In the summer of 1959, Marine Corps Lt. Col. William Rankin was flying his Vought F-8 Crusader on a routine mission off the coast of the Carolinas. Rankin and his wingman were soaring at 47,000 feet, nearly nine miles up, to clear a thunderstorm underneath them.

Suddenly Rankin's single-engined fighter began suffering engine failure, and he was forced to eject. That's when the real flight began.

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Swept up in the thunderstorm and carried like a leaf in the howling wind, Rankin would not touch ground for an astonishing 40 minutes. He would be frozen and nearly drowned by the storm, pummeled and suffer atmosphere sickness. Rankin eventually landed an incredible 65 miles from his ejection point, in the middle of the North Carolina countryside. Incredibly, he sustained only minor injuries.

Damn Interesting posted a great account of Rankin's amazing airplane-less flight. Read it all here.

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