Aerobatic Flying
All the facts on Dario Costa’s record-setting Tunnel Pass flight
Dario Costa's Tunnel Pass flight wrote a new chapter in aviation history. Here’s all the inside info on his incredible accomplishment.
On Saturday, September 4, 2021, Dario Costa, a professional race and stunt pilot, fired up his specially modified Zivko Edge 540 race plane inside one of the dual Çatalca Tunnels on Turkey's Northern Marmara Highway. His aim was to speed through the two tunnels as fast as he could.
From take-off to exiting the second tunnel, the flight covered a distance of 2.26km. And in less than 44 seconds, Costa had set a certified Guinness World Record plus four more records.
- Guinness World Record: Longest tunnel flown through with an aeroplane: (1,730m)
- First aeroplane flight through a tunnel
- Longest flight under a solid obstacle (1,730m)
- First aeroplane flight through two tunnels
- First aeroplane takeoff from a tunnel
Italy's Dario Costa flies in Tunnel Pass
© Samo Vidic/Red Bull Content Pool
What kind of training did Costa go through to prepare? Physical and mental reaction times were key. Costa’s training at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Center (APC) was two-fold, improving his neurocognitive skills (eg, reaction times), as well as studying simulations. To experience the speed in the actual tunnels, he was also permitted to drive a car through them at 270kph ahead of his attempt.
What kinds of technology were used for training? Primary among several technology tools was a simulation that bionic surface technologies created by precisely measuring the tunnel dimensions and making a 3D scan of Costa’s aircraft, which showed exactly how he needed to fly and in what timeframe.
What were the most critical moments of the flight?
- Executing a smooth liftoff, despite the inability to angle the nose upward inside the tunnel and getting airborne by the end of the first tunnel
- Cross winds in the open-air section between tunnels
- Entry to the second tunnel, where conditions cause an increase in the lift that required fast reaction by the pilot
- Sizeable airwave 'bumps' inside the second tunnel
- Change in tunnel shape partway through the second tunnel, with a resulting decrease in lift
- Incline change in the last section of the second tunnel (uphill followed by downhill)
- Exit of the second tunnel, where change in airflow causes a decrease in lift
Italy's Dario Costa flies through cross winds in Tunnel Pass near Istanbul
© Mahmut Cinci/Red Bull Content Pool
Why did the flight take place early in the morning? Near dawn, the sun was at Costa’s back rather than in his eyes during the open-air portions of the flight. Further, the temperature difference between the interior and exterior of the tunnels is typically at its lowest early in the day, which minimises the effects of air-pressure waves for a more smooth and stable flight. Weather stations were installed inside and outside the tunnels to inform Costa of conditions ahead of his attempt.