Ascension Is the 3-Hour Movie of David Blaine Becoming a Plane - autoevolution

David Blaine has long moved on from “pick a card”-type of street tricks, to endurance tests that prove anything is possible with enough training, plenty of determination, and a team of professionals that diligently hammer out ever detail of the stunt.

11 photos

On August 31, Blaine was supposed to take part in his first live stunt since 2002, something he called Ascension. It would have seen him take flight while strapped to 52 helium balloons, fly over NYC and then parachute back to solid ground safely.

The stunt was delayed a couple of days for logistical reasons and due to weather, and moved to Page, Arizona. It finally went off on September 2 and it was packed with intense moments and plenty of TV-perfect drama, but was essentially flawless.

You can see the entire stunt in the video at the bottom of the page, as recorded while streaming live on YouTube. To sum it up in only a handful of words, it’s basically a 3-hour movie in which Blaine becomes a plane. Well, an aircraft actually, but "plane" rhymes.

That’s not even a joke. In order to be able to go high up in the air, Blaine and his team had to have the balloon rig certified by the FAA as an aircraft, and the stunt was billed a research and development flight that got FAA approval before getting off the ground. He also became a certified hot-air balloon operator and underwent rigorous training in skydiving.

Ascension was a on-the-edge-of-your-seat-type of viewing, with Blaine building up tension (let’s not kid ourselves, as nervous as he was, he’s well-versed in the art of building suspense) with long talks with his daughter Dessa and his team. The beautiful father-daughter relationship came across as perhaps the second most impressive thing about Ascension.

Though the goal was to take the balloon rig up to 18,000 feet (5,486 meters), Blaine flew as high as nearly 25,000 feet (7,620 meters). He hovered around and took in the amazing views, and then dropped weights and went into class A airspace, which meant issues with oxygen and cold air.

Once he achieved the goal he’d set for himself, and having already strapped himself into the parachute in mid-air, Blaine dropped to the ground. He missed the landing mark but was able to land safely – still grinning from ear to ear like a kid.

Comparisons between Ascension and the 2009 Disney / Pixar Up movie are easy, just as easy as it is to say this seems like a very fun and un-challenging stunt. If you feel this way, watch the movie and you might be surprised.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMibWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmF1dG9ldm9sdXRpb24uY29tL25ld3MvYXNjZW5zaW9uLWlzLXRoZS0zLWhvdXItbW92aWUtb2YtZGF2aWQtYmxhaW5lLWJlY29taW5nLWEtcGxhbmUtMTQ4MjIxLmh0bWzSAQA?oc=5

2020-09-03 03:54:00Z

Bagikan Berita Ini