Wingsuit

A stuntman wearing a wingsuit invented by Tony Uragallo jumped from a helicopter and plunged 731 meters (almost half a mile) before crashing into a stack of cardboard boxes.

Reaching speeds of 130 kilometers an hour (80 miles per hour), Gary Connery became the first person to fall from the sky and land without using a parachute.

"The landing was so comfortable, so soft - my calculations obviously worked out and I'm glad they did," said the 42-year-old Connery, who has performed stunts in the Harry Potter, James Bond, Indiana Jones and Batman films.

Thousands gathered in a field in Oxfordshire, England to witness the event. The crash site was a runway of 18,600 cardboard boxes stacked 45 ft wide, 12 ft high and 350 ft in length.

“We thought it was crazy. It's one of the most amazing things I've ever seen in my life” commented renowned U.S. skydiver Jeb Corliss noting that Connery plunged headfirst into the landing.

"He is obviously totally bonkers. I'm relieved it's all over," remarked his wife Vivienne.

But inventor Tony Uragallo explained that his "bird" wingsuit technology (known as the Rebel TonySuit) can dramatically slow down the plunge. Connery also wore a special neck brace to reduce the risk of spinal cord injury while crashing headfirst into the boxes.