Wingsuit Flying
A Spectacular Human Flight Between the Towers of Bahrain World Trade Center
Two daring athletes achieve a world-first by performing a synchronized wingsuit flight between the twin towers of one of Manama’s iconic landmarks.
All eyes were on the Bahrain Wingsuit Project team as Dani Roman and Fred Fugen leapt from a helicopter, diving at incredible speeds to make history. The wingsuit flying athletes accomplished a groundbreaking feat at the Bahrain World Trade Center, executing a synchronized crossing from opposite directions between the twin towers. Descending at speeds of 220 km/h, their combined velocity at their intersection point reached 440 km/h—more than 120 meters per second—crossing at the exact same moment with only 10 meters separating them.
A Dream Come True
The adrenaline was at its peak for the daring athletes, as well as for the technicians and everyone involved in turning this ambitious mission into reality. After jumping from a Black Hawk helicopter at an altitude of 4,000 feet, the duo sped across Manama’s skyline before splitting into opposite flight paths, only to rejoin in a precisely planned straight-line approach between the iconic towers at an altitude of 40 meters above the building’s famous wind turbines.
However, the story didn’t start here. Its origins go back three years, to when Roman and Fugen first saw the Bahrain World Trade Center during a visit in 2022. They instantly recognized it as the perfect location for their synchronized wingsuit flight project. Two years of intensive planning followed, including obtaining permits, simulating the mission, mapping technical plans, and training for the flight.
Fred Fugen, the three-time world champion in freefall skydiving who has completed over 20,000 jumps and 1,500 BASE jumps, said, "For the past two years, we’ve been dreaming of crossing this building in synchronized flight." He added, "To imagine something we’ve never done before and then bring it to life here at this beautiful building—it’s an unbelievable feeling."
I Don’t Know How We Did It!
Crossing the air corridor between the two towers wasn’t the hardest part of the mission; the real challenge lay in synchronizing their flight paths so that they would meet at the midpoint simultaneously. With no devices or live data to rely on, they had to depend entirely on visual reference points, their instincts, and physical sensations to match their speed and timing.
Dani Roman, the Spanish Red Bull athlete known for his highly precise wingsuit projects and BASE jumps, explained: "We don’t carry GPS systems or receive any aircraft-related information, so the only way to gauge speed is through the sensations in our bodies." He continued, "It’s a tricky task because during training, if the wind blows from one side, one of us faces headwinds while the other has tailwinds. I don’t know how we managed to pull off the project on the first day of filming—it felt like a miracle!"
Blind Trust... Beyond Numbers and Calculations
This success is the result of countless hours, days, weeks, and months of intense preparation. The training for the legendary flight began in France, where the duo performed over 35 practice jumps using a fixed drone at an altitude of 200 meters to simulate the crossing point and establish repeatable reference lines. These routes were later adapted to the Bahrain World Trade Center, followed by a second phase of training in Bahrain’s desert to acclimate to the flying conditions with the local helicopter crew.
The project wasn’t just based on numbers and calculations—it was built on trust developed over years of flying together.
Fugen stated, "We spend far more time together on the ground than in the sky, so it’s crucial that our communication is excellent. It’s a matter of friendship and having fun together." Roman added, "Fred is a legend in this sport, so it was amazing to fly and plan this project with him."
The City That Inspired the Project
This achievement relied on a wide network of partners, including the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority, the Bahrain Olympic Committee, and the local Red Bull team. The video was filmed in November in Manama, showcasing the precision and strength of the athletes as well as the city that inspired the project.
Roman emphasized: "It’s difficult to accomplish something like this in other countries. The support we received from the people and authorities here, and their openness to this project, was incredible."
After years of effort, the final maneuver took just a few seconds. Both athletes turned toward the air corridor, accelerated, and locked their sights on the intersection point.
Fugen concluded, "When we saw each other approaching and realized we had achieved a perfect crossing, the feeling was incredible. For us, it’s a huge accomplishment because we managed to fulfill exactly what we dreamed of. We couldn’t have done it better."