Likewise Mike Hughes' tragic death. Hughes stated that the injuries suffered from the flight put him in a walker for two weeks. Hughes' team reported a maximum speed of 350mph (560km/h). The hard-working crew (left to right) Waldo Stakes, Steve Talbert (security), Mad Mike, Mike Hawkins (longtime friend of Mikes), Albert Okura (the mayor/owner of Amboy), Danny Bern (stalwart crew member) and Bill Inman (builder of his own steam-engine rockets). In the aftermath of Hughess death, many viewed it as the ultimate culmination of the dangers of pseudoscience, heavily criticizing the media, particularly the Science Channel, for giving oxygen to his views. Mad Mike Hughes died Saturday at age 64. Chapmans unfortunate footage captures the first parachute disconnecting shortlyafter the rocket began its ascent and then freefalling. He died while attempting to his homemade rocket in Amboy, California. The sun was unrelenting, with temperatures often exceeding 110 degrees. A risk that was too high. Daredevil Flat Earther 'Mad Mike' Hughes Dies When Self-Made Rocket Crashes He was known as Mad Mike Hughes. In contrast with a sober NASA launch vehicle, it sported a jaunty purple, orange, and white paint job and signage from sponsors, including a chain of Mexican chicken restaurants, an online dating app (Dating isnt rocket science), and companies offering crane, welding, and window-tinting services. How to Save Your Smartphones Battery Life. You can also sign up for our free print newsletter (US only). Email me with new blog posts by Danny Faulkner Blog: This site is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google But for me, at least, that would have freighted his death with more meaning than dying while freestyling into a crevasse or big-wave surfing. This is particularly true of those in the flat-earth movement who arent serious about the earth being flat. Its not clear how strongly he held the conviction, or if he really believed it at all. That launch seemed to go flawlessly, as the parachute remained intact and slowed his descent. He was 64. Two armed but unopened parachutes were still attached to the rocket when it came down. The National Library of Medicine describes Hughes' cause of death as a "rare congenital abnormality" that represents less than 3% of coronary anomalies. Rare Fugazi Live Footage Stitched Into New Movie to Screen One Night Only in Washington D.C. A$AP Rocky Wonders How to Break Violent Cycles in Hip-Hop on Tribute Single Same Problems', Adi Oasis Channels High Fashion and Euphoria in Video for Ovulation Anthem Multiply. Mike Hughes, a go-it-alone daredevil, limousine stunt driver and self-taught astronaut who professed to believe that the Earth was flat and who was known to supporters as Mad Mike, died in a . Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. According to a journal published in. Mike Huges died on 22 February 2020. I stayed away from the crew as the water pressure rose. That might be because no such category had existed until he contacted the record-keepers to ask if they would be interested. In 2017, Mike and Waldo trucked a new rocket deep into the Mojave Desert to a barren stretch of land near the tiny Route 66 outpost of Amboy. Why didnt we turn away? The tension was growing, and so, it seemed to me, was the possibility of a last-minute mistake. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office said, rocket crash off highway 247 in Barstow, California, on Saturday afternoon. Hughes defiantly stated that the dispute would not stop him from flying: "I'm a daredevil. Michael passed away of cause of death on month day 2008, at age 75 at death place, Florida. However, he holds the American nationality and white ethnical background. I knew that sending Mike into space would be far more dangerous than launching the steam rocket. What people need to realize is this is going to be the most-watched event in the history of mankind. Well, of course he got killed. Although Mike was a fine fabricator and an excellent mechanic, he knew nothing about rocketry, and he was constantly running up against his technical limitations. World of Wonder Productionsthe television company behind RuPauls Drag Raceevidently reached a similar conclusion and signed Mike and Waldo to a Science Channel reality show tentatively titled Homemade Astronauts. Dramatic video footage of the botched stunt posted on social media appears to indicate that there was a problem with his parachute. I took Mike aside and told him, Dont get in that rocket unless you feel comfortable. As it happened, the rocket wasnt ready to fly in time. Similarly, those who promote the flat-earth movement (primarily on the internet), particularly such stunts, bear some responsibility for Hughes death. The US is more alert to the risks of strep infections, but the UK has better data. Then, he planned to launch the rocket on the 10th of August 2019, which was postponed. I talked to a couple from Fountain Valley whose sons had met Waldo and Mike, and I hung for a bit with a pair of local firefighters whod seen something about the launch on social media. Then somebody muttered, You dont survive that., Although paramedics hustled to the crash, there was no official announcement. [3] Although a public promoter of the flat Earth model, following his death his public relations representative said that Hughes had only used flat Earth as a PR stunt to acquire funding for his rockets. The series was scheduled to air on the US Science Channel. Mike would have been just as dead if hed been killed trying to fly to space. Mad Mike died at the age of 64. The mayor/owner of Amboy, along with two of the three full-time residents. Mad Mike Hughes working on his steam-powered rocket before a test launch in Amboy, California, in August 2019. In the days leading up to the fatal crash, Discovery.com posted a video of Hughes showing off the rocket in his front yard. Privacy Policy and It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey, the TV network said in a statement. When Waldo scampered clear, I repositioned myself behind an EMS van for protection. Chute! He announced at that meeting that he was negotiating a deal with a TV network to cover his launch attempts. [16] The steam-powered rocket launched at a sharp angle to avoid falling back to Earth on public land, and landed about 1,500 feet (460m) away from the launch point. He authored the cartoon book, Whoops Airlines. This California farm kingdom holds a key, Six people, including mother and baby, killed in Tulare County; drug cartel suspected, These are the 101 best restaurants in Los Angeles, New Bay Area maps show hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater, Gina Lollobrigida, film star who conquered Italy, Hollywood and the world, dies at 95, Storm sets new L.A. rain records. Video posted online shows the exact moment Mad Mike Hughes homemade rocket came crashing down to Earth after a failed launch attempt, killing the self-styled daredevil. His rocket flew 1,374 feet over Winkelman, Arizona in just over one minute. Ill officially say that.. When he paused, a woman asked in a small, breathless voice: Is he OK? No, Waldo said flatly. The author interviewing Mike while the TV crew films, August 2019. To raise money and awareness, they plan to first launch Hughes 5,000 feet high in a steam-powered rocket., Hughes told Forbes in 2018, People think Im rich and Im making all this money off these rocket launches. But if it had been, Mike would have ignored my advice. [23], Following Hughes' death, Darren Shuster, his public relations representative, stated: "We used flat Earth as a PR stunt Flat Earth allowed us to get so much publicity that we kept going! 2023 Cond Nast. Fifty-fifty! That network was the Science Channel, and their cameras were at the fatal launch to record part of a series Homemade Astronauts, in which Hughes would star. The crowd was bigger than I expectedfour or five dozen peopleand a lot more varied. On September 28, 2002, he made into the Guinness Book of World Records after jumping 103 feet in a 6,500 ton Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine at Perris Auto Speedway. [22] The launch event was being filmed for the Science Channel television series Homemade Astronauts, in which Hughes was to star. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business, science to design. I knew, and I was there just the same. [27][28], Hughes was the main focus of the 2019 documentary Rocketman: Mad Mike's Mission to Prove the Flat-Earth. They were really going to light the candle. He gained support within the flat-Earth community in 2016. If those people promoting a flat earth for profit and dont believe the earth is flat had any decency, I would hope the death of Mike Hughes would cause them to stop. But because I was there, ostensibly covering the event as news even though I knewlike nearly everybody else watching the launchthat it was a pointlessly stupid stunt. Coronavirus Is Spreading And So Are the Hoaxes and Conspiracy Theories Around It. Although a public promoter of the flat Earth model, following his death his public relations representative said that Hughes had only used flat Earth as a PR stunt to acquire funding for his rockets. Michael Hughes (February 9, 1956 February 22, 2020), popularly known as "Mad" Mike Hughes, was an American limousine driver, professed flat-Earther, and daredevil known for flying in self-built steam rockets. There was no official anything. Daredevil 'Mad' Mike Hughes has died after launching himself into the air on a homemade rocket that later crash landed, possibly due to a parachute malfunction. It featured the homemade rocket engineers on their mission to prove that the Earth was flat, and shaped like a frisbee. The Science Channel show, Homemade Astronauts, documented three self-financed teams as they attempt to get a rocket into space on a shoestring budget. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. Ill feel it in the morning. So instead of floating gently to the ground, he crash-landed after a wild 11-second flight. Videos of the launch show that his parachute opened and detached from the rocket almost instantly, dooming Hughes to a high-velocity impact on the desert floor shortly after that. Last spring, Waldo called to tell me hed hatched a crazily ambitious plan: He wanted to send Mike into space. Waldo heard that somebody was trying to reprise Knievels spectacularly unsuccessful 1974 jump across Snake River Canyon in a steam-powered rocket. At least I enabled him. What did he expect? Science Channel wrote, "Michael 'Mad Mike' Hughes tragically passed away today during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket. Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes perishedwhen his steam-engined rocket crashed, https://twitter.com/_/status/1231336002175717376. Released in August 2019, this 94-minute documentary, co-directed by Toby Brusseau and Michael Linn, starred Mike Hughes, Waldo Sykes, Patrick Marchese. Mike, along with Waldo Strakes, built a homemade steam-powered rocket whose intention was to fly 5000 feet in the year. The Created Cosmos and The Expanse of Heaven, there is evidence that Hughes claimed to be a flat-earther as a publicity stunt. He soon acquired an interest in motorcycle racing. And we in the media enabled him. Mikes first launch, from a remote site near Winkelman, Arizona, in 2014, should have been his last. The more views that a site has, the more potential customers see the ads. His publicist, Darren Shuster, said Saturday that the flat Earth thing was a PR stunt we dreamed up to get publicity and attract sponsors for the rockets that the self-taught engineer made in his garage at his home in Apple Valley, Calif. For better or worse, he was totally committed to the project. A tire blew out. He shared a video on Twitter and said Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. He set a Guinness world record in 2002 when he jumped 103 foot in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. Hughes death just reinforced my mantra meaning, what are you willing to do if you believe in something so much? Mark Sargent, a self-described Flat Earth recruiter who was featured in the 2018 Netflix documentary Behind the Curve, tells Rolling Stone. They announced that Mike was dead on the spot after his rocket crashed in the open desert during their launch event. Hughes claimed to have achieved nearly 1,400 feet altitude in a similar craft in 2014, though there are some doubts about that flight. The 64-year-old American daredevil and flat Earth cons The risks seemed negligible. Even an itinerant desert rat and amateur snake expert who answered to the name King Daddy Master. I felt the hollow ache of nervous anticipation as Mike strapped on his helmet and climbed the stairs to the cockpit. Heres a timeline, Crusading vet treats some of L.A.s most cherished residents: The pets of skid row, The Times podcast: How the California GOP lost its national sway, Veterans claim anti-vet bias in Metros choice of muralist for a new VA station, California faces catastrophic flood dangers and a need to invest billions in protection, Caregiver sentenced to life in prison for unspeakable sexual abuse of disabled children. In 2002, daredevil Mad Mike Hughes successfully jumped a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine 103 feet at the Perris Auto Speedway in Riverside County. Death. I could run for governor and be a shoo-in. Mike's rocket on the truck bed used for transport. A generator wasnt making enough power. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Hughes' family and friends during this difficult time. But the more Waldo talked, the more credible the project sounded. But that project, while far-fetched, had some legitimate merits, whereas this was purely a PR stunt. Mad Mike Hughes died on February 22 when the parachutes on his homemade steam rocket failed to deploy and he augured into the sagebrush near Barstow, California, like a giant lawn dart plummeting at more than 300 miles per hour. [15], A successful launch on March 24, 2018, resulted in his reaching a height of 1,875 feet (572m) and a hard landing in the Mojave Desert. A heater core leaked. But if Mike was going to be flying it, then I figured I ought to cover the event. He self-made rockets, which he planned to fly into the outer space to prove flat-Earth conspiracy theories. When the rocket cleared the rail, it shifted to the right, as if it had been hip-checked by an rogue air current. Everybody lingered near the launch pad in a surreal state of shock and confusion. According to the BLM, after seeing some news articles about the planned launch, a BLM representative reached out to Hughes with concerns. While that landing was hard, Hughes said that he received no serious injuries. I believe the truth is worth taking risks for.. Theres a flowchart for that. Instead of Amboy, it would take place in a less remote spotwith cell phone service, hallelujah!eight miles south of Barstow. I figured that would be the end of it. Alaskas Arctic Waterways Are Turning a Foreboding Orange. In a press release shared by The Hollywood Reporter, Mike Hughes and Waldo Stakes are working on a manned rocket to space, designing what they call a rock-oon part rocket, part balloon that they hope to use to get Hughes to the Karman line, the border between Earths atmosphere and outer space, which is about 62 miles high. Daredevil and Amateur rocket-engineer, Mike Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020. Success! He seriously injured his back when a mountain of car tires intended to cushion his landing separated, and he crashed into a wall. It was always his dream to do this launch & Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey". Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes died during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket Saturday. He wanted to do something original, and he came up with the idea of jumping a limo, Brusseau said. Mike and Waldo were an odd couplea bantam rooster with a shock of gray-white hair and a solid redwood with tattooed biceps. In 1974, he turned pro, and in 1979, he became the top Ice Speedway motorcycle racer in the U.S., the biography says. Hughes famously launched himself nearly 1,900 feet upward in a homemade steam-powered rocket early in 2018. The UK Is Enduring an Onslaught of Scarlet Fever. For more than 250 years, mathematicians have wondered if the Euler equations might sometimes fail to describe a fluids flow.
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