From the tail ramp of a suitable aircraft, you´re winched out on a 50-100m line attached to your harness. The attachment point needs to be somewhere near your belly button.

As long as the aircraft is doing a reasonable speed (I´m guessing 200mph), you ought to become a sort of glorified kite, capable of soaring and swooping on the line. It would be radically different from freefall, but would use a lot of the same principals for control. You would have freedom of movement within a large arc either side of, and above and below, the aircraft (though your distance from the plane would remain constant).

Experienced bodykiters ought to be able to fly in pairs or more, performing a sort of glorified horizontal high-speed maypole dance. It may even be possible to do human kite-fighting (with ground-glass covered lines), though I´m not sure how. Or why.

Possible risks include strangulation (íf a deft maneuver managed to loop the line around your neck; this would be tricky, though, as it would be under considerable tension) or terminal plaiting (amongst groups of three or more bodykiters).

After bodykiting, the kiter would release the line, and start a regular skydive; or they could be winched back in.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 24 2007

We sort of did this already Aerocraft_20Bungee_20Jumping
sorry [GutPunchLullabies, Aug 24 2007]

TaleSpin http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TaleSpin
animated series from the early 90's [ed, Aug 28 2007]

if that fails you could always use the same rig on a windy day....just don't crash

of course you might:

a)burn yourself in the hot prop air

b)make the plane crash (pull it sidewards

but i really like th idea

c)get stuck on plane and do emergency landing still connected
-- IceFest, Aug 24 2007


Reminds me of that James Bond film in which they're having a fight out the back of a big freight plane. Looked like a bumpy ride but I think that was because they were still quite close to the plane.

I think the speed might have to be above 200mph to keep the line as close to horizontal as possible thus enabling the kiter to soar above and below the plane but I like these extreme sports, so bun. Dude.

(Warning: by analagously mentioning maypole-dancing you almost received an automatic bone.)
-- theleopard, Aug 24 2007


I somehow missed the word "aircraft", and was imagining doing this off the back of a racing car or something. Bun anyhow.
-- baconbrain, Aug 24 2007


(+)

Terminal velocity for a skydiver with a closed pack is 200 K/hr...does anyone else find "terminal velocity" to be a misnomer?, shouldn't a person just like, die, when they get to that speed?
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 24 2007


I agree [2 fries], terminal velocity for most bodies I have seen was 0.
-- cblunds, Aug 24 2007


It isn't the velocity that kills people, it is the deceleration that kills people.

Or in other words V doesn't kill people, Delta-V kills people.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Aug 24 2007


If you had one of those flying fox suits the speed required would be slower, pehaps within the realms of a car.
-- marklar, Aug 26 2007


[GetPubLunch] - I hadn't spotted the Aircraft bungee idea. However, I think the two are distinct. I'd be prepared to throw in a small yellow throwable plate if it helps.

[21_Quest] - not seen "TailSpin" - link or further description?
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 28 2007


Tale Spin is a Saturday morning Disney cartoon. The big bear flys a seaplane, and the little bear gets to boogie board on air behind it.

did I mention that I have kids?
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 28 2007


Hmm. Is a "boogie board" like a small surf-board? If so, I think it's a different kettle of fish, somewhat.
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 30 2007



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