Michel Fournier (adventurer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michel Fournier
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|---|---|
| Born | 9 May 1944 Treban (Allier), France |
| Allegiance |  France |
| Service/ |
Air Force |
| Rank | Colonel |
Michel Fournier, born on May 9, 1944, is a French adventurer. He is also a retired Air Force colonel. He has spent many years planning to break freefall jumping height records. So far, he has not been successful in completing one of these record attempts. He was born in Treban, a town in the Allier area of France.
Contents
Michel Fournier's Skydiving Adventures
Michel Fournier has a lot of experience with parachuting. According to his French biography, he has made over 8,700 jumps by 2011. He also claims to hold a French record for a high-altitude freefall. This jump was from 12,000 meters (about 7.5 miles) high.
However, some of his claims about his parachuting experience have been questioned. For example, the magazine Paramag and another skydiver, Patrick de Gayardon, raised doubts. No official organization has ever confirmed some of his record titles.
Aiming for the Sky: The Grand Saut Project
Fournier has tried several times to make a record-breaking freefall jump. He called his main project "Le Grand Saut," which means "The Big Jump."
Early Attempts and Challenges
In 1998, the French space agency chose Fournier for a special record jump. The goal was to see if astronauts could survive returning to Earth without a spacecraft. This project was soon canceled.
In 2003, Fournier tried his first jump funded by private money. But during the preparation, the balloon ripped. This stopped the attempt. The New York Times reported that Fournier spent nearly $20 million on his two private attempts. This shows how much effort and money went into these projects.
The 2008 and 2010 Attempts
Michel Fournier planned to carry out the Grand Saut project in May 2008. The plan was to go up to 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) in a balloon. Then, he would freefall for 34 kilometers (about 21 miles). He would open his parachute at 6 kilometers (about 3.7 miles) above the ground.
During this freefall, he hoped to go faster than the speed of sound. He aimed to reach speeds over 1,000 miles per hour (1,600 km/h). His freefall was expected to last about 15 minutes.
If he had succeeded, he would have broken several world records. One record was held by Joseph Kittinger. In 1960, Kittinger jumped from 31,333 meters (about 19.5 miles) as part of Project Excelsior. Another record was held by Yevgeny Andreyev from the Soviet Union. In 1962, Andreyev jumped from 24,483 meters (about 15.2 miles). This set the record for the longest freefall.
Fournier's jump was planned to happen over the wide plains of Saskatchewan, Canada. There were several delays because of bad weather. The attempt finally happened on May 27, 2008. However, the balloon came loose from its capsule while it was being filled with air. It then floated away without him.
Another attempt was made on May 16, 2010. This one also failed. During a test before launch, the skydiver's reserve parachute opened inside the capsule. This happened while the balloon was still being filled.
Further attempts were announced for May 2011, then delayed to August, and later postponed to 2012. These planned jumps did not take place.
See also
In Spanish: Michel Fournier para niños
