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Can an Umbrella Really Slow You Down When Falling From the Sky? This Guy Tried and Filmed It

Mar. 1, 2013 4:46pm Liz Klimas

Mary Poppins can do it, so why can’t extreme sportsman Erik Roner?

Sponsored by GoPro — the body-mounted camera that’s given us so many point-of-view videos of skydives, seagull theft/flight and motorcycle accidents — Roner jumps from a hot air balloon to see if the giant umbrella he’s holding will slow him down enough when he’s who knows how many feet above ground.

GoPro Films Trying to Skydiving With an Umbrella Like Mary Poppins

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

At one point even though it appears to be an industrial strength umbrella, the cloth flops upward, confirming what we always knew: it didn’t work when you jumped off your front porch steps and it didn’t work now.

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Roner hangs on for a few more minutes but eventually lets go of the metal and finishes the jump skydive style.

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

Aftermath (Image: YouTube screenshot)

Watch the footage, which was all taken with GoPro Heros:

(H/T: Gizmodo)

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Comments (62)

pi
Posted on March 3, 2013 at 10:52am
Did everyone flunk physics 101

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- chingachgook
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 12:18am
  Hey any skydiver realizes that the umbrella will not work. This was just a stunt. They knew exactly what would happen. Even if the umbrella was larger enough you still need a hole in the top to stabilize it. Like I said just something to do while skydiving.
  
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- G-WHIZ
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 11:31am
  1–I was waiting for it to flip-inside-out as they all do inna windstorm.
  2–WHAT A WOOSSIE!! He switched to a parachute after a few minutes!!
  
  Report this comment
kadster01
Posted on March 2, 2013 at 9:09pm
Even if the umbrella were strong enough, I just picture the wind current whipping it sideways at some point. Seems a pretty stupid thing to try. Jumped a lotta ramps on my bicycle as a kid. That’s the closest I came to attempting flight. Evel Knievel was my hero.

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TakeBackUSA
Posted on March 2, 2013 at 5:26pm
Back in the 60′s, I and my older sisters…(yes, I was the test pilot… : )) fashioned a harness and parachute. We based it on pictures and material that my Navy fighter-pilot dad had in his chest of goodies from the war. I remember that it was a durable harness using webbing, but the chute, probably about 15 ft. in diameter, was made of heavier material of questionable strength. A dry run convinced us that going off the roof would not give us…read that, ME…enough time to get it open. We settled on having me jump out of a tree on the upper rim of a large valley – park area that went through the town. Naturally, we picked a windy day, and made our way to the designated launch point
As soon as I made my triumphant leap, one of the ropes securing the chute to the harness wrapped around my neck. As I hit the first of several limbs below me, I shook that off to avoid strangulation. I actually did open the chute for a few seconds before it caught another limb, and I went crashing through the roof of the skate house in the park. I was stuck there until the Redford Township fire department could free me. I had one broken leg, and a broken collarbone, along with many cuts and bruises. I was wearing my dad’s leather flight cap and goggles, so that probably saved me from some injuries. Boy, those were the good old days…you could dream and if you survived, you were the hero of the neighborhood. to hell with the PC police!

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- steve-in-pa
  Posted on March 2, 2013 at 7:49pm
  Awesome story! Now a days liberal school administrators consider tag a little too dangerous for recess. Evil Knievel was my hero back then. Every kid on the block was inside on Saturday afternoon if a jump was on! After watching the jump on TV, every kid on the block was trying to jump anything that did not move( and some that did)! My parents being in the medical field came in handy, I never had to wait in the ER.
  
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- TakeBackUSA
  Posted on March 2, 2013 at 10:17pm
  @steve-in-pa
  
  …well that was convenient to have your own personal EMT! With six kids in the family, and so much exploring to do in the “deep jungles” of that park, we were forever in need of a quick patch-up.
  
  Report this comment
- napoleon_solo
  Posted on March 3, 2013 at 11:49am
  Bravo! What it used to be like to be an American kid.
  
  Report this comment
- iwitnis
  Posted on March 3, 2013 at 12:02pm
  what an awesome experience to share with us…did my foolish things too, and am still alive and happy to be able to share my acquired common sense with others! really, that was a cool post!
  
  Report this comment
- TakeBackUSA
  Posted on March 3, 2013 at 12:56pm
  Thank you for your comments
  …and when you think about it, that’s what is wrong with many kids today. They are so wrapped up in their techno-lives, even at that age (I was eleven), that it leaves no room for imagination to take over. Add to that the fact that parents and others often don’t have the time or ability to nurture and guide their activities, and it leads to, in my mind, a rather boring childhood. I guess it never occurred to me NOT to share my adventures and “acquired skills” of those times with my sons…so that they could blaze their own trails in what interested them the most. Of course, I wanted to be an astronaut, and this happened in the Spring of ’67′, after the Apollo 1 fire. It made me more determined than ever to soar above the earth.
  Teach and encourage your children to think and dream…it’s the only thing that will save this country from being like any other.
  
  Report this comment
- cptenn94
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 2:55am
  Im envy you….you got to experiance freedom. If you did dumb stuff, and got hurt, then you got patched up and went and did more stuff….Nowadays, if you do stuff like that, you get hit with all sorts of fines, and get in huge trouble, and then child services show up.
  
  I got to enjoy some freedom as a kid, but none of what my dad and your generation got.
  Also i read your later post….its not just that kids are just stuck and addicted to video games, but that they are not able to let their imaginations go free. If a kid these days tried what you did, they would likely be taken away from their parents, because the parents were”neglectful”
  
  So simply restore freedom, and the kids will start to go back outside. But because of all these laws and regulations, it can be difficult to find creative things to do.
  
  Read these 2 articles….and you will see part of why kids are on the video games….
  http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/11/07/potty-training-toddler-pees-in-front-yard-mother-gets-fined-2500-for-public-urination/
  http://www.omaha.com/article/20110802/NEWS01/708029866
  
  So im just saying from my experiance, this is part of why it was tough to do creative stuff outside.
  
  The other reasons kids are on the games are because it is a constant competition, and because it is what all their friends do.
  
  I know i wouldve enjoyed being outside more if my friends di more stuff outside…(though i was outside alot)Reduce these laws, and this nanny state stuff, and kid
  
  Report this comment
- cptenn94
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 3:13am
  Never mind….dont pay much attention to my previous post. What you proposed in your other comment is a great solution. Part of why i was outside alot, was because my parents had us go outside, and play. We did it because it was fun, and because they encouraged it. Todays parents are becoming distant people, who do not keep an active role in their kids life. They just kinda buy stuff here and there, and let their kids do whatever.
  
  Anyways I had great parents, and thanks for sharing your story. I enjoy listening to these kind of stories, and I hope that one day, my future kids will be able to have stories of their own like this. Im very concerned over this rapid loss of freedom, and the increasing regulations, and this growing nanny state.
  
  Also, just so you know where I am coming from, I am a college student at the moment.
  
  Anyways, have a great day, you seem like a swell guy, and as long as it stands, may God bless America, and all its people.
  
  Report this comment
- TakeBackUSA
  Posted on March 4, 2013 at 8:54am
  @cptenn94
  
  How true with the lemonade stand story. If we can’t teach our kids to be independent and able to do for themselves, there’s not a lot left to work with. I think of the story a few years ago…in Phoenix, I think. A person was just standing out in a public area, passing out bottled water to anyone that wanted one, on a very warm day (they don’t say HOT out there). The city put an end to that one.
  
  My parents always taught me to be respectful of authority, These days, I don’t see how you can do that. There are just so many agendas that conflict with even basic humanity that we’re losing the capacity to realize our dreams or to help others do the same.
  
  Report this comment
tlhonmey
Posted on March 2, 2013 at 1:53pm
Slow you down? Yes.

Slow you down enough to not go “splat”? Nope.

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Comcast3
Posted on March 2, 2013 at 1:07pm
Bet this guy is an obama, supporter. Genius.

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THE EQUALIZER
Posted on March 2, 2013 at 11:09am
Brainless dorks.

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- RedRay777
  Posted on March 2, 2013 at 1:57pm
  Oh hve some fun, even most demokrats would realize it was doomed to failure. Gut it was fun to see someone try it out.
  
  Also, I can imagine that Mary Poppins’ real name was Alice.
  
  Report this comment
steve-in-pa
Posted on March 2, 2013 at 7:35am
Anyone who was a ten year old kid can tell you the answer… no, and garbage bags don’t work either.

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- Bum thrower
  Posted on March 2, 2013 at 8:04am
  Don’t try it with baloons tied to a lawn chair, either.
  
  Report this comment
- grimmster
  Posted on March 2, 2013 at 1:32pm
  @Steve.
  You forgot about sheets as well,tried them all when i was a kid,from the apex of our roof,none worked, and no broken bones…….even fools get lucky ;p
  
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- steve-in-pa
  Posted on March 2, 2013 at 8:02pm
  I forgot about the sheet incident, Mom was not that happy when i cut the hole in the middle of her sheet just like a real parachute has. But hay, if it worked for GI Joe (with the kung fu grip) in small scale it should work for me. I think i was a ghost that year for Halloween,lol.
  
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Anna Fallaxis
Posted on March 2, 2013 at 7:26am
We all dreamed of doing this as kids. I stood out in the yard with an umbrella during a hurricane in 1960 when I was 9 years old and probably weighed 60 lbs. Wrecked my Dad’s umbrella but it was FUN!

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ImMadAsHell
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 10:55pm
Mythbuster BUSTED

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CorePatriot
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 9:12pm
I’d say the umbrella would have to be about the size of… uh let’s see… A PARACHUTE! to work.

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suz
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 8:34pm
if they perfect this; created a seriously durable all-in-one flexible portable, “office” product, think of all the victims who jumped out of the towers, how their lives could have been saved.

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- CorePatriot
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 9:19pm
  Hey Suz, they have them already. there like backpacks though and the umbrella is all stuffed inside real tight ya see. you jup and pull on a cord and it pops out! crazy huh?
  
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loneindividual
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 8:22pm
….I can improve that umbrella’s design!

Just reinforce the fabric & supports. :)

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- ScottyJ
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 9:07pm
  It sounds like a fun project…we all know it works with a parachute so, in theory, the right-sized umbrella would work. Ribs on the top side, instead of underneath. Stuff like that. It comes down to how big of an umbrella would it have to be or how small of a parachute would it have to be? Any math gurus care to take a shot?
  
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- Your Name Here
  Posted on March 2, 2013 at 11:39am
  I’d like to see him try again and put some support lines from the tips of the ribs to the bottom of the pole to stop the umbrella from trurning inside out.
  The umbrella is similar to the old T-20 round parachute but a lot smaller.
  As to why would anyone try this… because he can.
  You should see videos of skydivers jumping with a raft or kiddie pool.
  
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libh8er
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 8:21pm
The umbrella no doubt was made in China

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wilbstal
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 7:50pm
I did that at age 9 yrs old from 17 feet out of my granfathers barn hay loft. The umbrella I had immediately folded upward , and I free fell 16 feet cutting my tongue, lose tooth hurt legs and knees. I recovered but never tried that again.

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KickinBack
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 6:29pm
For the “This isn’t news” whiners. I’ll put it into perspective…

The guy jumping = The economy

The umbrella = QE3 (or 4 or 5 or however many more)

There’s your news.

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- Eastinfection
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 6:35pm
  perfect analogy!
  
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- woodyee
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 7:44pm
  Brevity is the soul of wit – well-played Kickinback! I’d like to humbly add –
  
  The guys in the balloon = The gobblement
  
  The guys on the ground that all the falling $h1t is going to hit = YOU…and me…
  
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- Stoic one
  Posted on March 2, 2013 at 9:49am
  Good !
  
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mbck1491
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 6:26pm
I got a chuckle from this. How many of us as kids didn’t try this with a rain umbrella jumping from five feet off of our jungle gym in the back yard? It obviously didn’t work, but nothing ventured nothing gained. That was back in the early 80′s when I tried that. I don’t remember, but I must have just finished watching Mary Poppins before I tried that stunt.

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- mensaman62
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 7:35pm
  Yup! I did that back in the day although a little earlier than you…early ’70s here.
  
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N37BU6
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 6:15pm
Well, of course it will slow you down… the headline is pretty stupid.

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DZ-015
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 6:08pm
Even Leonardo da Vinci figured out that lines from the four corners of his pyramidal parachute were required in order to prevent what happened in the video.

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1GirlUSA
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:38pm
This only works if you are Mary Poppin’s…. It must be a slow news day.

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- Your Name Here
  Posted on March 2, 2013 at 11:32am
  Don’t forget “The Flying Nun”.
  
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Eastinfection
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:32pm
All this proved was that his umbrella sucked. Until his crappy umbrella failed, the hypothesis was proven…. because it slowed him down.

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media-bias-steals-elections
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:07pm
Why would you want to use clear legal language absent of abmiguous terms and conditions? Why would you want to try an umbrella that is difficult to create because the physical design of a uni-directional metal, is an inferior mechanism to braided rope, which lends strength in multiple directions, preventing the possiblity of failure in any one particular direction?

He’s lucky that umbrella did not interfere with his parachute, because the abmiguous nature of a weak design, stacked the odds in his favor he would not survive if he was not more careful? Is it really necessary to risk you life, when we have computer animation, that prevents ambigous terms?

Don’t worry, parents are camping out over night for commy care at the age of 4? The benefits of education are clear, who ever writes laws for state legislatures and members of Congress, can do better than this? If we get in trouble, we want a parachute, not an umbrella? Commy care at the age of 4 is meaningless, other than to get the kid out of the house, when leadership writes bad law?

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- JRook
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:17pm
  Commy care. If pre-school was so meaningless and worthless, why would the wealthy agonize and fight over getting their children into the “right” private pre-school? Or is it just something that benefits the kids from wealthy families. Or rather is it the economics that they primarily benefit from. Be careful as you might end up proven the exact thing your ideology will not let you accept.
  
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- NHwinter
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:50pm
  JRook – do you really think commy care will ever compare to private early child care? It is only a way to indoctrinate children at a very early age to a socialist agenda. Better to leave early education up to loving parents.
  
  Report this comment
- WarMunger_Al
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:57pm
  rook-
  you answered your own question. Private school. not controlled by moronic liberal communists like yourself.
  
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The-Monk
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:03pm
Was this part of a resume for a job at Mythbusters?

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Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:02pm
Hey, it works in Looney Toons, and thats the time we are living in

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- RIDEMODELS
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:52pm
  Dang it…You beat me to it…Good one.
  
  But I dont believe that Drag Queen Fashion Show UFC fights are all that looney….Its just another bunch of fruitcakes no one will want for xmas.
  
  Report this comment
Chartanye
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:00pm
How many millions of people are out of work? Are we still 16.5 trillion dollars in debt? Couldn’t find any news to report? A guy jumping out of a plane with an umbrella = news? Wake up dumb-ass!

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- Polarized America
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:08pm
  How many millions of people are out of work? Are we still 16.5 trillion dollars in debt?
  
  that’s yesterdays news and tomorrow it will be worse…there,..are you satisfied now ?
  
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- KickinBack
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 6:26pm
  170 million. Duh.
  
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- napoleon_solo
  Posted on March 3, 2013 at 12:02pm
  Start a news outlet and report it if you are so damn upset. Stop demanding to be serviced.
  
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SREGN
Posted on March 1, 2013 at 4:58pm
You’ve just shattered the dreams of children everywhere, and a few drunk rednecks.

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- DougHuffman
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:07pm
  “Hold muh beer!”
  
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- moreteaplease
  Posted on March 1, 2013 at 5:08pm
  There go my plans for this weekend…
  
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- circleDwagons
  Posted on March 2, 2013 at 11:37am
  The rednecks will just use more duct tape and will be OK
  
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