvwACY

Story from Air & Space about those dudes. Here's how it starts:

quote:

To some people, it would be cause for much grief, this Hughes MD 500 helicopter sitting in the hangar, rotor blades snapped, tail boom sheared off, Plexiglas cockpit nose broken. Repairs will cost at least $160,000.

But to Darryl Ed, president of Haverfield Corporation of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a helicopter company that maintains power lines, it�s nothing to mope about. He says the fact that the two men on board walked away largely unscathed was due to world-class piloting�under the circumstances.

The circumstances were this: Pilot Dennis Anderson�s job that day last April was to hover the MD 500 a few inches from a live 230,000-volt power line west of Chicago so that an electrician sitting on a platform on the side of the helicopter could work on the line from the air. The helicopter�s rotor blades overlapped the power line. The Allison turbine engine quit suddenly, leaving the rotors spinning only from inertia. In the second or two before the Hughes settled enough to put the rotors into the power line, the lineman disconnected his equipment from the line. At the same moment, Anderson banked the aircraft sideways. It whirred toward the ground a hundred feet below, gathering speed.

When an engine quits, helicopter pilots wish for a surfeit of altitude or speed. In an unpowered descent�called an autorotation�either will allow the free-spinning rotor to build up enough rpms for the pilot to soften the landing by pulling up the collective lever at the last moment. This causes the rotor blades to dig into the air and slow the descent. But when an engine quits at 100 feet, the options are few.

Anderson aimed toward a patch of swamp, the softest spot in the immediate area. The MD 500 hit the ground so hard the rotor blades bowed downward and chopped off the tail boom. The front of the skids sank into the mush, leaving the helicopter in a showy headstand. It was a fortunate anticlimax. Anderson had missed the power line and even saved the helicopter fuselage. It was not a routine day, but little is routine in the live-line bare-hand maintenance business.

Yeah. He was hovering a few feet away from a live 230,000 volt power line when his engine quit.

# ? Jun 4, 2011 14:10

Ola: Jul 19, 2004

It says the lineman disconnected from the line, was he riding with the helicopter at the time? I wonder how they are trained to react to an engine failure. As you say, they are deep into the coffin corner and when an engine failure happens, everyone has to work quickly and together to crash as softly as possible. Perhaps a huge red light for rotor speed or something.

# ? Jun 4, 2011 14:52

2ndclasscitizen: Jan 2, 2009; by Y Kant Ozma Post

Ola posted:

It says the lineman disconnected from the line, was he riding with the helicopter at the time?

Yep, they hang out the side doing their thing. loving. Nuts.

# ? Jun 4, 2011 16:11

dietcokefiend: Apr 28, 2004; HEY ILL HAV 2 TXT U L8TR I JUST DROVE IN 2 A DAYCARE AND SCRATCHED MY RAZR

Ola posted:

It says the lineman disconnected from the line, was he riding with the helicopter at the time? I wonder how they are trained to react to an engine failure. As you say, they are deep into the coffin corner and when an engine failure happens, everyone has to work quickly and together to crash as softly as possible. Perhaps a huge red light for rotor speed or something.

Yea the part connected was probably that grounding strap thing. On all of the videos I have seen they stick out a metal rod, sparks fly, and they clamp to the line. It was probably the clamp being yanked off quickly.

# ? Jun 4, 2011 19:07

Ola: Jul 19, 2004

It has to be a pretty intensive moment. Engine failure, do your stuff, disconnect everything, get inside, curl up, wait for the impact.

Here's some Tomcat porn. Haven't heard a close supersonic pass with such good audio I think.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BY0xNb4pubA

Ka-loving-blam.

# ? Jun 4, 2011 19:28

san_dingo: May 31, 2004; I thought it was fast at the time.

COUGH 71hp COUGH

I went to a small airshow put on by the EAA today. The main attraction was a B-17, the "Alluminum Overcast". I have all of the posted images in higher resolution if anyone wants them. I am not an expert, so if I mis-identify something, please correct me.

lovely art shot:

Also on display was the world's only flying Boeing 40C:

A WWII Air Force trainer:

Two U.S. Navy Stearman trainers:

Lots of other Stearmans:

And a Laird (LC-B?)

# ? Jun 5, 2011 01:27

Bondematt: Jan 26, 2007; Not too stupid

Wings over Gillespie? I'm heading there tomorrow.

V Ah, yeah they have a Shiny B17 here too. Some flying wing too, haven't really seen much on it, but I know the have a biergarten so I'm in. V

Bondematt fucked around with this message at 01:36 on Jun 5, 2011

# ? Jun 5, 2011 01:29

san_dingo: May 31, 2004; I thought it was fast at the time.

COUGH 71hp COUGH

Bondematt posted:

Wings over Gillespie? I'm heading there tomorrow.

Nope, this was at Felts Field in Spokane, WA. They're taking people up in the B-17 tomorrow, but I didn't have $485.00 sitting around.

# ? Jun 5, 2011 01:31

invision: Mar 2, 2009; I DIDN'T GET ENOUGH RAPE LAST TIME, MAY I HAVE SOME MORE?

Q: What does a Sea King, a K1200, a King Air, and a P2V all have in common?

A: I got them on video today to air attack for us during a huge forest fire. Then I uploaded them to youtube. The P2V flying over was amazing, and the Sea King driver is a god.

K-Max K1200
SH-3H Sea King
King Air leading a P2V

# ? Jun 5, 2011 04:51

Sexual Lorax: Mar 17, 2004; HERE'S TO FUCKING; Fun Shoe

san_dingo posted:

lovely art shot:

Wrong. Decidedly unshitty. Wallpaper worthy, if you'll provide the higher resolution.

# ? Jun 5, 2011 05:56

shadow diver: Dec 25, 2004

Nah, the pilot in the Flying Tiger demonstration video is Karl "Charly" Zimmermann. Here he is flying in the World Championship 1986 Freestyle (he "only" won Vice World Champion that year, but I couldn't find any footage of his routines from previous years when he was World Champion):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93zy3OqXMPw

He's still alive to the best of my knowledge, although probably pretty old and not performing helicopter aerobatics anymore. Actually, there are very few people in the world who do; Chuck Aaron and Rainer Wilke working for Dietrich Mateschitz, maybe a few others but that's it.

That BO-105 sticker is awesome BTW, I need to find one on ebay. The only thing that would make it better is if the helicopter were inverted.

The Air & Space article was excellent as well. I couldn't do it, that seems like the most stressful, intense flying imaginable. But I have the utmost respect for those who do, and I hope they get paid in accordance with their skill and dedication.

Here's something very cool, that I was completely unaware of until very recently;

Red Bull Stratos. They're trying to break Kittinger's altitude and speed records (going supersonic in the process), and they have the man himself as an adviser. The project was very close to completion, but now it's on indefinite hold pending the outcome of a lawsuit. I hope they just pay the man his money and get on with it, but who knows how long that will take.

Hell, literally every single video on the Red Bull site in the "Aerial Sports" category qualifies for this thread:
http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/sports/Aerial-Sports/Video/011242746208619#/subcategory-videos/1/date
Pylon racing, wingsuit proximity flying, helicopter aerobatics, speedflying... gently caress the USAF and their F-22s, I want to enlist in the Red Bull Air Force, where do I sign? Seriously though, those dudes are living the dream.

# ? Jun 5, 2011 07:28

iyaayas01: Feb 19, 2010; Perry'd

Yeah, I saw a couple things that said it was Zimmermann, a couple things that said it was Hoffmann. Either way, impressive flying.

And holy poo poo, I knew Red Bull was into some crazy stuff, but holy poo poo.

# ? Jun 5, 2011 09:24

Forum Hussy: Feb 8, 2005

I think it was posted in here earlier but here is a glimpse into Red Bull's hangar in Austria. AFAIK everything in here is operable.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/01/peek-inside-red-bulls-toybox/?pid=615&viewall=true

# ? Jun 5, 2011 10:27

2ndclasscitizen: Jan 2, 2009; by Y Kant Ozma Post

shadow diver posted:

Red Bull Stratos. They're trying to break Kittinger's altitude and speed records (going supersonic in the process), and they have the man himself as an adviser. The project was very close to completion, but now it's on indefinite hold pending the outcome of a lawsuit. I hope they just pay the man his money and get on with it, but who knows how long that will take.

What is the lawsuit about?

# ? Jun 5, 2011 10:58

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# ? May 22, 2024 00:50

shadow diver: Dec 25, 2004

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/news/lawsuit-red-bull-stratos-freefall

The plaintiff, Daniel Hogan, met with Mateschitz and others several times in '04 to propose a project to beat Kittinger's record. At the time, Kittinger himself was a member of Hogan's team. They told him no, and several years later Stratos is born. He's claiming it would be impossible without specific technical details he provided.

That's really all the information available at the moment. I'm inclined to believe that Mr. Hogan has some pretty serious documentation to support his claims, at the very least. Red Bull has spent millions of dollars and a lot of time with this project, and were weeks away from the planned final jump. They have the legal department of a multi-billion dollar corporation, and the fact that they're not taking this lightly is very telling. I really doubt Mr. Hogan wants to derail the project, he probably just wants proper recognition (and money). Or he could be full of poo poo, in which case I see no reason why Stratos wouldn't proceed as planned. Only time will tell, I just hope it doesn't drag on for too long.

And yeah, Red Bull is totally awesome for all the things they support that would otherwise be impossible. I'm not a fan of energy drinks and don't purchase them often, but when I do it's always Red Bull. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside to think that I'm in some small way helping a BASE jumper go to Antarctica to climb, then fly off a cliff, or some other dude go supersonic in freefall. Speaking of cool poo poo like that; here's the chosen one for Stratos, Felix Baumgartner, during one of his earlier stunts jumping off Christ the Redeemer in Rio.

# ? Jun 5, 2011 11:54

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