Journey To The Edge Of Space
The support of my readers through the years has given me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Four years ago, just before the 2020 election I wrote that Joe Biden's mental health was suspect. Only in this year has the propaganda mainstream media decided to recognize that basic fact.
Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Even today NASA and Congress refuse to recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are five ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation:
5. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above. And if you buy the books through the ebookit links, I get a larger cut and I get it sooner.
I’ve been skydiving twice and I still can’t believe I actually did it. I’m afraid of heights and that video portrays the look from 14,000 feet pretty well! Wooooo
I’ll never jump out of a functional aircraft again. The last time I had the pleasure of watching my friend’s malfunctioning ‘chute fly away like a big useless bed sheet. By this time I was out of the aircraft myself. Fortunately, his spare parachute wasn’t a dud. I recall being a little ill by the time my feet touched the ground…
Anthony–
-I’ll never jump out of a functional aircraft, with a conscious pilot, in the first instance!
(need one of those purple Xanax, just thinking about it, ha.)
But seriously– good for you.!
If we’re absolutely (101%) going down, you’ll probably have to push me out the hatch. (I’ll scream, but I will go…)
Just in case this ever comes up– how does one stop oneself, from tumbling?
As I recall– we have a number of folks here, who enjoy Newtonian physics, up close & personal. I’m more of table-top demonstration guy. (That and film!)
I do occasionally watch that Felix Baumgartner (spell?) video, when he jumps from 140K feet. That’s enough vicarious-thrill for this old dog.
Edward-
good video. Gives a nice sense of height & three-dimensionality.
I can’t resist.
(they all landed safely…)
Folksam Insurance
“Parachuting Cats” [English]
(Those whacky Swedes!)
https://youtu.be/f9OUFS9uTb4
(0:40)
Wayne,
I get that response a lot and for the record, if I ran into my past self I would say the same thing. Its pretty amazing how much I’ve changed as I aged.
Regarding the question of how to stop tumbling, its all about the aerodynamics relative to the center of mass (you move your arms and legs to a certain position). Its the same principle as a badminton shuttlecock or birdie, it always flies with the dense part pointing in the direction of flight. As an interesting side note, on my second jump my instructor said we would do one flip then stabilize and I went along with the plan reluctantly. Execution of said plan was not successful. We did multiple flips and I rapidly became disoriented before he finally got us stabilized. That may have contributed to my nausea and my decision to never go again.