AssetID: 55265322
Headline: RAW VIDEO: Red Bull aerial athletes complete 'first of its kind' global aerial assault course
Caption: Red Bull’s top aerial athletes and pilots have come together to create the ‘Ultimate Aerial Obstacle Course’ - a 15-stage airborne challenge that includes stunts in the open skies, as well as beside mountains, and city skylines. Filmed over two years across eight countries and involving 34 athletes, the project combines wingsuit flying, skydiving, paramotors, aerobatics, and drone formations into a single “party jump” that pushes the limits of aerial collaboration. “It’s the most fun project I’ve ever been involved in,” said Marco Waltenspiel, BASE jumper and member of the Red Bull Skydive Team. “Really, it’s 15 projects in one, and something we’ll remember for a while.” The concept began as a series of athlete-driven ideas, with participants from across disciplines contributing their own creative obstacles. “With the crew we have, it was easy to brainstorm, as there are loads of creative people on the team,” explained Dani Román, who flew in formation for the Hot Air Balloon Target. “Somebody brings an idea, then somebody else adds something.” Each idea evolved into a months-long process of testing, planning and coordination. “There’s no roadmap for something like this. Each one of these obstacles is its own project,” said Luke Aikins, skydiver, Red Bull Air Force member, and one of the sport directors. “The only way we were able to do it is that we have the best athletes in the world - and the impossible is what we do every day.” The course began in Croatia with wingsuiters leaping from a plane to chase jet skis parachuting into the Adriatic, before flying through smoke tunnels traced by The Flying Bulls Alpha Jets. From there, athletes navigated airborne rings, human gates formed by skydivers, and a paper target suspended beneath a hot-air balloon over Spain. In the United States, wingsuit pilots swooped onto a mountain to burst balloons with blades attached to their feet, while in Italy, others were launched skyward by giant catapults built on a mountain peak. “The catapult was one of my favourites to help bring to life, as everything we did was totally new,” said Román. “Putting three catapults on top of a mountain is a lot of work. You pull them all at once, and suddenly you’re flying.” Later stages saw pilots weaving through pylons above the Swiss Alps, catching a mid-air line from a paramotor over Austria before releasing in Dubai, and flying through a glowing Red Bull can formed by 600 drones hovering 1,000 feet above the city. “The Red Bull Drone Can is one-of-a-kind. It was like a video game,” said Max Manow. “Now you have drones to fly through and aim at and play with. I think it’s the future of airshows, and I can’t wait.” Other highlights included slaloming between Dubai’s skyscrapers and flying through the centre of Atlantis The Royal before landing on moving jet skis in the Bahamas for the finale. “It was one of the best flights of my life,” said Chilean pilot Sebastián Álvarez after chasing jet smoke trails through airborne rings. French wingsuit pioneer Fred Fugen added: “For me, it’s something we all dream of doing – having big pylons in the middle of the mountains and flying a slalom with your friends.” The project’s technical complexity required unprecedented coordination between air teams, drones and pilots. Behind every second of flight were months of logistical preparation and safety planning. “Even if we show the behind-the-scenes, people won’t realise how much work and teamwork are involved,” Fugen continued. The Ultimate Aerial Obstacle Course full film, which premiered on 13 November 2025, is available to watch on YouTube.
Keywords: red bull,aerial assault course,stunts,flying,feature,photo,wingsuit,video
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