Ride & Fly: yes, paragliding motorbikes!

+VIDEO What’s the craziest flying you can imagine? Low level aeros? Water-skimming in an aeroplane? STOL competitions? Nope, nowhere close.

French motocross rider Tom Pagès has invented ‘Ride & Fly’ – riding a powerful off-road motorcycle attached to a paraglider wing off the top of a mountain.

Here’s Tom’s video, supported by Red Bull.

The action takes place on the rugged Alpine terrain of Les Portes du Soleil in Haute-Savoie, France. Tom rides the motocross bike downhill with the paraglider wing attached. The wing inflates and away he soars, pulling off various moves as he descends at speeds up to 100km/h.

The stunt builds on a previous one where he parachuted the motorbike off a 135-metre (443-foot) cliff, Tom Cruise style. Both Toms trained with Albert Baud, a legendary paraglider instructor at Morzine in the French Alps.

Tom Pagès landing the paraglider/motorcycle combination. Photos: Red Bull

Tom Pagès said, “When I feel the wheels take-off, I need to add more throttle to reach 30km/h. My four-stroke bike weighs 105 kilos, so you have to lift it!”

Once airborne, Pagès unhooks his paraglider controls from his elbows, takes them into his hands, and lets go of the handlebars.

“The flight becomes super cool,” he said. “At first, I was really scared in the air. But now I’m fine, I’m shaving the grass, flying through the trees, and even forgetting that I’m on a motorbike.”