BASE jumping into a plane mid-air - GIF

[Altair]

Red Bull wingsuit flyers BASE jumping into a plane mid-air.




Previously:

Exiting a moving train - GIFs
Boarding a moving cargo vessel - GIF
Uphill landing and downhill takeoff - GIF

[tonyfoale]

Great stuff.

[ranald]

Not on my bucket list.

[tonyfoale]

Not on my bucket list.

I'd love to try. Seriously, I would like to try just flying with those superhero capes. Landing in a plane would not be a priority though.

[hemmjo]

WOW, if I may change the old line just a bit, "I see no reason to jump off of a perfectly good rock!!"

I am admit I would LOVE to be able to do that kind of stuff, but, I just know my brain would not let me jump off that mountain, let alone try to fly into the door of that airplane, diving toward the canyon floor.

I say the pilot has the same size stones and level of skills as the jumpers!!!

Very cool that some people can do that kind of stuff!!!!!!

[Duke_of_URL]

Matching airspeed would be vitally important in order to avoid serious bodily injury, or a 'big red splat,' inside the plane.

Notice on the video at 0:56 how the Pilatus PC-6 "Porter" aircraft appears to be in a fairly aggressive descent so as to achieve and maintain the prearranged "target" airspeed. The speed range of the PC-6 is from a Stall Speed @ 60mph, a Cruise Speed of 132mph, and a Maximum* Speed of 144mph (*the Pilatus "Do Not Exceed" Speed is 170mph). The Wingsuit Jumpers' velocities will range between 120mph in a "belly flat to the earth" position, and up to 180mph in a "head to earth/feet to sky" attitude. It would therefore seem the "target speed" for all participants is between 135-140mph. That answer would be interesting to know.

Dealing with the wing vortices when approaching the aircraft from behind would be harrowing enough, but making it though that tiny door opening would really be crazy, since all it would take is to bang ones head on the door frame hard enough to go unconscious then fall back out of the aircraft, tumbling out of control, until the parachute's automatic deployment mechanism activated around 250 feet. What amazes me even more than the daredevil stunt itself is that Red Bull convinced EASA (the EU's version of the "FAA") to allow it to occur in commercial airspace.