Bangladeshi skydiver Ashik Chowdhury makes record jump from 41,000 feet
He said he plans to set a new Guinness record by parachuting with 70 other jumpers carrying the national flag
Investment banker Ashik Chowdhury, who is also a skydiving enthusiast from Bangladesh, made a record jump from 41,000 feet.
In May this year, Ashik Chowdhury told The Business Standard he plans to set a Guinness World Record of jumping from 41,000 feet holding aloft the Bangladesh flag.
He told The Daily Star that he ended up landing about 200-300 metres away from the planned drop zone, in the middle of a paddy field.
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"...Due to the high altitude and the added complexity of jumping with a flag, we couldn't visually identify the landing area until the parachute was opened. This resulted in landing much farther from the target."
He also said he plans to set a new Guinness record by parachuting with 70 other jumpers carrying the national flag.
"The plan includes a total of 71 jumpers, myself included. The current record stands at 25. We are trying to more than double that number, but this requires significant coordination, especially with the military and air forces, as we need their support to organise such a large-scale event," Ashik, who has done 30 jumps since 2012, said.
The highest jump ever was made from space, first in 2012 by Felix Baumgartner at 127,852 feet, and then by Alan Eustace two years later at above 135,889 feet. Both jumpers used helium balloons.
But 41,000 feet is the highest ceiling for any commercial aircraft; only spy planes and fighter jets can go beyond that height. Above 36,000 feet, it is deemed as the stratosphere.
"So, the record is the largest flag flown in the stratosphere. That's the record I'm trying to attempt," Chowdhury said.
