A stunt pilot has made a 'world first' flight – after travelling through several road tunnels while in the air.
Dario Costa, a professional race and stunt pilot, started his specially modified Zivko Edge 540 race plane inside one of the dual Çatalca Tunnels on Turkey's Northern Marmara Highway nearIstanbul.
Costa, who has over two decades of flying experience and has logged more than 5000 hours in the air, has been dreaming of a 'Tunnel Pass' flight for years, describing the challenge as being the most demanding and complex undertaking of his career.
The challenge took place on September 4, with the flight caught on camera.
The flight tunnels, which are made of concrete arc walls, was made challenging by the dim light of the first tunnel.
'I'd never flown in a tunnel in my life - nobody had ever done it' Pilot Dario Costa. Photo / Red Bull
With limited overhead clearance, the pilot had to keep the aircraft low on a flight path just above the asphalt road while also managing the cosy margin of only four metres between each wingtip and the concrete walls. One slightly wrong move, and the stunt would end in disaster.
According to Red Bull, changes to the airflow in the tunnel, combined with the highly sensitive steering of the aircraft, required reaction times of less than 250 milliseconds from Costa.
It is understood the stunt pilot first navigated through the 360-metre tunnel, followed by the longer one that measured 1160 metres. It took 43.44 seconds to complete the stunt.
In a statement, Costa said the biggest challenge was flying through the space between each tunnel as the aircraft was subjected to crosswinds all while he had to gear up for the next tunnel's entry.
"Everything seemed to be happening so fast, but when I got out of the first tunnel, the plane started to move to the right because of the crosswinds and in my head, everything slowed down in that moment," explained Costa.
The tunnel stunt required nerves of steel and reaction times of less than 250 milliseconds. Photo / Red Bull
"I reacted and just focused on getting the plane back on the right path to enter the other tunnel. Then in my mind, everything sped up all over again."
From takeoff to exiting the second tunnel, the flight covered a distance of 2.26km. And in less than 44 seconds, Costa had set a certified Guinness World Record plus four more records.
"I'd never flown in a tunnel in my life – nobody had ever done it – so there was a big question mark in my head whether everything would go as we expected," said Costa. "It was a big relief, of course, but big, big happiness was the main emotion. For me, it's another dream come true."
