Extreme athlete Major Alastair Macartney will throw himself off a 2,000ft cliff this weekend in a bid to be crowned World Champion.
The daredevil, Team Leader of The Royal British Legion Extreme Human Flight Team, Jump4Heroes, will be racing head to head against professional athletes in this wingsuit BASE jumping World Cup.
Major Macartney will be clad in a wingsuit, commonly referred to as a Squirrel suit, and will be flying forward at speeds in excess of 100 mph. The wingsuit, clad in Poppy logos, allows him to use his body as an aerofoil and cover huge horizontal distances. He will have to fly 1.2 Km in freefall in under 20 seconds, open his parachute and have a safe, accurate landing in order to be a medal contender.
The World Cup is being held at Lauterbrunnen in a mountain range close to the infamous Eiger. Two athletes will leap from the 2,000ft high plateau racing head-to-head. The first to cross the finish line will go through to the next round; it’s a knock out competition. This is hardcore extreme BASE jumping at it’s peak and the best of the best Extreme Sports Athletes in the World will be there. Major Macartney is the only UK athlete to have been selected to compete at this prestigious level.
Major Macartney has been competing in skydiving at World level for 12 years. Despite being a talented skydiving and BASE jumping athlete he has never entered this type of competition before. However his advanced flying skills mean he is heavily tipped by his rivals and peers to be stood proud on the podium.
As the Team Leader of The Royal British Legion Extreme Human Flight Team, Jump4Heroes, Major Macartney’s equipment is emblazoned with Poppy logos. Major Macartney said "It is a great honour to be the only athlete to have been selected to represent UK at this World Cup. It is an even greater honour to do so flying The Royal British Legion colours in an early Remembrance Day tribute. Taking extreme risks to help raise awareness for the forthcoming Poppy Appeal is nothing compared to what the Troops in Afghanistan are doing right now. The Royal British Legion spend over a million pounds a week supporting current and former servicemen. I just hope that we can get a bit of awareness for them and provide assistance as they vitally need support."
Last weekend Major Macartney skydived with war hero and double amputee Ben Parkinson. Jump4Heroes have been integral in getting Ben, the worst injured soldier to survive in Afghanistan, into the air and teaching him to skydive.
Jump4Heroes
Jump4Heroes are The Royal British Legion Extreme Human Flight Team and consist of Deane Smith, Spencer Hogg and Alastair Macartney. All serving members of the British Army and experienced skydivers, the team carry out extreme projects, related to parachuting, canopy flight or BASE jumping. Past jumps include BASE jumping from the North face of the Eiger and setting a World Record for the most jumps in 24 hours from the KL Tower in Malaysia. Jump4Heroes support charities that help the Armed Forces, increasing the publics awareness of theses charities.
For more information on Jump4Heroes visit www.jump4heroes.com
Follow Jump4Heros on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jump4heroes