Essential Questions

How did William survive the thunder storm?

He survived through his training and by using his brain. He went through the ultimate version of hardcore training when he wanted to deploy his parachute at 40,000 feet but knew it would kill him if he did. He managed to stay calm the best he could. He also surprisingly didn't get struck by lightning.

What kept him from getting struck by lightning?

Nothing but luck and training saved William. He was able to stay calm. William also had oxygen from the plane that he used. Overall, he is probably the luckiest man alive, for being one of the only men to survive falling through a thunderstorm.

How did his plane crash?

Like any typical pilot when they see a storm, William and his partner decided it would be best to fly over the clouds. they got all the way up to 47,000 feet before the engine failed and they started plummeting. William radioed Nolen, "Power failure. May have to eject." this usually wouldn't be an issue but there was a problem. They were 9 miles in the air and right above a storm cloud.

How high was he flying at?

he was flying at 9 miles, or 47,000 feet. The reason he was flying at this height was because he was running into a big storm cloud. when he ejected, he said he felt like his abdominal was bloated twice its size. Everything on his body began to burn and blister, as if his whole body was being pushed against dry ice. Rankins military skills and training overall helped him get through this tragic experience.

What was the temperature like up that high?

It was extremely cold when they were a whopping 9 miles up in the air falling. It was at one point Negative 50 Degrees Celsius. It was extremely cold up there because of the storm. him falling extremely fast also didn't help much.