James Miller (parachutist)
Encyclopedia
James Jarrett Miller also known as Fan Man (October 28, 1963 – c. September 22, 2002) was a parachutist
and paraglider
pilot from Henderson
, Nevada
, known for his outrageous appearances at various sporting events. His most famous appearance was the November 6, 1993 boxing
match between Evander Holyfield
and Riddick Bowe
at Caesars Palace
on the Las Vegas Strip
near Las Vegas
, Nevada
. Fan Man made headlines in the United States
when he used his powered paraglider
to fly into the arena, eventually crashing into the ring.
, Miller was an avid outdoorsman, computer technician, small business owner, and extreme sports enthusiast who enjoyed power paragliding. He was introduced to paragliders while living in Las Vegas.
He started with a jetpack tied to his back and moved up to two-cycle aircraft engines that powered him through the skies above the desert. He began setting power-gliding records for altitude and distance and also obtained a reputation for reckless daring.
After his publicized stunts, the Federal Aviation Administration
threatened Miller with a lengthy sentence in a federal prison
if he performed any more stunts.
Miller relocated to Valdez
, Alaska
where he continued to fly ultralight aircraft and paragliders in the Alaskan wilderness
until he developed heart problems.
He was diagnosed with a serious coronary condition, had heart surgery, and was forced to close his small computer business in Valdez in order to move to Anchorage, where he was closer to medical care and friends and family.
title fight between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield. Miller descended into the second minute of the seventh round of the fight, after circling Caesar’s Palace for 10 minutes. The lines of his paraglider became tangled in the overhead lights. He landed on the top rope of the ring with his parachute still tangled in the lights. He tried to hang on with one foot and one hand on that top rope for a few seconds until he either fell or was dragged down into the crowd by spectators, his parachute ripping away from the lights above.
Fans and the fighters' security detail swarmed around him immediately and began attacking him. He was knocked unconscious during the attack. One security officer reportedly struck Miller twenty times. He was rushed to a nearby hospital as spectators cut his paraglider into pieces for souvenirs. After his release from the hospital, Miller was taken to the Clark County
Detention Center, where he was charged with dangerous flying and released on $200 bail.
"It was a heavyweight fight," Miller would joke later, "and I was the only guy who got knocked out."
The media immediately dubbed Miller "Fan Man," for the paramotor
(lightweight engine and propeller) attached to his harness.
Fox Sports Net
ranked this incident as its #1 "Most Outrageous Sports Moment," and in 1996 The Simpsons
referenced the incident in its "The Homer They Fall
" episode.
-Los Angeles Raiders NFL football game at the Coliseum in Los Angeles
. He was arrested for interfering with a sporting event. After the game, Raiders defensive end Howie Long
said that had Miller landed in the stands, the physical assault he received in Las Vegas would have paled in comparison as a result of Raider Nation
's notorious raucousness. "Magnify that beating tenfold. That's what he would have gotten here," Long said. http://google.com/search?q=cache:LFIOwkeopfAJ:vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1004742/index.htm+howie+long+magnify+that+beating+tenfold&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ca
In February 1994, he skydived into the middle of a soccer match in Bolton, England
. After serving a prison sentence in the United Kingdom
Miller was deported
by British authorities.
, Alaska
found a decomposing body identified as that of James Miller. Police said he had chosen the remote Resurrection Pass Trail in Chugach National Forest, veering deep off-trail to a spot that might not have been discovered for years, if ever. Miller had hanged himself from a tree, and the death was ruled a suicide
. Miller had been suffering from a debilitating heart disease
and was overwhelmed by medical bills.
Miller left behind a pregnant girlfriend who gave birth to a son, Logan, on February 14, 2003.
Although Miller's disappearance and death were reported in the local press, his suicide did not become widely known outside Alaska until later in 2003, when ESPN
went searching for him to film a SportsCenter
feature to be shown during the tenth anniversary of his stunt.
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...
and paraglider
Paragliding
Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure...
pilot from Henderson
Henderson, Nevada
-Demographics:According to the 2000 census, there were 175,381 people, 66,331 households, and 47,095 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,200.8 people per square mile . There were 71,149 housing units at an average density of 892.8 per square mile...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, known for his outrageous appearances at various sporting events. His most famous appearance was the November 6, 1993 boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
match between Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
and Riddick Bowe
Riddick Bowe
Riddick Lamont Bowe is a retired American boxer. He is a two-time heavyweight champion and a former undisputed heavyweight champion...
at Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
near Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. Fan Man made headlines in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
when he used his powered paraglider
Powered paragliding
Powered paragliding, also known as paramotoring, is a form of ultralight aviation where the pilot wears a motor on his or her back which provides enough thrust to take off using an adapted paraglider or paramotor wing...
to fly into the arena, eventually crashing into the ring.
Background
Born in Havre de Grace, MarylandMaryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, Miller was an avid outdoorsman, computer technician, small business owner, and extreme sports enthusiast who enjoyed power paragliding. He was introduced to paragliders while living in Las Vegas.
He started with a jetpack tied to his back and moved up to two-cycle aircraft engines that powered him through the skies above the desert. He began setting power-gliding records for altitude and distance and also obtained a reputation for reckless daring.
After his publicized stunts, the Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
threatened Miller with a lengthy sentence in a federal prison
Federal prison
Federal prisons are run by national governments in countries where subdivisions of the country also operate prisons.In the United States federal prisons are operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In Canada the Correctional Service of Canada operates federal prisons. Prison sentences in these...
if he performed any more stunts.
Miller relocated to Valdez
Valdez, Alaska
Valdez is a city in Valdez-Cordova Census Area in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 4,020. The city is one of the most important ports in Alaska. The port of Valdez was named in 1790 after the Spanish naval officer Antonio Valdés y...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
where he continued to fly ultralight aircraft and paragliders in the Alaskan wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
until he developed heart problems.
He was diagnosed with a serious coronary condition, had heart surgery, and was forced to close his small computer business in Valdez in order to move to Anchorage, where he was closer to medical care and friends and family.
The Fan Man Fight
Miller's first and most famous stunt happened on November 6, 1993 during the heavyweightHeavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
title fight between Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield. Miller descended into the second minute of the seventh round of the fight, after circling Caesar’s Palace for 10 minutes. The lines of his paraglider became tangled in the overhead lights. He landed on the top rope of the ring with his parachute still tangled in the lights. He tried to hang on with one foot and one hand on that top rope for a few seconds until he either fell or was dragged down into the crowd by spectators, his parachute ripping away from the lights above.
Fans and the fighters' security detail swarmed around him immediately and began attacking him. He was knocked unconscious during the attack. One security officer reportedly struck Miller twenty times. He was rushed to a nearby hospital as spectators cut his paraglider into pieces for souvenirs. After his release from the hospital, Miller was taken to the Clark County
Clark County, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,375,765 people, 512,253 households, and 339,693 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 71.6% White , 9.1% Black, 5.7% Asian, 0.8% American Indian and 12.8% of other or mixed race. 22.0% were Hispanic of any race...
Detention Center, where he was charged with dangerous flying and released on $200 bail.
"It was a heavyweight fight," Miller would joke later, "and I was the only guy who got knocked out."
The media immediately dubbed Miller "Fan Man," for the paramotor
Paramotor
Paramotor is a generic name for the propulsive portion of a powered paraglider . It consists of a frame that combines the motor, propeller, harness and cage...
(lightweight engine and propeller) attached to his harness.
Fox Sports Net
Fox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
ranked this incident as its #1 "Most Outrageous Sports Moment," and in 1996 The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
referenced the incident in its "The Homer They Fall
The Homer They Fall
"The Homer They Fall" is the third episode of The Simpsons eighth season and originally aired November 10, 1996. After Homer Simpson realizes he has a bizarre medical condition that renders him unable to be knocked out, he decides to embark on a career as a boxer with Moe Szyslak as his manager. ...
" episode.
Other stunts
In January 1994, Miller flew into a Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
-Los Angeles Raiders NFL football game at the Coliseum in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. He was arrested for interfering with a sporting event. After the game, Raiders defensive end Howie Long
Howie Long
Howard "Howie" Matthew Moses Long is an American former National Football League defensive end and actor. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000...
said that had Miller landed in the stands, the physical assault he received in Las Vegas would have paled in comparison as a result of Raider Nation
Raider Nation
The Raider Nation is the unofficial name for the fans of the NFL's Oakland Raiders. They are particularly associated with a section of the Oakland Coliseum known as the 'black hole' which is usually occupied by rowdy fans...
's notorious raucousness. "Magnify that beating tenfold. That's what he would have gotten here," Long said. http://google.com/search?q=cache:LFIOwkeopfAJ:vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1004742/index.htm+howie+long+magnify+that+beating+tenfold&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ca
In February 1994, he skydived into the middle of a soccer match in Bolton, 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...
. After serving a prison sentence in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Miller was deported
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
by British authorities.
Death
Miller was reported missing on September 22, 2002. On March 9, 2003, a group of hunters bushwhacking through the woods on the Kenai PeninsulaKenai Peninsula
The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the southern coast of Alaska in the United States. The name Kenai is probably derived from Kenayskaya, the Russian name for Cook Inlet, which borders the peninsula to the west.-Geography:...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
found a decomposing body identified as that of James Miller. Police said he had chosen the remote Resurrection Pass Trail in Chugach National Forest, veering deep off-trail to a spot that might not have been discovered for years, if ever. Miller had hanged himself from a tree, and the death was ruled a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. Miller had been suffering from a debilitating heart disease
Heart disease
Heart disease, cardiac disease or cardiopathy is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases affecting the heart. , it is the leading cause of death in the United States, England, Canada and Wales, accounting for 25.4% of the total deaths in the United States.-Types:-Coronary heart disease:Coronary...
and was overwhelmed by medical bills.
Miller left behind a pregnant girlfriend who gave birth to a son, Logan, on February 14, 2003.
Although Miller's disappearance and death were reported in the local press, his suicide did not become widely known outside Alaska until later in 2003, when ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
went searching for him to film a SportsCenter
SportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
feature to be shown during the tenth anniversary of his stunt.