Half Dome 1977 and the pioneering flight in Yosemite

Half Dome in 1977, practically 40 years ago. Although during the last four decades this granite monolith has shed a couple of "beauty spots", it’s remained largely unchanged. What has changed though, radically, is the way in which people fly off mountains nowadays, and back then BASE Jump, wingsuit flying and Para Base were all words and concepts that still needed exploring and defining. Bearing this in mind, here’s an extraordinary film that documents a fundamental page in the history of BASE jumping, written by the Americans Rich Piccirilli, Jim Hanbury and Brian Johnson. The trio launched off Half Dome with a hang glider on 7 July 1977 and, in mid-flight, Hanbury and Johnson released themselves and freefell before opening their parachutes immediately above the trees…

One of the biggest difficulties in carrying out this undertaking was keeping it secret, steering clear of the watchful eyes of the law and to do so they approached the summit of Half Dome at night. And an hour after landing they’d already carefully hidden their gear and cameras and were having lunch, celebrating. Possibly slightly too early because three hours later Rich Piccirilli was arrested by the Park Rangers and he then spent a night behind bars, before being released on bail.

But all that’s another story. What is recounted in this film by Carl Boenish is the unfolding of a courageous dream, realised on a date to be remembered: 7/7/77.