Pushing the limits of
With the tradition set to be continued, take a blast from the past and see the history already written.
2012
• RED BULL STRATOS
• AIRPLANE v PARACHUTIST
2012
2015
2015
• RED BULL
BARNSTORMING
2016
2016
• WINDPARK RALLYE
• STORM’S EDGE
2017
2017
• SUMMER SOLSTICE BASE JUMP
• A DOOR IN THE SKY
2019
2019
• RED BULL SUPERMOON
• INVERTED HELI
2020
2020
• RED BULL
MARFA LIGHTS
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a year
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2012
New Mexico • USA
Felix Baumgartner’s skydive from the edge of space surpassed human limits and advanced scientific discoveries.
Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you are.
2015
Another low-flying display of aerobatics happened in 2015 when pilots Paul Bonhomme and Steve Jones took off from Llanbedr Airfield, in the north of Wales. The duo combined supreme confidence, precise planning and perfect execution to perform a flying stunt never before done: two planes flying through a hangar in formation.
Approaching at 185mph, the two pilots got down about 3ft off the ground, one plane trailing slightly behind and to the left. At that speed, any small mistake would be disastrous. “Ultimately, if we get it wrong, we hit a building,” Bonhomme said.
• Red Bull Stratos
09.
04.
North Wales • UK
British pilots fly in formation through a 25ft high hangar at 185mph.
• RED BULL Barnstorming
There’s nothing that quite compares with the feeling when you’re 650ft before the hangar.
1m
Height above ground
Headed straight for the empty hangar, they were full-speed ahead, smoke trailing from both their tails. They flew into the hangar, each plane having an outside wing close to clipping the sides of the hangar. Their landing gear was barely a meter above the ground. They were only in the barn for a few seconds, but their trails of smoke lingered, visually marking the astounding feat.
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2016
20.
03.
Oberzeiring • Austria
Slaloming through fourteen wind turbines at one of the world’s highest wind farms.
• WINDPARK RALLYE
The late Hannes Arch, Red Bull Air Race 2008 World Champion, had a unique idea of his own when he saw the 14 wind turbines at Tauerwindpark in Styria, Austria. At 6,233ft above sea level, he would fly towards and around each of the 195ft turbines like he was an Olympic skier doing the slalom…at 185mph. Flying side to side, his wings perpendicular to the ground as he was executing each turn, it was almost as if his plane were on a roller coaster track taking him around each of the windmills.
Arch commented: “I don’t know if a pilot has ever done anything comparable. Respect was of ultimate importance, and without my experience as a Red Bull Air Race pilot I would never have attempted it.”
05.07.
Florida • USA
American Sean MacCormac becomes the first skydiver to surf Florida’s infamous thunderstorm clouds.
• STORM’S EDGE
2016
To set the stage for another incredible flight, the skies above Southwest Florida were threatening a thunderstorm. That only emboldened Sean MacCormac to perform something he’d only dreamed of: skysurfing through heavy rain clouds and the occasional lightning strike. When the conditions looked their “best” – or worst depending on your perspective – MacCormac and the crew flew into the clouds.
His snowboard attached to his feet, MacCormac jumped and flew toward the ground from two miles up. He occasionally grabbed the edge of his board, lightning intermittently striking around him. When he opened his parachute, he wafted to the ground, the rain falling heavily.
Idaho • USA
2017
Miles Daisher reclaims his BASE jump world record after performing 63 jumps in 24 hours.
• SUMMER SOLSTICE BASE JUMP
Miles Daisher knew records were made to be broken, yet he thought his mark of 57 BASE jumps in 24 hours set in 2005 would stand for a while. After it was broken, Daisher zeroed in on June 21, 2017, the summer solstice, to take another crack at the record.
Taking off from the 486ft high Perrine Bridge in Idaho, Daisher performed a variety of acrobatic jumps before his parachute opened and he landed shortly thereafter on the bank of the Snake River. Then he climbed back up, a task he performed after each jump. By the time of his 63rd jump in less than 24 hours, it was the equivalent of climbing to the peak of Mount Everest (more than 29,000ft) in a day.
Everyone will fail in life at some point but it’s how you spend this time while you’re alive, that’s what’s important to me.
2017
13.
10.
Bernese Alps • Switzerland
This world first saw the Soul Flyers BASE jump off a mountain and land mid-air in an aircraft.
• A DOOR IN THE SKY
Fred Fugen and Vince Reffet, known as the Soul Flyers, wanted to BASE Jump from the top of Jungfrau Mountain in Switzerland and maneuver their wingsuits to literally fly into a plane.
A helicopter took them to the summit of the mountain, an elevation of 13,123ft. As the plane was circling into position, the jump had to be timed exactly. They had just 2 minutes and 45 seconds to freefall 10,500ft and land safely in the plane.
On their second attempt, and with the plane pointing at about a 45-degree decline, they made their approach. Each maneuvered their wingsuits to literally dive into the padding inside the open door in the sky. When they were done, Fugen summed it up succinctly: “All these months of preparation, doubts, stress and fear, and we’d done it!
A few years ago, this was not really possible but the equipment is developing so fast it opens up new possibilities.
Italian aerobatic pilot Dario Costa had the thought for the flight of a lifetime from an early age: to take off from one tunnel, and fly through another tunnel.
Perfection was mandatory. Even a fractional mistake could result in disaster. Every angle was studied throughout the dual Çatalca Tunnels in Istanbul, Turkey. Costa had studied physics and even taught aerodynamics at high school level. He drove a race car through the tunnels at 167.8mph to simulate the speed at which he’d be flying.
On Sept. 4, 2021, the preparation was complete. Costa went into the cockpit of his Zivko Edge 540 V2 plane, a combination of nerves and excitement coursing throughout his body. “I’m 100% scared,” he said.
He took off, speeding in a direct line with his plane not wavering in any direction but forward, the edges of the tunnel barely outside the tips of each wing. That proved to be the easy part. As the plane lifted off, Costa kept the wheels barely above the ground so that he could enter the next tunnel in flight and at a high speed of 172.7mph. Costa’s plane was a blur as it entered the second tunnel.
For 10 seconds, everything was a confluence of aerodynamics, physics, steady hands and nerves. Costa kept the plane in the air and flew through the 3,280ft tunnel just as if he were in the race car he used to prepare for the flight of a lifetime. Even though the end of the tunnel initially looked so far away, he knew he’d be there in a matter of moments. Once he hit daylight, his plane flew through the air and circled over the twin tunnels. “Yeahhhhh!” Costa yelled, a combination of excitement and relief being unleashed. Aviation history was made, just a few feet above the ground.
2021
04.
09.
Istanbul • TURKEY
I know that I have no backup option. The fear that I have is exactly the fear that I need to push myself.
A new chapter in Aviation history is started as Dario Costa flies through two tunnels at an average speed of 152mph
• TUNNEL PASS
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Perfection was mandatory, and achieved in style by Costa.
2021
2021
• TUNNEL PASS
• FLYING THE
PYRAMIDS
Before embarking on a new adventure in human flight, let's revisit some brave heroes who set the bar in what's possible in the world of aviation.
Check out the following timeline of feats that prove that with proper planning, training and skill, pretty much anything is possible.
In perfect synchrony, the pilots pass through the hangar in seconds.
The risk of wind turbulence was real.
Daisher's record required a mixture of skill, experience and endurance.
MacCormac leaps straight into the eye of the storm.
The Soul Flyers experienced a very unique sensation.
When a door is open, head straight through it!
7.6m
Hangar height
185 MPH
Speed of flight
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2019
March 20, 2019: Los Angelenos began reporting strange lights in the skies. Was it a rocket? A comet? An alien invasion? None of the above. It was actually the Red Bull Air Force trio of Jon DeVore, Mike Swanson and Andy Farrington commemorating the final supermoon of the decade with a jump from a helicopter high above downtown Los Angeles. Donning lighted wingsuits, they streaked across the sky, leaving a trail of sparks and making national news.
Devore said: “Ever since I moved to LA I dreamt of something like this. It’s a top-three moment in my life.”
20.03.
Los Angeles • USA
Fitted with LED lights, the Red Bull Air Force swoop into downtown LA with a supermoon backdrop.
• RED BULL SUPERMOON
The view of the supermoon, 4,000ft closer than anyone else, was absolutely
awe-inspiring.
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It isn’t just planes that defy the laws of physics. Red Bull pilot Aaron Fitzgerald planned to have a helicopter do tricks hardly ever seen anywhere. Yet Fitzgerald took it even further by performing these feats over New York Harbor in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.
Loops, barrel rolls, back and front flips - he performed them all while casually looking down at the Statue of Liberty in New York. Even 'seen-it-all' New Yorkers stood dumbfounded and many grabbed their phones to capture the astonishing Bo-105 helicopter's aerobatic maneuvers themselves.
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05.
New York City • USA
2019
Aaron Fitzgerald stuns onlookers with helicopter aerobatics over New York City.
• INVERTED HELI
Unsuspecting New Yorkers were stunned at what was unfolding above them.
2020
15.
11.
Texas • USA
Reinterpreting the world renowned, mysterious Marfa Lights phenomenon Red Bull Air Force style.
• RED BULL MARFA LIGHTS
Marfa, Texas is known for its amazing light displays in the night sky. Some call them UFOs, but in a memorable moonless pitch black flight Amy Chmelecki, Jeff Provenzano, Jon Devore and Sean MacCormac sought to recreate those nighttime phenomenons. Jumping out of their plane while wrapped in lights, the athletes turned on sparks seemingly streaming from their shoes. They looked like real-life Captain Marvels streaking through the night sky. At least for one night, the mystery of the Marfa Lights was solved.
Pyrotechnics really show the speed and energy that we're traveling up there. It truly is like we're human comets
NEXT
2021
02.11.
giza • Egypt
Fred Fugen flies closer to the pyramids of Giza than any wingsuit pilot ever before.
• FLYING THE PYRAMIDS
Ever wanted to see how close you could get to a pyramid? Vincent Cotte, Mike Swanson and Fred Fugen jumped out of the skies at an altitude of 4,920ft over Egypt, but did so with a different goal than usual: flying closer than ever to the pyramids of Giza. As they stepped out of their plane, they jetted in their wingsuits like real-life superheroes at speeds of 155mph. As they flew closer to the ground, they aimed for the pyramids and opened their parachutes at 460ft. They literally got so close to the Pyramid of Khafre they could practically touch the crevices and run their fingers along the side.
Fugen revealed: “It’s been amazing to get right next to these giant stones, some of the last wonders of the ancient world that are still visible today. I felt so small in front of such big monuments.”
Kirby Chambliss has been there and done it all in the world of aerobatic and air race flying but this display to mark National Hot Air Balloon Day was something novel even for him.
The two-time Red Bull Air Race world champion and legend of the skies took off with a series of hot air balloons secured on the ground. As they were slowly released into the perfect Arizona sky, he demonstrated all his aerobatic skill by swerving in and out of them as if they were pylons.
Chambliss said: “Weaving back and forth between the balloons is very different than pylons because they are so much wider, and you can’t hit the balloons!”
Arizona • USA
2018
Pylons are switched for hot air balloons in Kirby Chambliss’ unique and eye-catching display.
• Hot Air Balloon Training
2018
2018
• HOT AIR BALLOON
TRAINING
As a celebrated Red Bull Air Race pilot, Martin Šonka is used to navigating his plane through challenging maneuvers. This stunning maneuver used all his knowledge and experience as he joined expert skydiver Petr Mestak in the skies for a tandem flight like no other.
With Mestak stable in the air having jumped out of a plane, Šonka flew alongside him and managed to maintain the same speed, elevation and trajectory by holding his plane in a titled position as if flying in a helicopter.
17.
08.
Hradec Kralove • Czech Republic
2012
Aerobatic pilot Martin Šonka flies in tandem, wing by wing, with parachutist Petr Mestak.
• Airplane v Parachutist
Plane Swap - Livestream Event on Hulu Sunday, April 24, 2022
Austrian pilot and parachutist Felix Baumgartner took off on the Red Bull Stratos mission knowing the whole world was watching. In the pre-dawn hours, he stepped into a capsule that would be pulled skyward with a single goal: to jump from the edge of space. And it looked and sounded like a space mission, with Red Bull Mission Control down at Roswell, NM monitoring and communicating with Baumgartner every second of the ascent. One of his main advisors was Luke Aikins, who was one of the voices in Baumgartner’s ears all the way up. When Baumgartner opened the capsule’s hatch, he set his feet methodically onto a step and said, “I know the whole world is watching now, and I wish the world could see what I see."
Mission accomplished! Emotions run high upon Baumgartner's return to land.
With that, he saluted and jumped from a world record height of 127,852.4ft – about 24 miles above ground. His special suit had enough oxygen for 10 minutes. For the first 4:22 of that time he was in a freefall that set the highest speed ever recorded without an aircraft at 843.6mph, easily breaking the sound barrier. His freefall distance traveled was another record: 119,431ft.
Immediately after landing gently, nine minutes, 16 seconds after he jumped, he revealed: “When you’re standing out there on that step, top of the world, you become so humbled. The only thing you want is to come back alive.”
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One form of aviation is significantly quicker and louder than the other.
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— Steve Jones
— Felix Baumgartner
— Miles Daisher
— Fred Fugen
— Jon Devore
Caught in the act. The pilots had zero room for deviation.
More than one wondrous sight going on right here.
— Jon Devore
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human flight
Pushing the limits of
human flight
Buckle up folks, another unprecedented aviation feat is coming your way on April 24. In a compelling mission to be showcased to the world live on hulu, industry pioneers Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington will cut the power to their planes mid-air, and when the planes begin to free fall, jump out and into each others’ plane. Pretty simple, right?
‘Plane Swap’ promises to be an extreme test of planning, testing, engineering, physics and a daring spirit to continually go higher, faster and further. It’s an audacious challenge Aikins is inspired by.
I really want to show the world that I’m not just a skydiver, we’re not just these crazy stuntmen. We can do the engineering, we can do the design, do a real flight-test program and showcase all our talents. It takes all of these skills.
— Luke Aikins
Plane Swap - Livestream Event on Hulu Sunday, April 24, 2022
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Buckle up folks, another unprecedented aviation feat is coming your way on April 24. In a compelling mission to be showcased to the world live on hulu, industry pioneers Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington will cut the power to their planes mid-air, and when the planes begin to free fall, jump out and into each others’ plane. Pretty simple, right?
‘Plane Swap’ promises to be an extreme test of planning, testing, engineering, physics and a daring spirit to continually go higher, faster and further. It’s an audacious challenge Aikins is inspired by.
17.
AUG.
17 AUG
17 AUG
No stone has been left unturned in preparing for April 24.