Red Bull Stunt Will Have Pilots Switch Planes in Mid-Air

The planes will be going 140 mph when the pilots jump out.

If Red Bull really does give you wings, then now is the time.

For years, the maker of the energy drink has sponsored an array of the most outrageous stunts in the name of marketing. These have included a world record snowmobile jump of 412 feet, and a racecar ascending winding Pike’s Peak at 87-mile-hour – not to mention an exploit where a snowboarder climbed and then snowboarded down a 3,000 meter run on an active volcano.

The company has another extreme stunt on schedule for next month and this one might be the most daring yet: the beverage maker has announced that – in an event to be livestreamed on Hulu – two skydivers will attempt the impossible.

Red Bull says Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington, two accomplished pilots and skydivers who happen to also be cousins, are planning to take flight in customized, Red Bull branded planes and then switch aircrafts mid-flight.

The plan is for Aikins and Farrington to cut the power to their planes after reaching an altitude of 14,000 feet. At that point, they will exit and attempt to approach the other’s nosediving plane, board it and take control.

According to Aikins, he and Farrington are bringing more to the spectacle than just an appetite for risk. He says he wants to show the world that he’s not “just a skydiver” or a “crazy stuntman.” He says, “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.”

Skills, yes. And also a strong stomach. According to Red Bull, the planes will be traveling at 140 miles per hour when Aikins and Farrington jump out mid-air. If you’re curious enough to check it out, you’ll find the livestream kicking off April 24th, starting at 4pm Pacific.


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