An umbrella might not sound like the most daring of items, but when you use one to descend thousands of feet in the air from a hot air balloon, it’s a slightly different matter.
Professional adrenaline junkie Erik Roner tried to recreate the famous scene from Mary Poppins in a promotional video for GoPro Camera.
‘I’m hanging out under an umbrella under a hot air balloon. I’m going to see if an umbrella actually slows you down, like Mary Poppins does,’ he said, before being disconnected from the balloon.
‘What am I thinking?’
The specially-modified umbrella allowed Roner to glide for several seconds before being torn apart by strong winds, forcing him to deploy his parachute for a safe landing in California.
‘You’re welcome, science,’ he said after landing. ‘That was a big step forward. Nasa’s going to be able to use that one for years to come. Thanks for the idea, Mary Poppins.’
