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The author of Skulls in the Stars is an associate professor of physics, specializing in optical science, at UNC Charlotte. The blog covers topics in physics and optics, the history of science, classic pulp fantasy and horror fiction, and the surprising intersections between these areas. -
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Category Archives: Sports
My photo in Parachutist Magazine!
I’m famous! The balloon jump I did a couple of months ago, with video and pictures, made it as a photo in Parachutist, the official USPA (United States Parachute Association) publication. Here’s the relevant page: That’s me leaping out in … Continue reading
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Skydiver takes out marching band
Ouch. On Thursday, a parachutist went off course during a jump at Fort Riley, Kansas, and crashed feet first into the 1st Infantry Division’s marching band. Three band members were significantly injured during the landing; video of the crash can … Continue reading
Posted in ... the Hell?, Sports
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Lawn chair ballooning lives on!
Via CNN, I learn today that Kent Couch of Bend, Oregon managed to fly 200 miles from Oregon to Idaho in a lawn chair ‘powered’ by helium balloons. Such stories have long been ‘urban legend’ fodder, ever since the first … Continue reading
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Unconventional skydives: balloon jump!
A couple of weeks ago I attended Skyfest 2008, a large skydiving convention (‘boogie’) which had attendees from all over the country. They also had a number of unconventional aircraft, namely helicopters and hot air balloons. I decided to make … Continue reading
Posted in Physics, Sports
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Unconventional skydives: beach jumps!
Over Memorial Day weekend, i went with a group of friends to a skydiving party (‘boogie’) at the Emerald Coast Skydiving Center, which is near the Gulf Coast. The fun of this particular boogie is the ability to skydive over … Continue reading
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Grounded!
Well, I’m back from my skydiving adventure at the Memorial Day Boogie at Emerald Coast Skydiving Center. Just like last year, the staff was friendly and helpful, and I managed to get eight jumps on the beach. There’s nothing like … Continue reading
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Fusion man goes flying, or: How about them jetpacks, eh?
It would be quite remiss of me not to comment on the cool video of Swiss pilot Yves Rossy, aka “Fusion Man”, and his remarkable jet-powered wing. There’s a YouTube video associated with the news story which, although it’s in … Continue reading
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How high can you fall from?
My friend Personal Demon tipped me off to a potentially historic skydiving event that will be happening in roughly 17 days; Michel Fournier of France will attempt to break the record for the highest freefall. Ascending in a pressurized capsule … Continue reading
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Skydiving again, finally!
I finally managed to make a couple of skydives this weekend, after about a six-week hiatus. My undesired “break” from the sport was a combination of bad weather on the weekends at home and travel on the others. In celebration … Continue reading
Skydiving ‘Free for All’: A speedstar jump
I broke out another of my skydiving videos to post on YouTube the other day. This one, below the fold, is what is known as a “speedstar”. Most formation skydives are meticulously planned to be “slot perfect”: that is, every … Continue reading
