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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. He was a pilot in the United States Marine Corps and a World War II and Korean War veteran.
Jul 17, 2023 · Lt. Col. William Rankin was a World War II and Korean War veteran who ejected from his F-8 Crusader jet at 47,000 feet over a thunderstorm in 1959. He endured 40 minutes of free fall, hail, lightning and near-drowning before landing safely in a tree.
Feb 12, 2015 · Learn how William Rankin, a US Marine Corps pilot, ejected from his F-8 Crusader at 47,000 feet and plunged into a cumulonimbus cloud in 1959. Discover how he miraculously survived the freezing cold, the hail, the lightning and the tree impact.
Jul 18, 2023 · Lt. Col. William Rankin was a U.S. Marine pilot who ejected from his F-8 Crusader jet in 1959 and survived a 40-minute ordeal in a thunderstorm. He wrote a book about his experience and recovered from frostbite and decompression.
Apr 29, 2012 · This story is legendary. And it begins with a legendary aircraft, the F8 Crusader. The Crusader was the first American fighter to fly faster than 1,000 miles per hour. in 1957, then future ...
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Sep 7, 2022 · William Rankin was a veteran pilot who ejected from his F-8 Crusader in 1959 after engine failure. He fell through a storm for 40 minutes, suffered frostbite and bruises, but survived to write a book about his ordeal.