Contestants are shot out of a cannon-like device at terminal velocity, and must hit the open airplane hatch flying overhead (the airplane hatch would, of course, be conveniently attached to an airplane).
Everybody wins something!
The contestant who makes it through the airplane hatch is treated to a gold medal upon landing. The contestants who fall short of the goal will still earn a spot in the Darwin Awards.-- Grogster, Aug 03 2012 I see no reason to prohibit parachutes, in cases of missed hatches.
Other sports, after all, have various sorts of safety equipment (floor cushions for various gymnastic events, for example).-- Vernon, Aug 03 2012 Some provision must be made for the fact that parachutes are not terribly aerodynamic when one is traveling UP. And while I'm at it, a pointy hat wouldn't hurt in the contestant's efforts to streamline airflow and to provide some modicum of, uh, "steering."-- Grogster, Aug 03 2012 Why not call it 'Sky Rocketing'?
(Isn't 'Sky Rocketing' - a better antonym for 'Sky Diving'?)-- Inyuki, Aug 03 2012 //Why not call it 'Sky Rocketing'?//
Then, wouldn't a rocket necessarily be involved? There is something rather disturbing about seeing rockets heading toward an airplane...-- Grogster, Aug 03 2012 Once more QEII hurtles across the sky...-- Phrontistery, Aug 04 2012 Fair point, [21Q]; however you may be forgetting the highly directional influence of the pointy hat (tin foil, of course, to reduce weight and prevent neutrino damage)...-- Grogster, Aug 04 2012 //Sports which are mainly dependent on mechanical assistance aren't allowed in the Olympics, which is why you no longer see avation, powerboating, and motorsport events.//
There are still many olympic sports with mechanical assistance, though - cycling, boating etc. And the gun and archery events. And in the paraolympics, there are even more.
//This 'sport' would be more dependent on skill of the guy aiming and firing the cannon and the guy flying the plane than it would the guy being shot out of the cannon.//
It would be a team sport with largely unrecognised members, which the Olympics also has. For example the equine events.
//That's also, I believe, the reason gliding was discontinued as an Olympic event.//
From what I heard, gliding never quite made it in. It was due to be in the one cancelled due to WWII.
I'm not saying I like this proposal, though. It would be silly to have this before they've even got sky diving. Not that the Olympics isn't quite silly already, as we've discussed elsewhere.-- Loris, Aug 05 2012 //Sports which are mainly dependent on mechanical assistance aren't allowed in the Olympics//
So, don't expect chainsaw juggling, then?-- Grogster, Aug 05 2012 Sadly, no.
Having seen, live on stage, a performer juggling a running chainsaw, a bowling ball, and an egg, at the conclusion of which he cracked the egg to show it was real, we consider that just running a set distance in a short amount of time is somewhat less deserving of recognition.-- 8th of 7, Aug 05 2012 //he cracked the egg to show it was real// Yeah, but if he'd used the chainsaw to cut the bowling ball in half, it would have been more convincing. I taught myself to juggle using three carving knives, and learned remarkably quickly.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Aug 05 2012 Learned what?-- pocmloc, Aug 06 2012 //Learned what?//
I'm supposing he learned he can't cut a bowling ball (or a chain saw) in half with a knife while juggling...-- Grogster, Aug 06 2012 random, halfbakery