Pilot Training
Preparing Felix for 120,000 feet happens one test jump at a time.
"I thought I had to pull the parachute, then I looked at
the altitude and realized I was still at 50,000 feet." Felix
Baumgartner recalls his final jump.
"I have done a lot of BASE jumps, which is totally different ballgame. That's why no one broke Joe Kittinger's records in 52 years -- because it is a difficult task." Felix Baumgartner
"We've moved beyond simulations. The manned jump from 71,581 feet
is the first step to our ultimate goal." Joe Kittinger, Colonel
USAF (Ret)
In preparation for Felix's first jump from the stratosphere, a
long list of procedures came before he ever stepped inside the
capsule. His training started years ago practicing high altitude
jumps with Luke Aikins, his skydiving consultant, to ensure a solid
body position in a relatively stiff pressurized suit. In addition
to skydiving Felix has a whole team who supports him from every
angle you can imagine, just to get him to the point where his
performance in the pressure suit feels like second nature.
Two unmanned and two manned test flights had to be completed to
the satisfaction of every teammember before the final flight to
128,100 ft could ever move forward. Looking back to the first
manned flight and freefall from 71,581 feet, the Red Bull Stratos
team was embarking on a mission with many unknowns. The night
before March 15, 2012, as would happen for all test flights, the
team received final safety and weather briefings. Meteorologist Don
Day gave the go-ahead that the dawn 'weather window' was suitable
for an attempted launch: relatively clear skies and calm winds.
During the next eight hours, the capsule was positioned in its
cradle on the launch crane, the runway cleared of small debris and
the balloon laid out on a vast tarp to protect it from
tearing.
Shortly before dawn, balloon inflation began. Felix suited up and
began pre-breathing oxygen to eliminate nitrogen from his blood
before he was sealed inside the pressurized capsule. With balloon
inflation complete, the capsule lifted off the tarmac to begin its
ascent.
Once the ascent was completed, Felix ran through his 39-step
safety checklist before manually depressurizing the capsule,
sliding open the round door and stepping off the external platform.
He continued in freefall until reaching the optimum height to
deploy his parachute and float safely back to earth. Upon landing
he was met by the retrieval team, medical checks were conducted,
and he was returned to the launch site.
