Talk:Michel Fournier (adventurer)

Le Grand Saut
Since Felix Baumgartner's record breaking sky dive for Red Bull Stratos in October 2012, we've accumulated a lot of data about stratospheric dives. We now know what speeds are attained during such a dive, when the deceleration phase starts and how the speed reduces as air pressure builds on descent.

The article about Le Grand Saut, suggests that Michel Fournier would reach 1,000 miles per hour (1,600 km/h) and his freefall was expected to last 15 minutes from a height of 40 kilometres (25 mi) in a balloon and freefall 34 kilometres (21 mi) to earth before opening his parachute at 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) to go. This is not entirely correct.

Red Bull Stratos reached a final altitude of 38,969 m (Bad rounding here 130,000 ft) (23.3884 miles). Baumgartner broke the unofficial record for the highest manned balloon flight of 37,640 m (123,491 ft) previously set by Nicholas Piantanida. The maximum speed that Baumgartner reached was 1,357.64 km/h (843.6 mph)—Mach 1.25

Therefore we can conclude that even with the extra 1000 metres altitude, it is highly unlikely that Fournier would reach 1,000 miles per hour. Furthermore, we know that Baumgartner's jump lasted only 4 minutes 20 seconds in freefall and another 5 minutes of controlled parachute descent. Therefore we know that it was impossible for Fournier to be in freefall for 15 minutes. Indeed, if Fournier had opened at 6km or 20,000 feet it is likely that his freefall would have been no more than 3 minutes 13 seconds.

We can figure this out:

The extra 1,000 metres would give an extra 8 seconds at the high speed section of the jump. The rest of the jump parameters would be the same as Baumgartner, except that Baumgartner opened at 5,000 feet. At low altitude the descent rate is approximately 5 seconds for every 1,000 feet. So if Fournier opened his canopy 15,000 feet earlier than Baumgartner, then that is 5 x 15 = 75 seconds.

Therefore, if Baumgartner took 4 minutes 20 seconds to reach 5,000 feet, then add the extra height = 4 minutes 28 seconds, then deduct the 75 seconds of lost freefall. This brings the total to 3 minutes 13 seconds in freefall and no where near the 15 minutes that was claimed on the CBC broadcast. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Nigelpwsmith (talk • contribs) 23:59, 4 December 2013 (UTC)