Man jumps from plane without parachute, uses wingsuit instead (video)

Gary Connery in world's first skydive without parachute

A stuntman is thought to have become the first person to jump out of a helicopter and land safely without deploying a parachute.

Gary Connery, 42, used a "wingsuit" to make his descent from 2,400ft (730m) above Oxfordshire.

The 42-year-old said he felt "elated" after landing on a pile of 18,600 cardboard boxes.

He was fitted with a parachute for the jump, which saw him accelerate to 80mph, but it was not deployed.

The entire flight took less than a minute to complete.

During the flight, father-of-two Mr Connery dropped for three seconds before his suit "started to fly".
'Plotting challenge'

He used a landing strip of cardboard boxes, known as a box rig, covering about 350ft (100m) by 45ft (15m).

Cameraman Mark Sutton also jumped from the helicopter in a wingsuit but deployed a parachute before landing.

Minutes after landing, Mr Connery said: "I feel incredible, just completely elated.

[link to www.bbc.co.uk]