Clem Sohn
Encyclopedia
Clement Joseph Sohn was an airshow
dare-devil
in the 1930s from Fowler
, Michigan
, USA
. He perfected a way of gliding
through the air with a home-made wingsuit. He had himself dropped from an airplane at a height of approximately 6000 meters, and would glide down until he was only 300 to 250 meters from the ground, at which point he would open his parachute
for the final descent.
He made the wings from zephyr cloth
mounted on steel tubes, forming a large web under each arm which was clasped to his hips. A feature of the wings was a device to prevent them from opening out too far and ripping his arms from their sockets. A loose cloth formed another web between his legs, which acted like a bird's tail. His large goggles gave him an appearance which led to his becoming known as "The Batman" or "The Batwing Jumper".
Clem was badly injured during the opening ceremony of Gatwick Aerodrome, in London
, England
, when his primary parachute
tangled in his wings. He broke his shoulder on landing, after opening his emergency parachute at an altitude
of only 60 meters.
Sohn's career came to an end on April 25, 1937, in Vincennes
, France
. Before taking off, Clem had remarked, "I feel as safe as you would in your grandmother's kitchen". But during his descent on that day, his parachute
didn't open. A crowd of 100,000 watched him frantically tug on the ripcord
of his emergency chute, but that failed too, and Sohn, 26 years old, plunged to his death.
Airshow
An air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows"....
dare-devil
Stunt performer
A stuntman, or daredevil is someone who performs dangerous stunts, often as a career.These stunts are sometimes rigged so that they look dangerous while still having safety mechanisms, but often they are as dangerous as they appear to be...
in the 1930s from Fowler
Fowler, Michigan
Fowler is a village in Clinton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,136 at the 2000 census.- History :Originally called "Dallas", Fowler was created when John Parks settled the area and became its first postmaster in 1849....
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He perfected a way of gliding
Gliding
Gliding is a recreational activity and competitive air sport in which pilots fly unpowered aircraft known as gliders or sailplanes using naturally occurring currents of rising air in the atmosphere to remain airborne. The word soaring is also used for the sport.Gliding as a sport began in the 1920s...
through the air with a home-made wingsuit. He had himself dropped from an airplane at a height of approximately 6000 meters, and would glide down until he was only 300 to 250 meters from the ground, at which point he would open his parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
for the final descent.
He made the wings from zephyr cloth
Zephyr cloth
Zephyr cloth is a thin kind of cassimere made in Belgium. The term also refers to a waterproof fabric of wool....
mounted on steel tubes, forming a large web under each arm which was clasped to his hips. A feature of the wings was a device to prevent them from opening out too far and ripping his arms from their sockets. A loose cloth formed another web between his legs, which acted like a bird's tail. His large goggles gave him an appearance which led to his becoming known as "The Batman" or "The Batwing Jumper".
Clem was badly injured during the opening ceremony of Gatwick Aerodrome, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, when his primary parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
tangled in his wings. He broke his shoulder on landing, after opening his emergency parachute at an altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
of only 60 meters.
Sohn's career came to an end on April 25, 1937, in Vincennes
Vincennes
Vincennes is a commune in the Val-de-Marne department in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is one of the most densely populated municipalities in Europe.-History:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Before taking off, Clem had remarked, "I feel as safe as you would in your grandmother's kitchen". But during his descent on that day, his parachute
Parachute
A parachute is a device used to slow the motion of an object through an atmosphere by creating drag, or in the case of ram-air parachutes, aerodynamic lift. Parachutes are usually made out of light, strong cloth, originally silk, now most commonly nylon...
didn't open. A crowd of 100,000 watched him frantically tug on the ripcord
Ripcord (skydiving)
A ripcord is a part of a skydiving harness-container system; a handle attached to a steel cable ending in a closing pin. The pin keeps the container closed and keeps the spring-loaded pilot chute inside. When the ripcord is pulled, the container is opened and the pilot chute is released, opening...
of his emergency chute, but that failed too, and Sohn, 26 years old, plunged to his death.