Video: Daredevil performs Mary Poppins-style skydive with an umbrella

Using Mary Poppins as inspiration for an extreme sports stunt is a new one on us.

But professional extreme athlete Erik Roner wanted to see if he, too, could fly with an umbrella.

Dropping from a hot air balloon over California, he says to the camera: "I'm hanging out under an umbrella, under a hot air balloon. I'm going to see if an umbrella actually slows you down, like Mary Poppins does."

Just before he drops from the hot air balloon, he asks: "What am I thinking?". Erm, good question.

He can be seen floating through the sky under the umbrella seamlessly for a few seconds, before the air pressure changes and turns the umbrella inside out, forcing him to use his parachute the rest of the way down.

Upon a safe landing, he says: "You're welcome, science, for the big step forward. Nasa's going to be able to use that one for years to come. Thanks for the idea, Mary Poppins."

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