Stunt at 170 km/h

Successful can handover: record at 4000 meters altitude

The two pilots were just an arm's length away from each other as they handed over the cans at lofty heights.(Bild: Wunschkind / Red Bull Content Pool)

Handing over a can at around 170 km/h and 2500 meters above sea level? A glider acrobat and a skydiver achieved the almost impossible shortly before Airpower24.

With the radio message "Energy low - request refuel!", Red Bull Blanix glider acrobat Ewald Roithner had realized an extremely challenging "fantasy", because the timing for this unprecedented stunt had to be perfect.

"I flew upside down"
A constant flight was essential in order to realize the handover of the can to the skydiver. "I flew upside down and stuck my hand out of the cockpit to receive the can from Marco Fürst," explains Roithner.

Not a mission impossible
"It was scary in the air, flying so close to Ewald and his glider in the wingsuit," says Fürst from the Skydive team. "My feet were extremely close to the wings and it was a real challenge to stay so close. The closer you are to fixed objects in the air, the riskier it becomes for us as wingsuit pilots."

The two pilots were only an arm's length away from each other as they handed over the cans at lofty heights.(Bild: Wunschkind / Red Bull Content Pool)

"Arm's length away from each other"
"We were only an arm's length away from each other. That was a very special moment." Roithner emphasized the difficulty of keeping the glider stable and at a constant speed.

"When the skydivers flew their formation close to the glider, I immediately felt the effects of the air turbulence." Any turbulence was "clearly noticeable on the wings".

The stunt was a success - a worthy prelude to Airpower24 on September 6 and 7, 2024 at Hinterstoisser Air Base in Zeltweg.