Shelton business played role in record skydive jump

Skydiver Felix Baumgartner, who set a new skydiving record last month when he jumped from 128,000 feet and landed safely in New Mexico, received a helping hand from a Shelton-based business called Skydive Kapowsin and one of its staff, Luke Aikins.

Aikins was a member of Baumgartner's Red Bull Stratos team, according to a Mason County Economic Development Council news release.

Aikins, who has more than 23 years of skydiving experience -- including 16,000 successful jumps -- taught Baumgartner jump moves and procedures. He also helped develop the jump equipment at Kapowsin, which is based at the Port of Shelton's Sanderson Field.

"It was a matter of sewing the equipment together and going up and testing it," Aikins said in a statement.

Baumgartner jumped from 128,000 feet. He did a 123,000-foot free fall, then opened his parachute and landed safely in Roswell, New Mexico. Baumgartner set two world records: highest altitude jump and fastest free fall speed of 834 miles per hour.