William Rankin
Survivor of fall through a thunderstorm cloud / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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For other people with this name, see William Rankin (disambiguation).
Lieutenant Colonel William Henry Rankin (October 16, 1920 – July 6, 2009) was the first person to survive a fall from the top of a cumulonimbus thunderstorm cloud.[1] He was a pilot in the United States Marine Corps and a World War II and Korean War veteran. He was flying an F-8 Crusader jet fighter over a cumulonimbus cloud when the engine failed, forcing him to eject and parachute into the cloud.[1] Rankin wrote a book about his experience, The Man Who Rode the Thunder.[2][3]
Quick Facts Born, Died ...
William Henry Rankin | |
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Born | (1920-10-16)October 16, 1920 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US |
Died | July 6, 2009(2009-07-06) (aged 88) Oakdale, Pennsylvania, US |
Allegiance | United States |
Service/ | United States Marine Corps Aviation |
Years of service | 1940–1964 |
Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
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