DAREDEVIL HOPS CHANNEL A daredevil has successfully jumped across the Channel using a pair of tiny fibre glass wings - but the unconventional flight almost ended in disaster.
Felix Baumgartner jumped out of a plane at 10,000m and successfully glided the 22 miles from Dover to Calais in just over six minutes.
But one member of his support crew in an auxillary plane filming the stunt did not have such an easy ride.
The plane flew higher than the expected 9000m because of good conditions and due to lack of oxygen the crewman was left desperately short of breath and came close to passing out.
Just after touching down on cliffs near to Calais, Mr Baumgartner told Sky News: "It was pretty cold up there.
"I still can't feel anything. But I made it, which is great.
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Top speed He said cloud cover meant he could not see where he was going and had to follow his two planes across the Channel.
"For the last 2,000m I could see the other side and I knew I was going to make it," he said.
The Austrian reached speeds of up to 220mph during the crossing.
As well as performing 25 practice jumps, Mr Baumgartner strapped himself to the top of a speeding Porsche 911 to test the aerodynamics of his equipment in preparation for the Channel hop.
Base jumping Mr Baumgartner is already famous for his base jumping exploits - freefalling from a tall building, structure or cliff.
His previous stunts include base jumping from the Forth Bridge in Edinburgh and the giant statue of Christ The Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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To infinity.... and beyond!
