Human Bullet

Dubai : Visitors to the Global Village in Dubai are bombarded with entertainment shows - but most of them don't expect a giant gun to blast out a human cannonball over their heads.

American stuntman David "The Bullet" Smith Jr gets fired out of a huge cannon at well over 80km/h, shoots 20 metres up and lands on a safety net 30 metres away, behind the food court, every day.

It's all over in four seconds.

"It's wild!" said a Canadian visitor. "I can't believe what just happened."

Smith Jr's twice-daily flights (8.30pm and 10pm) here attract roughly 15,000 spectators on holidays, said a show manager.

"Any small mistake means broken bones," said Smith Jr, 32, a world record holder in the extreme sport that's also dangerous.

"You only get one shot. The net's the most dangerous part - too loose and I'll hit the ground, too tight and I'll bounce out the back."

The cannon can be ‘unforgiving' too, he added. The launch force is nine ‘Gs,' or nine times stronger than the pull of the earth's gravity at sea level.

Once the cannon fires, the world becomes a blur. There have been reports of human cannonballs passing out and coming back to their senses just in time for landing.

"You don't have time to think. My biggest fear is overturning [landing stomach down]. Everything has to be just right."

He has broken a leg and suffered deep bruises in the past.

With 5,000 shots behind him, the champion performer started his skyrocketing as a teenager in his home's garden. "Every single show is a thrill, but now less terrifying," he said.

"I get so much gratitude from the people at the show. It's great when they come up and talk about it, ask questions. I'm here, pushing my limits, for a jaw-dropping show each time."

Speaking from the top of the cannon's mouth before the countdown, Smith Jr said: "Come on, make some noise and help me on my way!"