Friends and family. And we in the media enabled him. Nobody could find the pylons for the guy wires supporting the launch rail. [5][6][7] He stated during an interview with the Associated Press in 2018 that he had planned to run for Governor of California. Theres a flowchart for that. I could run for governor and be a shoo-in. Mike Hughes was born in Barstow, California, in 1955. This is particularly true of those in the flat-earth movement who arent serious about the earth being flat. Hughes was always planning his next stunt, with each one taking him higher than the last. Thats reasonable, Mike said. Known by his name Mad or Daredevil American stuntman Mad Mike Hughes died at the age of 64. Hughes was a member of the Flat Earth . Heres what happens on the longest night of the yearin the solar system and across different cultures here on Earth. He had previously scheduled his launch for 25 November 2017. I would think if you were gonna do a TV show like that youd look at the engineering of the thing and at least give him some engineering advice.. This Christmas, Its Firmageddon as Climate Change Hits Oregon, More than a million acres of state forest contain trees that have succumbed to stressors exacerbated by a multiyear drought, A New Computer Proof Blows Up Centuries-Old Fluid Equations. When I raised this on a flat-earth discussion group after Hughes death, one flat-earther objected strenuously. Hughes was officially pronounced dead at 5:34 p.m. An autopsy revealed that he had died of acute coronary thrombosis, brought on by premature hardening of the arteries. [8], At the time of his death, Hughes lived in Apple Valley, California. I asked them if they had any idea how off-the-charts dangerous this was? Hughes had no close relatives and lived alone in Apple Valley with his four cats, Brusseau and Linn said. 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. He, in turn, was fascinated by daredevils, from Evel Knievel to Annie Edson Taylor, the retired schoolteacher who plunged down Niagara Falls inside a barrel in 1901. Ive got balls, and I will roll the dice.. He built his first manned rocket in 2014 a contraption he called the X-2 SkyLimo and managed to launch himself more than 1,300 feet over Winkelman, Ariz., he told the Associated Press. Freelance journalist Justin Chapman is writing a book about Hughes, and was at the final launch in the desert outside Barstow, Calif. "There were about 50 spectators there," Chapman said. Try downloading another browser like Chrome or Firefox. And yet, as I stood among the sagebrush outside Barstow, gazing at the progress of a tiny white speck against the blue sky, I found myself chanting commands to someone who I knew couldnt hear me. Mikes ground control crew radioed him to deploy one of the two backup parachutes installed on the rocket, but Mike never responded. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time [9][2][10], According to the Associated Press, Hughes built his first crewed rocket on January 30, 2014, and flew 1,374 feet (419m) in just over one minute over Winkelman, Arizona. Homepage / Uncategorized / mike hughes cause of death; mike hughes cause of death. Need to estimate, from trillions of miles away, how likely another world is to host life? 2023 Cond Nast. With any luck, the water pressure in the boiler would reach 350 pounds per square inch by noon, and Mike would be able to fly immediately thereafter. Hughes was a member of the Flat Earth community, a subculture consisting of people who (despite all scientific evidence pointing squarely to the contrary) believe that the Earth is not round, but flat. "[5] A fundraising campaign to cover the costs of the delay raised around $100 of its $10,000 goal. But, of course, his biggest delusion was that there was widespread interest in his antics. That launch seemed to go flawlessly, as the parachute remained intact and slowed his descent. I knew Waldo and several other team members were unhappy with the design of the apparatus Mike had come up with to release the superheated water from the pressure vessel. Waldo told me a generator was down on power. Neither reactions, however, were present within the Flat Earth community itself. So the project was more serious than two goofballs chasing an impossible dream, and from a technical standpoint, it seemed feasible, if not entirely plausible. michael hughes 1887 1957 michael hughes, Circa 1887 - 1957 . On February 3, 2018, Hughes live-streamed another attempted launch, but the rocket steam release malfunctioned and the launch was aborted. With 90 gallons of water in the tank, the goal was to reach an altitude of one mile. I love that ending, where he was able to be successful, Brusseau said. He was convinced that shadowy international cabals were running the world. On the 3rd of February 2018, Mike began his live-stream, where his rocket steam release malfunction leading the launch aborted. It was always his dream to do this launch, and Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey. They did not respond to a follow-up question regarding the ethics of chronicling said journey, given the major risks involved and the unscientific nature of Flat Earth conspiracy theories. Its not clear which makes more difference in controlling disease. Id met Mike before, but this was my first extended conversation with him. Hughes said afterward, Am I glad I did it? This was it. When I first heard of Hughes two years ago, I thought at the time that if he continued doing this, it would kill him. Regardless of what happened, he still built a rocket and he launched a rocket. On February 22,Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes perishedwhen his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. What happened during 9/11. He further added that rockets are mostly self built through trial and error and you dont get a lot of second chances, though, in the rocket business. Originally from Oklahoma City, Hughes started attending car races with his father at 2 months old and began racing motorcycles at the age of 12, according to an author biography for his 2007 self-published book, What Does A Limo Driver Know About NASCAR.. In the 1980s, Hughes worked as a fabricator and body specialist on cars for NASCAR drivers Randy Lajoie and Rob Moroso, and as a crew chief on a Craftsman Truck team in Washington, before moving to Las Vegas in 1994, according to a Las Vegas Sun column. The ladder was placed there because Mike had used it to get inside the rocket, as he was opposed to the initial plan of beinglifted into it. Waldo asked me, You know what will happen if we get him into space and get him down alive?, Ill be the most famous guy on the planet! Mike crowed before I could reply. But for what? That belief has circulated among flat-earthers since his appearance at the 2018 FEIC. Effectively, he was duped by FET (theory and theorists) into recklessly risking his life. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Hughes' family and friends during this difficult time. [8], Hughes planned to again launch himself in a rocket on August 10, 2019,[17] but mechanical troubles postponed the launch. Those dreams ended on the edge of the Mojave Desert. It is believed to be a point between outer space and earths atmosphere or in simple words, beginning of the space. [1] He said in November 2017 that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) had given him verbal permission more than a year prior to launch his rocket, pending approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. Nobody gave a shit about this stunt. He thought the lunar landing had been a hoax. Fifty-fifty! Mike previously launched self made rocket in March 2018 and went above in the sky about 1800 feet and he told about his desires in an interview in October 2018.The Flat Earth thing is like everything else to me, I just want people to question everything. You could argue that Mike knew what he was getting into, and hed signed the liability waivers to prove it. 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. I think thats what hit us then and there: this is completely dangerous. He was widely famous due to his self made rocket engineer and limo stuntman and also for his thoughts regarding Flat Earth theory. I spent four days over two weekends in Amboy. But, on the 24th of March 2018, he was successful in reaching the height of 1,875 feet and had a hard landing in the Mojave desert. Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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In November 2017, Mike claimed to give verbal permission from the Bureau of Land Management, which was approved, whereas the Federal Aviation Administration kept is pending approval. Did you find any mistake? He was closely associated with the Flat Earth movement, hosting a show on the internet radio station Flat Earth Radio and raising thousands of dollars on GoFundMe in Flat Earth-assisted crowdfunding campaigns. Mike Hughes started to gain the limelight after setting a Guinness world record holder for jumping 103-foot in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. According to PubMed.com, to visuall see the Earths curvature one must travel to an altitude of around 35,000 feet. [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. Its not clear what went wrong. Hughes acknowledged there were risks, telling the Associated Press: "It's scary as hell. Because Mike never reached the point of climbing into the rocket, I never had to confront the disturbing possibility that he might blow himself up or be pulverized in a crash landing. [11][12] There was no video of Hughes entering the rocket and there were doubts that he was in it when it launched. He wanted to do something original, and he came up with the idea of jumping a limo, Brusseau said. 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. Hughes reported no serious injury from the landing. Mike Hudges was an American limo driver and daredevil. Its not clear how strongly he held the conviction, or if he really believed it at all. To revist this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Thanks for coming all the way out here. Your email address will not be published. Certainly Hughes was a daredevil who knew the risks of these rocket launches, and regardless of his incentives, tragically paid the ultimate price for his celebrity. But who cared if somebody whod christened himself Mad Mike went 2,000 or 4,000 feet high in a homemade rocket that was just as likely to kill him as it was to get off the launch pad? In 2002, he had already set a Guinness Word Record as he jumped about 103 foot in at Lincon Car stretch Limo. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. Then we waited anxiously for Mike to deploy the parachutes. Far from prompting people to re-examine their own beliefs, if anything Hughes death cemented their commitment to chasing what they believe to be the truth at any cost. Ive watched plenty of amateur high-power rocket launches over the years, and I know that they come off the rail fast, not with the deliberate majesty of a Saturn V straining against the bounds of gravity. In the days leading up to the fatal crash, Discovery.com posted a video of Hughes showing off the rocket in his front yard. However, Hughes seemed to love his day job and proudly turned his limo into a vehicle that could be mistaken for a Batmobile. Were going to have to bury him, Waldo said. It was getting him back alive. The cartoon book includes 400 drawings covering the aviation industry. The tragic difference here is that he was duped into a ridiculous and unnecessary proof of something that is already beyond requiring any further evidence. It was horrible, he says. Despite the coverage Hughes efforts attracted, he was a highly divisive figure within the Flat Earth community. A risk that was too high. 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. The series was scheduled to air on the US Science Channel. Now theres a breakthrough. Chute. [8], In 2016, Hughes launched a failed fundraising attempt for a rocket that raised $310. Who is more pathetic, the people whose exploits populate YouTube channels filled with videos of appalling crashes and fatal accidents or the people who consume them as entertainment? The more outlandish and provocative the content, the more interest, and hence more views. MIKE, THROW THE GODDAMNED CHUTE!. He must have realized that the launch was a fools play, pulling to an inside straight, but it was the only play he had. Thanks for contacting us. He Jiankui discusses his plans for finding cures for devastating genetic diseases. Your newsletter signup did not work out. Why would people promote such a lie? I met Mike through Waldo Stakes. Hughes defiantly stated that the dispute would not stop him from flying: "I'm a daredevil. So it was possible to indulge in some magical thinking and imagine that maybe, against all odds, Mike might be able to emerge from the cockpit reasonably unscathed. The homebrew rocket maker had dreams of fame and fortune. Well, of course he got killed. A representative of Mad Mike has explained what went wrong during the daredevils fatal rocket launch last month. He planned to launch himself in a rocket in August 2019. And luckily it didnt turn out that way for us that day.. Mike's rocket on the truck bed used for transport. He raised only $310. 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. There have been other terrible injuries. However, a BLM spokesman said its local field office had no record of speaking to Hughes at the time. But I also wanted to keep my distance emotionally, as if that would inoculate me from blame if everything went south. In the year 2016, Mike launched a program to make a rocket but failed by earning $310. Hughes, 64, had been a. Despite my misgivings, I was intrigued. So Waldo invited Mike to live on property he owned on the southern edge of the Mojave in Apple ValleyWaldo had whimsically dubbed it El Ranchito Raketeand it was there that work commenced on a new-and-improved launch vehicle. Head coach Joe Schmidt and the entire Lions team attended Hughes' funeral in San Antonio. The Crispr Baby Scientist Is Back. I dont want to take anyone elses word for it, he said after a March 2018 launch in the Mojave Desert in which he shot his homemade rocket over 1,800 feet into the sky, I dont know if the world is flat or round.. But if it had been, Mike would have ignored my advice. Mike preparing for the August 2018 launch attempt. All rights reserved. That did surprise me, he said. 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. That might be because no such category had existed until he contacted the record-keepers to ask if they would be interested. Waldo, Mike, and their small but intensely loyal and hard-working crew were constantly clambering over the rocket and the launch rigwelding, hammering, grinding, cutting. However, he holds the American nationality and white ethnical background. After he shared his belief of a flat earth, he gained support from the Flat-Earth community. It landed about 1,500 feet away from the launch point. Nature had given Hughes the heart of a 60-year-old man. Ive heard that some make six figures promoting a flat earth. Related Fatal Rocket Crash Landing", "Daredevil dies during homemade rocket launch in California", "A Daredevil Flat Earther Died After Attempting To Launch Himself 5,000 Feet With A Homemade Rocket", "Mike Hughes, 64, D.I.Y. Daredevil and Amateur rocket-engineer, Mike Hughes died aged 64 on the 22nd of February 2020. Saturdays launch was to be Hughes highest yet; he was attempting to travel 5,000 feet into the air. [29][30], Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes Death, Rocket Crash, reach above the atmosphere into outer space, List of inventors killed by their own inventions, "Self-Taught Rocket Scientist Mad Mike Hughes Plans to Launch Over Ghost Town", "Daredevil dies after homemade rocket crashes in desert while filming TV show", "Death of rocket man 'Mad Mike' Hughes ends years of close calls", "A flat-Earther's plan to launch himself in a homemade rocket has been postponed again", "Flat-Earther's steam-powered rocket lofts him 1,875 feet up into Mojave Desert sky", "Flat-Earther 'Mad' Mike Hughes forced to delay launch of homemade rocket", "A flat-Earther's plan to launch himself in a homemade rocket just hit a speed bump", "Self-taught rocket scientist 'Mad' Mike Hughes blasts off into California sky", "Self-taught rocket scientist eyes new launch date in Calif", "Analysis | A flat-earther finally tried to fly away. 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