Yeager, however, wasn't so worried about that — he was more concerned that those running the test would find out that he'd broken two ribs in a fall from a horse just days before and pull him out of the pilot's seat. To hide it, he'd gone to a veterinarian instead of a doctor for treatment, and was in so much pain that he couldn't seal the hatch by himself.
The rest, of course, is for the history books.
Perhaps it comes with the territory of having such a highly-developed intellect, but man has always been a curious animal, and some more than others; while the great majority of people may be satisfied to live lives of quiet contentment, there are those who continually push, prod, and blow apart the supposed limits we establish for ourselves.
Although they might seem slightly insane, in truth, they are the ones that push this race further and further into the collective unknown, with little regard for their personal safety.
Chuck Yeager was one of those men…and so is Felix Baumgartner.
Granted, much has changed in the single month since the 43-year-old Austrian daredevil gave my generation its own reason to remember Oct. 14 by taking the first giant leap that man has taken in quite some time — we've been through a catastrophic hurricane, a bruising election, and we're facing a "fiscal cliff" that (allegedly) threatens to plunge us back into recession.
All of that, however, makes Baumgartner's feat of skydiving from 128,000 feet (and becoming the first human to break the sound barrier without mechanical intervention) that much more important; like all events of that magnitude, they are victories for humanity first, and for nations or individuals second.
Cynics immediately dismissed it as everything from "just another publicity stunt" to a "waste of money," and one commentator on a New York Times piece even wrote, "Can't this guy figure out something better to do with his life? Please!"
But watching that YouTube video of the former paratrooper opening the door to his capsule, with the wind raging and the gentle curve of the Earth cutting across a black felt background, and stepping out into the 24 miles of nothing that separate him and the planet, is one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen.
The irony, of course, is that it's the people like that, who write anonymous killjoy comments on news articles, that make those like Baumgartner, who are quite literally risking life and limb in the name of progress, more necessary, even when it's not exactly fun. The Austrian said in a "Today News" interview that he didn't enjoy the jump, but had trained for it for five years and did not hesitate when the moment came.
"In my mind, I did that jump many times. I was ready to go," he said.
Speaking to him from mission control throughout the fall was the comforting voice of Joe Kittinger, the decorated American pilot and Air Force colonel who previously held altitude and speed records for his 1960 jump from 102,000 feet. During Kittinger's mission, a suit malfunction caused his hand to swell to twice its normal size. He ignored the pain, said a short prayer, and stepped out anyway.
Now 84, he spoke to Baumgartner in an attempt to keep his mind occupied and awake throughout the four-minute, 20 second plunge.
At the same time, somewhere over the Mojave Desert, an 89-year-old Chuck Yeager sat in the back seat of an F-15 as it broke the sound barrier once again, 65 years to the day after he did it the first time.
Some things never change.
Email: janoski@northjersey.com
The rest, of course, is for the history books.
Perhaps it comes with the territory of having such a highly-developed intellect, but man has always been a curious animal, and some more than others; while the great majority of people may be satisfied to live lives of quiet contentment, there are those who continually push, prod, and blow apart the supposed limits we establish for ourselves.
Although they might seem slightly insane, in truth, they are the ones that push this race further and further into the collective unknown, with little regard for their personal safety.
Chuck Yeager was one of those men…and so is Felix Baumgartner.
Granted, much has changed in the single month since the 43-year-old Austrian daredevil gave my generation its own reason to remember Oct. 14 by taking the first giant leap that man has taken in quite some time — we've been through a catastrophic hurricane, a bruising election, and we're facing a "fiscal cliff" that (allegedly) threatens to plunge us back into recession.
All of that, however, makes Baumgartner's feat of skydiving from 128,000 feet (and becoming the first human to break the sound barrier without mechanical intervention) that much more important; like all events of that magnitude, they are victories for humanity first, and for nations or individuals second.
Cynics immediately dismissed it as everything from "just another publicity stunt" to a "waste of money," and one commentator on a New York Times piece even wrote, "Can't this guy figure out something better to do with his life? Please!"
But watching that YouTube video of the former paratrooper opening the door to his capsule, with the wind raging and the gentle curve of the Earth cutting across a black felt background, and stepping out into the 24 miles of nothing that separate him and the planet, is one of the most remarkable things I've ever seen.
The irony, of course, is that it's the people like that, who write anonymous killjoy comments on news articles, that make those like Baumgartner, who are quite literally risking life and limb in the name of progress, more necessary, even when it's not exactly fun. The Austrian said in a "Today News" interview that he didn't enjoy the jump, but had trained for it for five years and did not hesitate when the moment came.
"In my mind, I did that jump many times. I was ready to go," he said.
Speaking to him from mission control throughout the fall was the comforting voice of Joe Kittinger, the decorated American pilot and Air Force colonel who previously held altitude and speed records for his 1960 jump from 102,000 feet. During Kittinger's mission, a suit malfunction caused his hand to swell to twice its normal size. He ignored the pain, said a short prayer, and stepped out anyway.
Now 84, he spoke to Baumgartner in an attempt to keep his mind occupied and awake throughout the four-minute, 20 second plunge.
At the same time, somewhere over the Mojave Desert, an 89-year-old Chuck Yeager sat in the back seat of an F-15 as it broke the sound barrier once again, 65 years to the day after he did it the first time.
Some things never change.
Email: janoski@northjersey.com
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