Bush 41 Lands Safely After Celebrating 85th Birthday With Parachute Jump

From Maine, the Kennebec Journal updates us on the plan for former president George H. W. Bush to celebrate his 85th birthday with a parachute jump. According to the Journal, he's due to jump (tethered to a member of the U.S. Army "Golden Knights" parachute team), at 1 p.m. ET -- and it will take about seven minutes for them to come down from 13,000 feet.

They're due to land, the Journal says, in "the churchyard of St. Ann's Episcopal chapel in Kennebunkport."

Update at 2:27 p.m. ET. Courtesy of the Associated Press, here's video of the successful landing:

Update at 1:51 p.m. ET: The parachuting president has been joined (on the ground) by his wife, Barbara, and other members of his family -- including former president George W. Bush and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Update at 1:47 p.m. ET: "It's a great, exhilarating feeling," the former president just told reporters. "I don't feel a day over 84."

"Just because you're an old guy you don't need to sit around drooling in the corner," Bush added.

As you'll likely recall, Bush's most dramatic parachute jump came during World War II. Here's how his official White House biography puts it:

The youngest pilot in the Navy when he received his wings, he flew 58 combat missions during World War II. On one mission over the Pacific as a torpedo bomber pilot he was shot down by Japanese antiaircraft fire and was rescued from the water by a U. S. submarine. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for bravery in action.

Update at 1:43 p.m. ET: Looks like a safe landing -- MSNBC just aired the president's touch down.

Update at 1:20 p.m. ET: No word yet from the Journal or other news media on how things are going.