Skydiving
Pilot Luke Aikins successfully achieves Plane Swap
Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington attempted to become the first pilots to swap planes. The aspirational feat was partially accomplished.
Pilots and cousins Luke Aikins, 48, and Andy Farrington, 39, attempted to become the first pilots in the world to take off in one aircraft and land in another. The goal of swapping planes mid-air for the first time was partially accomplished.
The preparation for their latest project had been a year in the making, but a lifetime of experience led Aikins and Farrington to their attempt to swap planes, unassisted. Both began skydiving in their teenage years and have jumped more than 5,000 times together. Individually their experience speaks volumes. Aikins entered the event with 21,000 jumps and 8,750 commercial flying hours, and Farrington had 27,000 jumps and 6,000 commercial flying hours to his name.
Andy Farrington preparing for take-off
© Predrag Vuckovic/Red Bull Content Pool
Plane Swap was Aikins’ brainchild and was inspired by a photo in an aviation publication in the 1990s. He put his name against some of the most successful aviation feats in the years that followed. He served as a consultant on the Red Bull Stratos mission, performed a historic first-ever skydive without a parachute on live TV (2016) and developed Red Bull Aces, the first-ever wingsuit slalom competition (2014).
In the 12 months leading to their attempt to swap planes, Aikins and Farrington worked on a pair of experimental Cessna 182s and enlisted the help of Lead Aeronautical Engineer Paulo Iscold. Relying on thousands of hours of skydiving, piloting and engineering experience respectively, the goal was to prove the act of a pilot swapping planes was possible.
There's no way to test it until you do it
The blue and silver planes taking to the sky
© Michael Clark/Red Bull Content Pool
“I mean, we proved that it was possible,” said Aikins. "We're pushing boundaries out here and what's great is I jumped from one [plane], I got in the other one, we landed, I landed safely. Andy landed safely under a parachute. The plane landed under a parachute. All of our safety protocols worked.
“That's why we're here where we are and everybody's safe. The parachute system works just like it was supposed to. There's no way to test it until you do it.”
Cousins reunite on the ground after Plane Swap
© Chris Tedesco/Red Bull Content Pool
Drawing on all his aviation experience, Farrington decided to abort his attempt to enter the plane he was approaching, instead deploying his parachute. The aircraft’s safety mechanisms were also activated, but the aircraft was damaged. However, the most important outcome had been achieved – neither he, Aikins or anybody else was injured.
“Yeah. I mean, we were there, all the numbers matched up and everything like that," said Farrington. "Everything should have been good to go. For some reason, it wasn't that way.
“At the end of the day, we're both here. We're both good to go. Everybody's safe and sound and I guess that's the important part.”