Red Bull Wingsuit Skydive over Tower Bridge
Professional skydivers Marco Waltespiel and Marco Fürst accomplished the first wingsuit flight through Tower Bridge. At 5:25 am on Sunday, 12th May, above London. The duo leapt from one of our AS355 helicopters, at an altitude of 3,000 feet. Accelerating to speeds of up to 153mph during their freefall, they descended as close as 35 meters above the River Thames flying in between the towers of the bridge. Skilfully executing a complex manoeuvre called a “flare”. They ascended back up to 80 meters, the necessary height to deploy their parachutes safely before landing.
Executing The World’s First Wingsuit Skydive Through Tower Bridge
For this project, the aircraft used as the picture ship and aerial stunt underwent a transformation and was branded as a Red Bull machine with the use of vinyl. The helicopter wrap changed the appearance of G-OLCP from its original VIP silver and black to a vibrant blue. The aircraft was adorned with the iconic Red Bull logo placed across both the side and tail of the aircraft.
Additionally, the branded helicopter, with the wingsuit pair on board, had another modification which involved the removal of one of the doors. With these preparations complete, the pair executed a skydive – an aerial stunt well within our realm of expertise.
To execute the aerial filming for Red Bull, we deployed a second AS355 helicopter paired with the Shotover K1, equipped with a RED V-Raptor camera and a Canon 50-5000mm lens. Pilot Will Banks served as the camera pilot, with Phil Arntz as the Director of Photography.
Permissions Required
Tower Bridge was purposely closed for the world’s first skydive for wingsuiters, Waltespiel and Fürst to fly through Tower Bridge.
To accomplish this unique and world-first skydive through Tower Bridge, we obtained the necessary permissions to ascend into Heathrow Class A airspace, along with our long-standing permit for low-level flying.
For this project, we collaborated with The Aerial Film Company to aid in providing aerial filming services.
