Catapult to add more thrill to W.Va. Bridge Day - WVVA TV Bluefield Beckley WV News, Weather and Sports

Catapult to add more thrill to W.Va. Bridge Day

Posted:

FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. (AP) -- As if parachuting off an 876-foot-tall bridge wasn't scary and exciting enough, some thrill seekers will get to use a catapult during this year's Bridge Day in West Virginia.

Jason Bell owns the company that coordinates the annual BASE jumps off the New River Gorge Bridge in Fayetteville.

A mechanical engineer, Bell and his company, Vertical Visions, designed and built the 2,500-pound steel catapult. It will be available to only a few dozen experienced parachutists Saturday. As of Friday, there were seven slots still available for $99.

Bell says the catapult will hurl parachutists 20 feet vertically and 50 feet horizontally from a steel chair.

An explanation of the catapult on the company website calls the launch "smooth, yet powerful."

Powered by WorldNow
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WVVA.
All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

Persons with disabilities who need assistance with issues relating to the content of this station's public inspection file should contact Administrative Assistant Audrey Sluss at (304) 324-0659. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, at 888-835-5322 (TTY) or at fccinfo@fcc.gov.