Man skydives across English channel

[The diplomat]

This is just way cool!

The guy dropped out of the plane at 30,000 ft and succesfully glided across the English channel, with the aid of special wings atached on his back.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/946434.asp?0ql=c7p

[The Mad Monk]

Interesting...I wonder if there are any military applications?

[Traianvs]

i don't think so; the apparatus is quite heavy and not really useful; you need special clothes to protect you against the cold (-40 degrees Celsius) so soldiers won't have their proper equipment; also a simple rocket or AA gun could pinch him out of the air

[The Mad Monk]

Yes, but if decending from a plane at high altitude and thirty miles away...would said gunners even know where to look?

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by The Mad Monk
Interesting...I wonder if there are any military applications?

I think there definitely are. This could work great for delivering spec ops behind enemy lines. You could drop them at a safe distance, and let them glide fast and far behind enemy lines.

[The diplomat]

Originally posted by Trajanus
i don't think so; the apparatus is quite heavy and not really useful; you need special clothes to protect you against the cold (-40 degrees Celsius) so soldiers won't have their proper equipment; also a simple rocket or AA gun could pinch him out of the air

You could drop the equipment separately.

I doubt it would be very easy to hit them. They would be a fairly small radar target, especially if thw wings were painted with radar absorbing material. Also, since there is no engine, there would be no noise or IR signature. So, overall, if the drop occurred at night, I doubt they would be detectable.

[The Mad Monk]

I'm pretty sure they have that kind of equipement already -- for HALO drops.

[WRangler Rhymer]

Yes that was interesting from 30,000 feet up. That was amazing for Dover to the French coast.

[CerberusIV]

The only thing I have an issue about with this (and I know it's picky) is that some of the UK media made out he is the first man to fly unaided across the English Channel. So the aircraft that took him up to 30,000ft isn't assistance, right?

Other than that to this guy for doing something he wanted to do.

[WRangler Rhymer]

Yup, he had a speed of 20 mph I think, if i heard correctly.

[CerberusIV]

Originally posted by WRangler Rhymer
Yup, he had a speed of 20 mph I think, if i heard correctly.

I think you missed a zero there.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3112095.stm

[WRangler Rhymer]

opps I did not mean to put 20 I mean to put 200 mph sorry.

[Spiffor]

The video is impressive
39 km in a minute is an impressive feat, that's surprising someone may actually survive such a cold (the protecting gear sure did its job well )

[Az]

interesting angle with the military applications. didn't think of that.

[The Mad Monk]

I'm wondering if the military dosen't already have something like this.