UNDER
With Clare Lawrence Gary Connery is a professional stuntman, appearing in many films such as Harry Potter, James Bond and Johnny English. He is the man who landed a wing suit after jumping from a helicopter at 2,400 feet and was the stunt double for the Queen during the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics. You are the only person to have jumped from a helicopter without a parachute and survive. How did this come about? Landing without a parachute is the Holy Grail of jumping. Back in 2003/4, I did my first jump from an aircraft with a wing suit and realised I knew how to land it. In September 2011, I jumped several times in Walenstadt, Switzerland with a wing suit and confirmed I could land it, since I was able to fly through the narrow mouth of the gorge each time before releasing my parachute. I decided that I would go for it. If I didn’t do it and someone beat me to it, I would look in the mirror each morning and be destroyed. I spent eight months preparing for it before making the jump in May 2012 from 2,400 feet, landing safely on a runway of cardboard boxes. What emotions did you experience and what was the overall feeling from that day? It’s hard to explain the feelings from the day, the only way to find out is to do it for yourself! Everyone has a fear of jumping out of an aircraft, but everybody’s level of fear is different. I have a high threshold before reaching mine, but to some people the same fear may be felt removing a spider from the bath.
Being the Queen’s double at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Olympic Games must have been thrilling. What was it like doing a jump live on TV?
No, although the idea may initially have come from this. The first wing suits were designed back in the 1930´s, but like all things, they have evolved over time into the suits we have today. How did you get started as a stuntman? As a young boy, I saw my father come home from work unhappy because he didn’t like his job and I realised then (I was only about 7) that I wanted a job I enjoyed. Throughout my childhood I watched films such as James Bond and wanted to be a stunt man. As I grew up, I kayaked with the British Junior Team and was heavily involved with ski racing. I met someone on the stunt register, who advised me what I needed to do to become a stuntman and so I set about achieving the 6 sport qualifications necessary. Once qualified, I put my name on the stunt register.
Do you drive a fast car or bike in your personal life?
Very different from the TV and film work I am used to where you can re-record as often as needed. I practised the jump beforehand, but the tension was very different on the night, knowing that an estimated 1.4 billion were watching around the world, it was high pressured and I wanted to do a good job.
Yes, I have two motorbikes, a Yamaha R6 and a 1200 Suzuki Bandit, which is unique and has a fantastic paint job.
Did you get to watch the rest of the ceremony?
No one had done it before and I wanted to do something in support of the Dalai Lama in Tibet. Like all things, you start out with small steps and gain experience. This jump, as all of mine are, was calculated and thoroughly thought out.
Once I had landed, I got de-rigged, changed into my own clothes and took my allocated seat in the stadium. Although I only got to see the last 10 minutes or so, the atmosphere was electric and it was a great feeling to know that everybody had seen my jump but no-one knew it was me.
R A C A T S CO
The wing suits are amazing. They look similar to the 'winglets' that some mammals have that enable them to glide from tree to tree. Is that what the technology is based on?
GARY CONNERY
You jumped from Nelson’s Column, which is considered a low base jump at 151 foot from the platform. It sounds like a crazy thing to do. Why?
T E N . R
E D TRA
You have done stunts for films including James Bond, Indiana Jones, Batman Begins. Were many of these using cars or bikes?
Not really, if someone is needed for car and bikes stunts, there are people on the stunt register who are better at these than me, having taken part in the Motocross GP for example and so are usually chosen. I aim to change this with my lastest world record attempt. (See later)
Have you had any injuries whilst doing your stunts? I am very careful and have never broken a limb. I find it tends to be your down time when injuries occur, since you are not so focused. For example, after the wing suit jump I came away completely unscathed, but while we were cleaning up the landing area, I picked up a coke can and sliced my finger open! Where do you go from here? I have another landing project in the pipeline, with a twist, I can’t say any more at this time, but watch this space! Later this year I am going to attempt to break the land speed record in a 2500bhp Keating Supercar. Hopefully capable of 360mph, we are aiming for a peak speed of 300mph which will smash the current record held by the Bugatti Veyron at 268mph. Thank you Gary and we wish you every success with your coming projects. You can see Gary’s videos and find out more at his website: www.garyconnery.com
READ ON-LINE WWW.COSTACARTRADER.NET OR FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK
13