CY@CY Says Welcome to my dreamscape. Where a Lim is also a Ling.
American stuntman Jeb Corliss, wearing his wing suit, hurtled through the archway of the imposing Tianmen mountain in Hunan Province, China, at 75mph after jumping from a helicopter at 6,000 feet during an event sponsored by Red Bull in Zhangjiajie in south China’s Hunan province, Saturday, Sept. 24, 2011.
Spectators watch as Jeb Corliss hurtles though the mountain's natural arch hundreds of feet in the air
Corliss’ wing suit, which has thin membranes between the limbs and torso, allowed the 35-year-old to glide through the air while losing altitude gradually instead of plummeting directly towards Earth.
He was able to travel for two-thirds of a mile – and through the 4,265ft mountain’s natural archway – before releasing his parachute and descending gently to the ground. The arch measures less than 100ft across and left the stuntman with little margin for error.
A still from a camera mounted on the helmet of Jeb Corliss as he sweeps through the corridor of rock
American Jeb Corliss, wearing his wing suit, flies through the Tianmen Cave after jumping from a helicopter (AP Photo)
The stuntman keeps his nerve as he glides through the narrow alley
Corliss, who has jumped from the Eiffel Tower and flown through a waterfall in the Swiss Alps, is the first wing suit stuntman to fly in China. He carried out a test flight from the top of the mountain earlier this week and described conditions as ‘perfect’.
But his first attempt to fly through the Tianmen arch yesterday afternoon had to be abandoned after smoke canisters attached to his ankles developed mechanical problems. Corliss was forced to abandon the attempt in mid-flight and had to make a detour to avoid slamming into the side of the cliff face.
Jeb Corliss, seen here with another flyer, made an earlier attempt to glide through the mountain but had to perform a detour after his smoke canisters malfunctioned
After completing the second, successful jump, which was broadcast on China’s television networks, the Californian said: ‘That was one of the greatest wingsuit flights of my entire life.
‘Thank you China, that was amazing. I love it, oh my God.’
Back on terra firma, Corliss described the flight as one of the greatest of his career