Meteorologist From Wyoming Jumps 38,000 Ft to Set a World Record in Skydiving

The meteorologist from Cowboy State Daily has taken up an extraordinary challenge engaging in a world skydiving record attempt. In the process, Don Day played a crucial role in ensuring the safe and successful execution of the mission. 

Having a core and extensive knowledge of weather as well as hot air balloons, helped him to secure a spot in becoming an important member of the mission control team. The article traces the thrilling experience of Day from the world’s largest hot air balloon. 

High-altitude skydiving challenge with charitable endeavor

The four-man skydiving team including Day pursued an exceptional endeavor of attempting a HALO (high-altitude, low-opening) at an astonishing height of 38,067 feet. His responsibility revolved around carrying out experiments keeping track of balloon metrics while monitoring the vital statistics up in the air.

Read More: “Just Nothing Like It” – 94-Year-Old Jumps 13,000 Feet to Experience the Thrill of Skydiving for the Very First Time

Apart from setting the world record, there prevailed a charitable mission behind this daring move. Funded by real estate mogul Larry Conner, the skydiving feat aimed at raising $1 million on behalf of the Special Operations Warrior Fund. This charitable organization supports the spouses and children of the parachute specialists who lost their life in action.

Day proceeded to provide a glimpse of the adventurous feat with Cowboy State Daily, “As we get higher and higher, there’s less air, and you need the air for combustion because you’re burning propane. So, we had to make some adjustments to how the balloon was flown at those higher altitudes than in the lower ones, and the skydivers had to adapt to cold temperatures and lower oxygen levels.”

Hindrances in the sky and Day’s extraordinary legacy

The vehicle that Day and his team relied on to rise at enormous altitudes was a hot air balloon that was customized and holds the record of the largest balloon ever built in the United States. The gigantic dimension of 560,000 square feet with a height of 120 feet, it was seven times larger as compared to any ordinary hot air balloon. 

Even after such grandeur, there existed challenges to ensure adequate combustion at high altitudes leading to low oxygen levels. For the members, the hot air balloon posed dreadful challenges including exposure to freezing temperatures and low oxygen levels enhancing risks of hypoxia.

Although Day held a notable record being part of previous skydiving feats including space jump and freefall, the prior adventures comprised enough precautionary measures like spaced suits and pressurized capsules. The recent New Mexico jump apart from a unique skydiving experience aimed at executing a safe and successful mission. 

The remarkable achievement has been a result of immaculate expertise and meticulous planning amalgamated altogether. Having a charitable cause intertwined with the mission undermined the power of resilience and determination taking the high-altitude endeavor to the pinnacle of success. 

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