Austrian parachutist Felix Baumgarter dropped into the Ontario Science Centre yesterday in a very ho-hum way - through the front door. Not known for pedestrian entrances, the Austrian daredevil let an exciting new exhibition do all his talking at a media launch yesterday.
With a passion for expanding boundaries, especially in the air, Red Bull Stratos pilot Felix Baumgartner is an expert parachutist best known for jumping from a high altitude balloon at the edge of the earth’s atmosphere three years ago.
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| Photo by George Socka - Beach Digital |
The story of his accomplishment is part of a new exhibition at the Science Centre. The Red Bull Stratos exhibit opened yesterday and closes January 11, 2016.
Felix, born April 20, 1969, grew up in Salzburg, Austria where he dreamed of skydiving and flying helicopters and was inspired by astronauts on TV. He made his first skydive at age 16. Eager to test the limits, Felix set a record for history's lowest BASE jump (from Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer statue), twice set world records for the highest BASE jump from a building (Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and Taipei 101 tower), and even landed his canopy inside a cave in Croatia. He is also famous for completing an unprecedented freefall flight across the English Channel using a carbon wing!
Photographer George Socka took this picture of Art Thompson (left) and Felix Baumgartner. They are standing in front of the Red Bull Stratos capsule at the Science Centre. Thompson was the technical project director on the expedition and Felix Baumgartner, the pilot and parachutist.
George Socka reported on Baugarter's appearance in Toronto at the Ontario Science Centre in this YouTube clip
https://youtu.be/2WOqCHejpoc
