Sheer Drop

Ten thousand feet above Chicago, Jack Cope stepped out the cabin door of his airplane, counted 28 before he pulled the parachute cord, landed buoyantly among a golf foursome. In the 13 1/2 seconds before the parachute opened he had fallen 3,400 feet, a new sheer drop record.

Sergeant Boes, army flier, once descended 2,200 feet before pulling the cord. Dropper Cope modestly attributed his record to confusion. He had intended to count only to 20.