| A stuntman has made aviation history by becoming the first skydiver in the world to land without the use of a parachute. Gary Connery, 42, from Oxfordshire, leapt from a helicopter a mile above Henley then glided down using a specially adapted wing suit before landing on a "runway" of 18000 cardboard boxes. "It was so comfortable, so soft. My calculations obviously worked out and I'm glad they did," he told Sky News afterwards. His wife Vivian said she was "relieved its all over". To prepare for the jump he underwent weeks of intensive training in Switzerland and Italy, leaping from mountains and cliffs to perfect his wing suit glide angle. As part of the preparations, Mr Connery studied the flight of kite birds and how they use their tail to control their flight direction. "Kites steer by twisting their tail one way or another and I'll be doing the same," he explained before the jump. Gary Connery Mr Connery made his first parachute jump aged 23 after joining the Army. He went on to become a professional stuntman, completing 880 skydives and 450 base jumps. He has acted as stunt-double for the likes of Gary Oldman, John Hurt and Rowan Atkinson and appeared in films such as The Beach, Die Another Day, Batman Begins and Indiana Jones. He also leapt from the Eiffel Tower, Nelson's Column, Tower Bridge and the London Eye. "This stunt will get great recognition and will be a post in the runway of aviation history," Mr Connery said beforehand. "I'm sure plenty of people will ... |
