Franz Reichelt’s Fatal Jump

Franz Reichelt’s Death Jump

Franz Reichelt’s Death Jump off the Eiffel Tower (1912) | British Pathé | Video

Franz Reichelt - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia

In 1912, Franz Reichelt, a successful tailor known as the "Birdman," climbed the Eiffel Tower to test a revolutionary invention. He had designed a "parachute suit" intended to save the lives of early aviators in the event of an emergency. Despite warnings and a frozen landing zone on the Champ de Mars, Reichelt remained confident in his design. This rare historical footage captures the somber moment of his experiment, which ultimately failed to deploy at the low altitude of 57 meters (187 ft). |

Parachute pioneer Franz Reichelt dressed in parachute suit standing...

February 4, 1912. Paris, France. Inventor Franz Reichelt climbed the first platform of the Eiffel Tower wearing a homemade parachute suit he believed would allow him to fly. For years, he had been convinced his design could slow a human fall. French authorities had granted permission for a test, on the condition it be done using a mannequin. Reichelt ignored this. In front of journalists, photographers, and onlookers, he insisted on jumping himself. Witnesses later described him pacing at the ed