The jump — from the death-defying altitude of 25,000 feet — makes Aikins the only skydiver ever to go from plane to planet Earth without a parachute. Aikins is also a safety and training adviser for the United States Parachute Association and is certified to teach both students and skydiving instructors. ADVERTISEMENTLOS ANGELES — A 42-year-old skydiver with more than 18,000 jumps made history when he became the first person to survive a leap without a parachute. When his friend Chris Talley came up with the idea two years ago, Aikins acknowledged he turned it down cold. Aikins said he considered pulling out at that point because having the parachute canister on his back would make his landing in the net far more dangerous.

Source: Huffington Post July 31, 2016 18:33 UTC