14 May 2024
+VIDEO A British microlight pilot has done it. An RAF pilot did it in a Hawker Hunter. Helicopters did it for the London Olympics opening. Now two skydivers have flown at high speed wearing wingsuits through London’s Tower Bridge – with CAA approval.
The two Austrian skydivers, Marco Fürst and Marco Waltenspiel, jumped from a helicopter at 5.25am on Sunday morning, 12 May. They descended from 3,000ft at speeds reaching 153mph and flew across the River Thames 35 metres above the water between the bridge towers.
Tally ho! There’s the bridge! Last one through buys the beers…
After ‘minding the gap’ they used momentum to climb to 80 metres then popped parachutes for controlled landings on designated barges on the Thames. The whole thing was over in just 45 seconds.
Marco Fürst said, “The jump was beautiful and everything worked out really well. In the last two and a half years we planned everything through and had the best preparation and training. I really enjoyed the journey and I’m really grateful to work with Marco and such a good team to bring our dream to life”.
The pair practised the stunt in Oxfordshire using two cranes to simulate the bridge’s towers.
Fellow skydiver, Marco Waltenspiel, added, “You can’t rebuild this unique bridge. We did around 200 training jumps just for this day, just for this minute. The difference between training and today is, of course, huge. It’s not a common jump, it’s unique. It was quite intense and I’m super happy now.”
Marco Fuerst and Marco Waltenspiel of Austria after their flight through Tower Bridge. Photos: Red Bull
Wingsuit flying has revolutionised the world of skydiving, transforming vertical descent into horizontal flight, followed by a safe landing using a parachute. Fürst and Waltenspiel, members of the Red Bull Skydive Team, are among the top wingsuit practitioners globally, with extensive records of jumps such as flying over Croatia’s heart island and iconic downhill ski run ‘The Streif’ in Kitzbühl, Austria.
“It’s just insane to get this opportunity to fly through such a unique landmark,” said Waltenspiel. “You see stunts like this in films but to actually do it ourselves is amazing. It gives me goosebumps just talking about it.”
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