A leap of Faith: Getting High In Colorado!
Exploring future tech and long-held dreams Justin takes to the sky….well almost!
And so, I find myself dressed like Evil Knievel, strapped into a ticking time bomb, courtesy of the kind folk at Nat Geo Explorer and the lion-hearted adrenaline junkies at Apollo Jetpacks. My flying, or not flying in this case, is not my take away from this extraordinary experience, and not why I share… it got me thinking…
For as long as mankind can remember, we have looked to the skies and envied eagles, and dreamed of breaking free from the earth to ride the wind across the plains. The inherent dangers kept most at bay, but around fires and through the ages, intrepid minds have contemplated the seemingly impossible.
Although unwise, it was nevertheless an admirable spirit that drove the ‘proto explorers’ to the cliff’s edge; covered in honey and feathers, and short-lived for certain, they pushed the boundaries. In time, wiser minds took a turn; Leonardo di Vinci fashioned his dreams from taught linen and balsa, and although confined to the drawing board, his efforts, just like the tentative steps of our tribesman’s, brought the dream of personal flight closer to becoming reality.
To push the boundaries when faced with grave odds, to ignore the naysayers and keep on keeping on, propels science and our collective achievement. Without a doubt, it is the questioning minds, the brave and the bold, whose shoulders we stand on.
I resolve to start thinking bigger, think boldly because recognizing and acting on instinct drives the best in us. Someone once said. ‘What once thought impossible by one generation becomes the norm of the next? We are capable of great things if just we ask them of ourselves. So, I’ll ask more…
Here’s a few production shots and the full playout of the sequence.
Nat Geo Explorer: Where’s My Jetpack
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