French skydiver readies for second try at historic jump

[struggle4progress]

... The team is getting ready for a 4:00am departure Tuesday (1000 GMT). The ascent will take more than two hours, and the actual jump, about ten minutes.

Fournier plans to land some 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of North Battleford, where a helicopter would be waiting to pick him up.

The remote location was chosen because it is sparsely populated, so if something goes wrong, a crash is unlikely to hurt anyone on the ground ...

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5i-FhC48pn9ms9FFtWmzwj2VqF4-A

Guess that means listen for him in the news 8-9A Eastern time

Previous lounge thread: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=7767888

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Attempt cancelled - balloon fell apart

luckily, it was while he was still on the ground:

French skydiver fails at record freefall bid

2 hours ago

NORTH BATTLEFORD, Saskatchewan (AFP) — French skydiver Michel Fournier's bid to set a new altitude freefall record was scuppered Tuesday when the balloon that was to carry him into the stratosphere separated from the gondola.

The balloon had been scheduled to take off at around 4:30 am (1030 GMT) from North Battleford in western Canada's Saskatchewan province, but somehow detached from the gondola and drifted away, leaving the 64-year old parachutist behind on the ground.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jK0NLaRqgKxilNNFSu6hTXG_1qBA

[pokerfan]

2. If at first you don't succeed

you might want to rethink skydiving. :P

[applegrove]

3. I still think he is nuts. Just nuts.

[struggle4progress]

4. Perhaps "oops! my balloon floated off" signifies some hidden intelligence

[applegrove]

5. That is what I immediately thought. LOL!