Two US Pilots Set To Perform Mid-Air Plane Swap Live, Will Skydive Into Each Other's Unmanned Aircraft

Cousins Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington, both members of Red Bull Air Force, are looking to make history by doing a mid-air plane swap.

Two Red Bull Air Force members practise a mid-air plane swap

New Delhi: The world is set to see an aerial performance that has never been attempted before. Two pilots will perform the stunt this weekend that will involve two planes. 

Cousins Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington, both members of Red Bull Air Force, are looking to make history by doing a mid-air plane swap.

Yes, you heard that right.

According to the plan, as shared by Red Bull Air Force, each will first solo pilot an aircraft, then put them into a vertical nosedive, jump out leaving no one at the controls, before skydiving into each other's planes, ABC7Chicago.com reported.

The event will be streamed live for three hours on OTT platform Hulu in the US from 7 pm ET on Sunday, April 24 (4.30 am IST, Monday).

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Red Bull Air Force (@redbullairforce)

Aikins and Farrington are skydiving pros, and will perform the stunt in two Cessna 182 single-seat aircraft, flying 14,000 feet over Arizona.

Red Bull Ait Force has been posting teaser videos of the plane swap feat on Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Red Bull Air Force (@redbullairforce)

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Red Bull Air Force (@redbullairforce)

According to the ABC7 report, the pilots will stop the engines and exit their respective aircraft mid-air once the planes are pitched in a synchronised nosedive position, plunging at a speed of 140 mph. “The duo will then skydive toward each other's planes, enter the cockpits, disengage the braking system, restart the engines and retake control,” it said.

It is Aikins who is said to have conceptualised the ‘Plane Swap’, and he is the same pilot who performed the first-ever skydive without a parachute on live TV in 2016. 

He shared a "cool photo of testing" on Instagram.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Luke Aikins (@lukeaikins)

"Plane Swap is the natural progression and culmination of my life's work as a professional, both in the air as a pilot and skydiver and on the ground as an innovator," Aikins was quoted as saying in the ABC7 report. "It's the pinnacle of my career and my goal is to inspire the world and show that anything is possible."