Bird Dream
Page 31
CHAPTER 22: RAINY DAYS
“Less Corrr Than Corliss”: The video can be viewed at Gary’s website: Garyconnery.com, http://garyconnery.com/media-gallery/detail/15/119.
“april falls madness”: Gary’s messages to his volunteer corps appear with permission from Gary Connery. Descriptions of preparations for landing, including training, were drawn from interviews with Gary Connery, in January 2013, Mark Sutton, in June 2013, Vivienne Connery, in June and September 2013, and Nick English, May 2013.
it rained: Weather records for the UK came from the Met Office, the UK’s National Weather Service, Metoffice.gov.uk, http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/2012/may.html.
“landing”: Descriptions of the landing day were drawn from interviews with Gary Connery, January and May 2013; Mark Sutton, in June 2013; Vivienne Connery, June and September 2013; Andrew Harvey, Nick English, Chris and Hazel Bullock, and Jon Bonny in May 2013; “Gary Connery Lands Safely After 2,400 ft Helicopter Jump Without Parachute,” Charlie Cooper, May 23, 2012, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/gary-connery-lands-safely-after-2400-ft-helicopter-jump-without-parachute-7782213.html; “Stuntman Takes a Superhero Plunge,” Mary Pilon, NYT, May 23, 2012, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/24/sports/englishman-connery-completes-successsful-wing-suit-landing.html?_r=0; “Skydiver Becomes First to Land Without Chute,” Roddy Mansfield, Sky News, May 23, 2012, http://news.sky.com/story/20784/skydiver-becomes-first-to-land-without-chute; “Flying Suit That Enabled Landing Without a Parachute Was Made in Zephyrhills,” Mary Kenney, Tampa Bay Times, May 24, 2012, http://www.tampabay.com/news/bizarre/flying-suit-that-enabled-landing-without-a-parachute-was-made-in/1231865; and “Behind the Death-Defying, Record-Setting Wingsuit Jump,” James Vlahos, Popular Mechanics, May 26, 2012, http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/aviation/diy-flying/behind-the-death-defying-record-setting-wingsuit-jump-9174357. Video of the landing can be viewed at itv.com, http://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2012-05-23/gary-falls-to-earth/.
EPILOGUE
“No. 1 Megastunt”: “It Was a Great Spectacle, Despite ABC’s Coverage,” John Law, Niagara Falls Review, June 16, 2012.
opening ceremony: “‘Secret Agent’ in the Coup That Made the Queen a Global TV Comedy Star . . . and the Daredevil Who Took a Royal Dive,” Ian Gallagher, Daily Mail, July 28, 2012, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2180214/London-Olympics-2012-Gary-Connery-played-Queen-opening-ceremony.html.
Project Stratos: Redbullstratos.com, http://www.redbullstratos.com/.
World Wingsuit League: worldwingsuitleague.com, http://www.worldwingsuitleague.com/julian-boulle-wins-the-first-wwl-grand-prix/.
Mark Sutton: “Olympics Stuntman Mark Sutton Dies in Switzerland Wing-Diving Accident,” James Meikle, The Guardian, August 15, 2013, http://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/aug/15/olympics-stuntman-mark-sutton-dies.
Flying Dagger: “Flight of the Year,” Red Bulletin, January 2014.
INDEX
The page numbers in this index refer to the printed version of this book. To find the corresponding locations in the text of this digital version, please use the “search” function on your e-reader. Note that not all terms may be searchable.
Aarhus, Arne, 98–99
Act for Tibet, 115
addiction, 60, 216
adrenal fatigue, 136
adrenaline, 30, 36, 88, 143
Adventure Wanted (National Geographic Channel), 14
Age of Discovery, 21
Aiguille du Midi, France, 80
ailerons, 146
airfoils, 171
airplanes:
and ailerons, 146
barnstorming, 75–77
and Bernoulli’s principle, 171
exit and reentry in flight, 80
flare on landing, 146
high-altitude jumps without oxygen, 79
jumping from, and landing without parachute, 147
recreational skydiving from, see skydiving
and World War II, 77
and Wrightbrothers, 22, 75
air resistance, 32, 78
air shows, 75–77
alleles, 60
altered states, 62
altimeters, 32
Ambrecht, Michael R., 137, 141
amygdala, 30
Angel Falls, Venezuela, 79, 85–86, 129
Angry Birds, 160
Apocalypse Now (movie), 189
Arco, Italy, wingsuits at, 73–74, 175
Armstrong, Neil, 114
arousal studies, 61–63
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 60
Autenrieth, Gian, 176
Auyántepui (“Devil’s Mountain”), Venezuela, 85
aviation:
fatalities in, 30–31
see also airplanes
AWOLNATION, 176
balloons:
bungee jumps from, 55
as markers, 3, 4, 5, 143, 148, 176, 177, 211, 212
parachute jumps from, 21, 253
Bankers Trust Building, New York, 22
Bannister, Roger, 114
Barndt, Perry, 130
barnstorming, 75–77
BASE:
acronym of, 1, 24
aerials in, 90–91, 98, 205
altitudes of jumps, 28, 32, 64, 221
assiduous preparation and planning in, 26, 31, 33, 119, 244
avant-garde jumping, 126
balloons as markers for, 3, 4, 5, 143, 148, 176, 177, 211, 212
Bridge Day festival, West Virginia, 29, 96, 99–100, 106
“burning” a site in, 34, 82–83, 136
certification for, 24
competition in, 169–70
and deaths, 12–13, 26, 27, 29, 30–31, 46, 106, 122–24, 126, 153
differences between skydiving and, 28, 35
at El Cap, 23–24
emergency procedures in, 33
emerging mental atmosphere in, 26
and ethics, 34, 82–83, 84, 136
expansion of, 29, 59
fatalities in, 30–31
gear designed for, 28, 31, 36
generational shift in, 82–83, 90–91, 126
getting into, 26–27
going underground with, 25, 27, 82
illegality of, 24–25, 34, 84, 106–7
international network in, 27, 92, 95, 175, 252
jump phases, 32–33, 183–84
jump sites for, 31–32; see also specific sites
landing phase, 33–34
landing zones for, 35–36; see also landing
legal implications of, 141–42
mathematical calculations in, 91
mentor needed in, 26
organizing body of, 24
with parachutes, 28, 31; see also parachutes
property owner liability concerns about, 24
publicity seekers in, 82–84, 136, 182, 216
as reckless endangerment, 25, 84, 135, 137, 151–52, 156
and risks as entertainment, 29, 59–62, 83, 91
skydiving vs., 24–25, 26, 28
and slacklining, 161
speed and distance records, 161, 169, 178
training programs for, 30–31, 34, 45–47, 55, 82, 93–94, 113–14, 159
video cameras in, 83
videos of, 31, 82–84, 98, 112, 125, 176, 200
with wingsuits, 125, 161, 170, 205, 220; see also wingsuits
from World Trade Center, 23
BASE Fatality List, 30–31
BASE Klubb, Stavanger, 124
BASE Magazine, 24
Basic Research:
formation and expansion of, 28, 29
and Jeb, 90
and training program, 30–32
Baumgartner, Felix, 83, 253
Beach, The (movie), 253
Beachy Head, BMX bike BASE jump off, 69
Beresford-Redman, Bruce, 163
Berkowitz, David “Son of Sam,” 137
Bermuda Dunes, skydiving at, 54
Berner Zeitung, 12
Bernières, Louis de, 68
Bernoulli, Daniel, 171
Bernoulli’s principle, 171, 220, 230
Berry, Chuck (wingsuit pilot), 128
Bigelow, Kathryn, 29
bird cults, 74–75
Birdman, wingsuits ordered from, 81
birdman shaman, 75
birds:
flare on landing, 146
and proximity flying, 164
Bloomberg, Michael, 152
Boenish, Carl, 23, 25, 27
Bonny, Jon, 244
Boulle, Julian, 145, 206, 216, 253
Boyle, Danny, 253
Bradbury, Ray, 167
brain:
and fear, 26, 30
and pleasure seeking, 60–63
and risky behavior, 59–62
Bremont watch company, 202, 203, 204, 223–24, 233
Bridge Day festival, West Virginia, 29, 96, 99–100, 106
Brooklyn Bridge, parachute jump from, 22
Brown, Glen, 147
Bullock, Chris (father), 36, 37
Bullock, Gary, 35–44
army discharge of, 69
army service of, 39–40, 42
AWOL from army, 42–43, 68–69
competitive streak in, 36, 114
early years of, 36–38
first jumps by, 35–36, 40–41
jump from London Hilton, dressed as Father Christmas, 41–42
marriage to Vivienne, 70; see also Connery, Vivienne
name change to Connery, 43–44; see also Connery, Gary
and skiing, 37, 38–39
as stuntman, 39, 44
Bullock, Hazel (mother), 36, 37, 43, 244
Bullock, Jon (brother), 36, 37–38, see Bonny, Jon
Bullock, Vivienne Lee (wife), see Connery, Vivienne
Burj, Dubai, jumps from, 161
Bushido, samurai code of, 226, 251
Byron, George Gordon, Lord, 10–11, 231
Cage, Nicolas, 68
Campbell, Joseph, 74–75
Canaima National Park, Venezuela, 85–86
Cani, Luigi, 126–27, 142–44, 220
Cape Times, 215
Cape Town, South Africa, 205–18
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin (movie), 68
Casanova, Giacomo, 118
Cave of Swallows (Sótano de las Golondrinas), Mexico, 79, 89, 161
Chambéry, France, airplane exit and reentry in flight over, 80
China:
final briefing in, 187–88
Flying Dagger stunt in, 254
Jeb’s jumps in, 184, 188–89, 190–95, 205, 254
Jeb’s preparation for, 7, 173, 182, 185, 188
Jin Mao Tower, 124–26, 182
Joby’s premonitions in, 187
platform construction in, 186, 190
postflight reactions, 199–200
practice sessions in, 185–86, 188
press conference in, 195–96
recruiting people for, 14, 16
“Red Bull Wingsuit Flying Through” in, 182
Slim’s death in, 126
terrain in, 184
three-phased program in, 183–84, 189, 190
Tiankeng (“Heavenly Pit”) sinkhole in, 124–25
Tianmen Shan (Heaven’s Gate Mountain) in, 181–96, 206, 208, 253
videos in, 182, 199, 206, 208
wingsuit flight in, 173, 182
World Wingsuit League in, 253
Christ the Redeemer statue, Rio de Janeiro, 83, 142–44, 148
Chrysler Building, New York, 84, 154
Circus Circus Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, 97–98
Civilian Aviation Authority, UK, 221, 227, 228, 232, 239, 241, 244, 246
Clarke, Sir Arthur C., 73
Clavell, James, Shogun, 226, 251
Clinton, Bill, 14
CN Tower, Toronto, parachute jump from (1975), 23
Cobain, Kurt, 92
Colbert, Stephen, 150–51
Collins, Merle, 215
Columbine High School, 163
Conan, 224–26
Conejo Grade antenna, jump from, 64–67
Connery, Gary:
anonymity of, 114–15, 165, 166, 179, 202, 227–28, 251
and Apache wingsuit, 176, 179–80, 219–24
and competition, 178–80, 201, 238
at the Crack, 177, 229
earning a living, 140
Eiffel Tower jump by, 44
and family, 68, 70, 165
fund-raising, 164–66, 174, 179, 203–4
goal of landing without parachute, 140, 164–66, 177–80, 200–204, 220–21, 223–24, 227–30, 231–52
on the inevitability of death, 254
jump from Nelson’s Column, 115–16, 224
“Less Corrr Than Corliss” video, 231
and London Eye jump, 138–39, 224
and London Olympics, 253
media stories about, 116, 233, 251–52, 253
name change from Bullock, 43–44; see also Bullock, Gary
as “One-Take Gary,” 68, 229, 248
and Rebel wingsuit, 223, 229, 231
and stress, 233–34, 238, 245
as stuntman, 44, 68, 114, 140, 175, 177, 178, 203, 219, 223, 224, 229, 239, 248, 251, 252, 253, 254
successful jump at Henley, 247–50; see also Henley/Mill End landing site
and Vivienne, see Connery, Vivienne
wingsuit instruction in California, 112–14
wingsuit practice jumps by, 175, 201, 204, 221–24
Connery, Kali, 43, 139, 243, 244, 251
Connery, Vivienne (wife):
and children, 68, 70, 116, 139
and Chocolate Theatre Café, 174, 178, 202, 236, 237, 241, 250
and Gary’s stunt career, 44, 116, 139
and Gary’s successful jump, 250
and Gary’s wingsuit flights, 114, 117, 165, 178–79, 201, 203–4, 247
and logistics of Henley jump, 227–28, 236, 237, 239, 245
and marriage to Gary, 70
and name change, 44, 70
return of, 174
as Vivienne Lee, 40, 42, 43
Consolidated Rigging, 36
Copperfield, David, 135
Corliss, Gigi (mother), 47–50
in China, 185, 188
and Fitzmorris, 53, 54, 159, 160
and Jeb’s jumps, 65, 67–68, 86, 107, 108, 153, 185, 214
and Jeb’s trial, 155, 157
Corliss, Jeb, 1–18
at Angel Falls, 85–86
and Apache X wingsuit, 172–73, 230
assiduous planning by, 7, 46–47, 124, 132–33, 141, 162, 199
and BASE instruction, 45–47, 55
birth and childhood of, 47–51
as Black Dragon, 183, 195
black wardrobe of, 2, 17, 54, 101, 107, 120, 131–32, 141, 150–51, 152, 160, 224
in China, see China
community service fulfilled by, 159
and competition, 148–49, 158, 231, 251
at Conejo Grade (sixth jump), 64–67
Crack 2011 flight of, 3–6, 9, 10, 176, 229
earning a living, 17, 86, 129, 158, 199, 218
and Empire State Building, 7, 130–35, 141–42, 158
and fame, 184, 205, 208, 209, 214, 216, 218, 224–26
first jumps from fixed object, 55–58
first view of wingsuit, 73–74
first wingsuit jump of, 87–89
first wingsuit of, 81
and Flying Dagger, 254
and freedom of expression, 137
goal of landing without parachute, 7–9, 127–28, 150, 161–62, 196, 199, 221
high-dive training, 93–94, 100, 217
and Iiro, see Seppänen, Iiro
increasingly complex and audacious stunts of, 98–99, 100
influence of, 10, 17, 18, 90, 95, 156, 200, 225
injuries to, 58, 88–89, 104, 154, 159–60, 213–18, 224
jobs held by, 54–55
as Karina’s mentor, 101–9
and the meaning of life, 123–24, 137, 153, 185, 217–18, 225, 226, 254
and Real TV host, 129–30
in Rio, 142–44
as Roberta’s mentor, 158–60, 182
as scuba diver, 46, 51–54
and stress, 185, 186, 189, 193, 195
suicidal thoughts of, 53, 55, 153, 226
in Switzerland, 1–7, 11–12, 16–18, 136, 159, 172
at Table Mountain (2012), 205–6, 207–15, 221, 225, 226, 230
teen years of, 51–55, 163
and “Touch-and-Go” stunt, 205, 208, 209
trial of, 137, 141–42, 150, 154–57, 158, 159
videos and films of, 3, 4, 6, 10, 86, 89, 98, 102, 109, 129, 151, 159, 161, 184, 200, 208, 214, 216, 218, 224–26
Weston as model for, 93–94, 119
with Weston at Royal Gorge, 119–22
and Weston’s death, 122–24
Wingsuit Landing Project, 9, 148–49, 150, 153, 160, 161–62
and World Wingsuit League, 253
Corliss, Rick (father), 47–48
Corliss, Scarlett (sister), 47, 54, 95
Corliss, Sonia (sister), 47
cortisol, 30
counterphobia, 51, 58
Coyote, Wile E., 3
Crack (Schattenloch Canyon):
“Grinding the Crack” video, 176–77, 184, 205, 208, 229
Jeb’s 2011 wingsuit flight through, 3–6, 9, 10, 176, 229
as jumpers’ goal, 18
Mark and Gary at, 177, 229
Crooks, Mark, 154, 155–56
Crosswind (movie), 111
Cruz, Penélope, 68
Csikszenthimalyi, Mihaly, 62–63
CU Medicine Today, 63
Cunningham, Gary, 91–92, 119, 125–26
Daily Mail, 41, 42, 139
Dalai Lama, 115, 116
Dark Knight, The (movie), 153
Dark Wizard (Potter), 161
Datbladet, 84
Davis, Geena, 95
Davis, Steph, 10
Daytona Beach, Florida, wingsuit flight at, 75–76
Der Spiegel, 12
Deug (de Gayardon), 78–81, 110–11, 169
DiGiovanni, Nick, 28
and BASE Fatality List, 30
and code of conduct, 25, 82, 136
and El Cap jump, 23–24
and Weston memorial, 122
Discovery Channel, 7, 130, 135
Dolomites, Italy:
Monte Brento, 73, 111, 175, 221–22, 239
sports in, 73
Donohue, Tim, 133–34
dopamine, 60
dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4), 59–60
Douggs:
in China, 124–26, 182, 183, 184, 188, 189, 190, 193
Confessions of an Idiot, 16
in Switzerland, 16–18
Web series of, 254
and World Wingsuit League, 253