[tzs]

I'm not sure about the fastest free fall part--how is free fall defined for purposes of this record? In particular, how does the record not belong to Bill Weaver, the test pilot whose SR-71 disintegrated at Mach 3.18?

Here's his account of the incident: http://www.barthworks.com/aviation/sr71breakup.htm

[lloyddobbler]

Now that's a freakin' cool article!

Freefall is generally defined in terms of vertical speed.

If you exit a DeHavilland Twin Otter that's doing 90 knots forward speed, yes, you get "forward throw" from the plane...but you still have to accelerate vertically before reaching terminal velocity. As a skydiver flying on your belly in an arched position, you usually fall at ~5 seconds per 1000 feet...excepting the first 1000 feet, which takes ~10 seconds to fall as you move from 0 vertical speed to 120mph.

(It's that age-old physics problem of whether the forward speed of a projectile has an effect on its downward velocity.)

[fudged71]

Don't world record attempts need to be supervised and checked for authenticity? /couldbewrong

[calibwam]

He didn't survive, which is a requisite to get a record.

[carbocation]

Then how did he write a firsthand account?

[georgemcbay]

ghostblogging. It is the hottest new trend in the Valley.

[carbocation]

I must say, I do subscribe to Tupac's ghost-podcast.