I started skydiving because I loved the idea of freedom. – Felix Baumgartner, athlete
Hurtling toward Earth with nothing but a parachute on your back can be exhilarating with just a typical skydive.
But for one skydiver in Spain, he used his 43rd jump from a plane to capture the almost-15,000 foot drop on video,
Eric Finat Trepat is a trained daredevil, and he often posts his adventures to his more than 45,000 Instagram followers
But this jump, he said, was his “most impressive one.”
The video he shared quickly went viral as Finat Trepat hurtled through multiple cloud layers with varying climates: clear, cloudy, hot and cold, all above the city of Girona in Spain.
Eric Finat Trepat is excited for his next adventure. Photo by instagram/@ericfinat
But it was his plunge through a rain cloud that put him in the most danger, and gave him the most views.
Falling through a rain cloud has a lot of potential for something to go wrong, he said. There is little to no visibility to help you keep your orientation in the sky. In addition to not always knowing which direction you are falling, raindrops can be an issue when you’re going through them at high velocity.
A final concern is that it’s hard to judge when to deploy the parachute because judging the distance to the ground is hard with the cloud coverage.
Finat Trepat shows himself checking his altimeter multiple times during the video, making sure he has enough time between opening his parachute before hitting the ground.
The daredevil made it safely to the ground. His hope, Finat Trepat said, is that he can inspire others to take the plunge as well.
From left, Eric Finat Trepat begins his plummet through a rain cloud, before it finally opens up and he makes it through. Photos by Finat Trepat
“PS: To all of you who have asked me, don’t be afraid to take the step, it’s within your reach, you just have to open the door, jump and enjoy,” Finat Trepat said.
I haven’t taken away the urge to jump despite the fear of the other day, being on the edge of death has only made me stronger.”
This, he said, is still just the beginning of his skydiving adventures.
“There are still many countries that I’m looking forward to seeing from above, let’s go with it all,” Finat Trepat said.
Not to mention the goal of breaking the world record for the most free falls. The current champion is Alan Eustace, a 65-year-old former Google executive from the United States who jumped from 135,890 feet — over three times the normal cruising altitude of a passenger jet — in 2014. It took him 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, Finat Trepat made sure to pass on a few words of advice to fellow adventurers looking to attempt similar stunts — namely, that the sky’s the limit.
Watch his amazing descent through the clouds below.
