Skydiving
Skydiving: Are these the 8 most incredible clips of all time?
Switching planes while free falling or flying in a wingsuit over the world's most famous ski slope. These are 8 insane skydiving clips!
"Above the clouds..." When Reinhard Mey warbled these lines, the freedom up there may already have been limitless, but flying was more of an elitist experience. If we jump from 1974 to the here and now, very few bucket lists can do without the entry "skydive". Inspired by spectacular skydive videos on the web, we summon up all our courage - for day X.
Jumping from a height of over 4000 metres, free falling for minutes is an adrenaline rush that can be rarely matched. If you're still to experience it yourself, pay a visit to one of these superb skydiving clubs in Ireland for starters.
But if you need a little inspiration (or courage) the very best of skydiving is represented by breathtaking tricks and stunts or various formations in freefall.
Our Top 8 of the best skydive clips will blow your mind and make you ready to take the plunge yourself.
01
Poolbeg Skydive Flight
The Red Bull Skydive team completed the first-ever wingsuit flight through Dublin’s most iconic landmark, the Poolbeg Chimneys, travelling at 253 km/h.
Flying through the Stacks at just 135 metres above the ground, the trio then performed a difficult ‘flare’ manoeuvre to regain the height needed to pull their parachutes and land safely on Shelly Banks Beach. From the helicopter to ground, the wingsuit flight lasted just 65 seconds. In that window, the flying trio travelled a total distance of 2,227 metres.
02
Historic wingsuit flight through London Tower Bridge
2 min
Watch a wingsuit world-first through Tower Bridge
See Marco Fürst and Marco Waltenspiel become the first wingsuiters ever to pass through Tower Bridge.
Marco Fürst and Marco Waltenspiel became the first people to wingsuit through London's defining landmark – and at an astonishing 246 km/h.
03
Take off at the fairy tale castle
1 min
All Autonomous: Max Manow's Wingsuit Premiere at Neuschwanstein Castle
With the help of a specially constructed suspension on his wingsuit, the skydiver achieved a premiere: the first fully autonomous wingsuit flight past the world-famous Neuschwanstein Castle!
The challenge: a combined paragliding and wingsuit flight without an existing drop zone, a tandem flight or the use of a helicopter. Ready to Take-Off? In the clip, see how Max Manow managed a skydive premiere with the first fully autonomous flight at the iconic Neuschwanstein Castle.
04
Plane Swap
26 min
Luke Aikins successfully achieves Plane Swap
On April 24 Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington’s attempt at a first-ever Plane Swap was partially accomplished.
Above the Arizona desert with its red canyons, two Cessna 182s take off in parallel for a dive. On board: Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington! You're not going to... You bet I am: In April 2022, together with his no less daring cousin, Aikins puts into practice the idea that has been haunting the Red Bull Air Force's collective brain since the '90s: Get out of his own aircraft, skydive to the other unmanned aircraft and land it safely - all in free fall at around 225 km/h. Find out who manages the stunt and who has to pull the ripcord beforehand in the clip.
In addition to breaking numerous aeronautical world records, Felix Baumgartner's jump from the stratosphere provided scientific lessons for the astronauts of tomorrow.
05
In a wingsuit over the Streif
2 min
Red Bull Skydive Course Preview von der legendären "Streif"
As if it wasn't spectacular enough to speed down the "Streif" with two laths, the Red Bull Skydivers have made a very special track inspection in Kitzbühel!
From a purely technical point of view, the best downhill skiers in the ski circus may come pretty close to flying when they speed down the legendary Streif. The start house on the Hahnenkamm is at 1,665 metres. Within three seconds, the skiers accelerate from 0 to 60 km/h, later to over 140 kilometres per hour. Without slats under their feet, but with a top speed of 250 km/h in a wingsuit, the Red Bull Skydive Team dared the hellish ride. Mousetrap, Hausbergkante or the steep slope - from these perspectives you have never seen the key passages of the Streif!
06
Felix Baumgartner: POV clip from the edge of the world
8 min
Red Bull Stratos
Experience the incredible achievement of the Red Bull Stratos mission through Felix Baumgartner’s eyes.
"Sometimes you really have to get up high to see how small you are." These were Felix Baumgartner's last words before his jump from the stratosphere, which, in addition to numerous aeronautical world records, also provided scientific lessons for the astronauts of tomorrow. Over the years, there has been a lot of footage of the Red Bull Stratos event. But have you seen the POV clip that shows the edge of the world and the subsequent mega-jump through the eyes of the Austrian? Seven action cams on the suit provide razor-sharp as well as dizzying footage at Mach 1.25 (1357.6 km/h).
07
BlaniX File 3
Another coup by Max Manow, Marco Waltenspiel and Co. is the stunt trilogy "BlaniX File". And if you've seen the third part, you can safely skip the "Top Gun" sequel. At an altitude of 4000(!) metres, five wingsuit pilots virtually become interceptors for two gliders gliding mirror-inverted. Flying in formation, the sky acrobats from the Red Bull Skydive Team come within a few centimetres of the two planes - pretty Hollywood!
08
Game of A.I.R.
3 min
Game of AIR
Polish skydiving star Maja Kuczyńska and race pilot Łukasz Czepiela create an incredible aerial competition.
Man vs. plane. Maja Kuczyńska or Łukasz Czepiela? Inspired by the so-called Game of S.K.A.T.E. from the skateboarding scene, the skydiver and the aerobatic pilot from the Red Bull family battle it out without further ado above the clouds of Slovenia. One shows a trick - a front flip, for example - and the other follows suit. Each fail leads to a letter. Whoever gets an A.I.R. first loses the battle. Spoiler: A flip twist brings the decision!
Feeling stoked after watching the clips? Click here to see the best places to safely jump out of a planenear you