oke midfielder Adam, who spent six years in the Rangers first team between 2003 and 2009, sees no reason why his former club can

LOS ANGELES -- After leaping from an airplane, Luke Aikins rocketed toward earth for two minutes, and then calmly flipped onto his back at the last second and landed in a 100-by-100-foot net in California.Cheers rose from those who gathered at the Big Sky movie ranch on the outskirts of Simi Valley to watch the stunt, including his family.The 42-year-old skydiver with more than 18,000 jumps made history as the first person to survive a leap without a parachute and land safely in a net.As the audience erupted, Aikins quickly climbed out, walked over and hugged his wife, Monica, who had been watching from the ground with their 4-year-old son, Logan, and other family members.Im almost levitating. Its incredible, the jubilant skydiver said, raising his hands over his head as his wife held their son, who dozed in her arms.This thing just happened! I cant even get the words out of my mouth, he added as he thanked the dozens of crew members who spent two years helping him prepare for the jump, including those who assembled the fishing trawler-like net and made sure it really worked.The jump -- from the death-defying altitude of 25,000 feet -- makes Aikins the only skydiver ever to go from plane to planet Earth without a parachute.The stunt, broadcast live on the Fox network for the TV special Stride Gum Presents Heaven Sent, nearly didnt come off as planned when Aikins revealed just before climbing into his plane that the Screen Actors Guild had ordered him to wear a parachute to ensure his safety.Aikins didnt say what prompted the original restriction, but SAG spokeswoman Pamela Greenwalt said the union and producers could not come to an agreement on the safest way to pursue this stunt and therefore we could not sanction it to go forward under a union agreement.Aikins said he considered pulling out at that point because having the parachute canister on his back would make his landing in the net far more dangerous. If he had to wear it, he said he wouldnt bother to pull the ripcord anyway.Im going all the way to the net, no question about it, he said from the plane. Ill just have to deal with the consequences when I land of wearing the parachute on my back and what its going to do to my body.A few minutes before the jump. one of the shows hosts said the requirement had been lifted. Aikins left the plane without the chute.He jumped with three other skydivers, each wearing parachutes. One had a camera, another trailed smoke so people on the ground could follow his descent and the third took an oxygen canister he handed off after they got to an altitude where it was no longer needed.Then the others opened their parachutes and left him on his own.Aikins admitted before the jump he was nervous. and his mother said she was one family member who wouldnt watch.When his friend Chris Talley came up with the idea two years ago, Aikins acknowledged he turned it down cold.I kind of laugh and I say, `Ok, thats great. Ill help you find somebody to do it, he told The Associated Press as he trained for the jump last week.A couple of weeks after Talley made his proposal, Aikins called back and said he would do it. Hed been the backup jumper in 2012 when Felix Baumgartner became the first skydiver to break the speed of sound during a jump from 24 miles above Earth.Aikins was able hit the net with pinpoint precision thanks to GPS alerts in his helmet and a sophisticated lighting setup on the ground that was visible from more than 25,000 feet up, Talley said Sunday. If Aikins veered off course the lights appeared red, but when he was on target they shone bright white.Theyre very similar to the lights that a pilot sees when landing a plane at an airport, Talley said.Aikins was able to alter his course with just the slightest adjustments of his hands, said Talley, who added that experienced skydivers have incredible control over where they land.The 42-year-old daredevil made his first tandem jump when he was 12, following with his first solo leap four years later. Hes been racking them up at several hundred a year ever since.His father and grandfather were skydivers, and his wife has made 2,000 jumps. His family owns Skydive Kapowsin near Tacoma, Washington.Aikins is also a safety and training adviser for the United States Parachute Association and is certified to teach both students and skydiving instructors. His business Para Tactics provides skydiving training to Navy Seals and other members of elite fighting forces.---Associated Press Christopher Weber contributed to this story.---This story has been corrected to show Aikins jumped without a parachute and landed in a net. Ecco Schweiz Kaufen . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Ecco Schweiz . -- About a third of the way through the regular season, the Washington Wizards are at . http://www.eccoschuheschweiz.com/ . - Levi Browns tenure at left tackle for the Pittsburgh Steelers is over before it even began. Ecco Outlet Schweiz . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. Ecco Schuhe Günstig Kaufen . Mats Zuccarello and Derek Stepan scored shootout goals, and backup goalie Cam Talbot earned his second win in two nights as the Rangers shook off a late tying tally and beat the Maple Leafs 2-1 Monday night.Charlie Adam believes Rangers will be in a good position to immediately challenge Celtic for the Scottish Premiership title next season. The Gers sealed their place in Scottish footballs top tier with a 1-0 win over Dumbarton on Tuesday, and some of the focus has already switched to how Mark Warburtons side will fare next season.Stoke midfielder Adam, who spent six years in the Rangers first team between 2003 and 2009, sees no reason why his former club cannot be up with the sides at the top of the Premiership. Of course they are [able to challenge for the title]. They had 49,000 fans there against Dumbarton on a Wednesday night, and theyve had that support since they were in the Third Division week in, week out, Adam told Sky Sports Now.The fans have made a massive impact, the players and owners have come in and stabilised the club and they look like they are building for the future.I think the signings that Mark has made showed the intent that they were going to try and get promoted, but the players are good enough to keep them in the Premiership. Charlie Adam spent six years at Rangers Theyll go there next season and want to try aand win it - they will spend again as well and improve the squad, and Celtic will have to be wary of that.ddddddddddddBefore attention can turn to Rangers Premiership campaign, Warburtons side will attempt to win the Petrofac Training Cup on Sunday, followed by the Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic a week later. Adam told Sky Sports Now that he believes the encounter with Celtic will be a real sign of how far Rangers have come under Warburton.Well see on April 17 - in the past there was a massive gap, but I think Rangers have improved, he added. Mark Warburton has led Rangers to promotion in his first year in charge Celtic are dwindling at the top, theyve taken their foot off the gas and Aberdeen have pushed them all the way, but they will still win the league.Id like to see Rangers push them and hopefully get the win, and to try and win the treble in one season would be incredible. Also See: Souness: Rangers return crucial Warburton: Job not done Ball targets treble success McCann: Exciting times ahead ' ' '