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Luke Aikins, 42,
who has 18,000 jumps under his belt, completed the jump in Simi
Valley just west of Los Angeles, landing in a net measuring 100
feet by 100 feet (30 meters by 30 meters) in a feat broadcast on
Fox.
"Aikins' leap represents the culmination of a 26-year career
that will set a personal and world record for the highest jump
without a parachute or wing suit," his spokesman Justin Aclin
said in an email.
The Fox broadcast showed Aikins, who was wearing an oxygen mask
because of the altitude, jump out of a propeller plane in a
bright green outfit along with three parachutists.
He later handed the mask to one of the other jumpers in mid-air.
Then, the three accompanying skydivers opened their chutes and
seemed to rise up away from Aikins, as he fell alone.
Lights were set along the side of the net to serve as a guide
for Aikins to aim himself as he hurtled toward it. When he was
on target, the lights shone white.
After a free-fall lasting about two minutes, Aikins at the last
second flipped onto his back and hit the net, which Aclin said
was suspended 200 feet (61 meters) above ground with a secondary
net below it.
Aikins previously said the net system would subject him to a
G-force of no more than five g and break his fall for about one
and a half seconds.
After he was lowered from the net, Aikins hugged his wife,
Monica.
"I’m almost levitating, it's incredible,” Aikins told an
interviewer at the end of the Fox broadcast.
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Kim Coghill)
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