Max Manow Redefines Skydiving With Mid-Air Plane Catch
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Max Manow, a member of Red Bull's skydiving team, has redefined the extreme sport with the world’s first mid-air plane hook maneuver. The daring feat involved jumping from a helicopter, catching onto a nosediving plane mid-air, and then free-falling again before landing safely.
The amazing stunt occurred 10,000 feet (3,048 m) above Arizona’s Hell Hole Bend canyon. The deep chasm lies along the Little Colorado River. In the video released by Red Bull on February 5, 2025, Mannow jumps from a helicopter and uses his wingsuit to steer toward the canyon. Flipping onto his back, he grabs a specially attached handlebar on a small plane that is descending in a controlled manner. The aircraft then carries him back up to about 2,500 feet (762 m). From here, Mannow free-falls once more before landing safely.
Though the 35-year-old German skydiver made it look effortless, the stunt required months of preparation. The first challenge was finding a canyon wide enough for a small plane to maneuver and deep enough to allow Manow time to catch it. Hell Hole Bend, measuring 787 feet (240 m) wide and 1,400 feet (427 m) deep, was the perfect location. The next and most critical step was finding a highly skilled pilot to help him execute the feat. For this, Manow enlisted Red Bull aerobatic pilot Luke Aikins.
"It’s all about trust," Manow said. "The first big challenge was meeting Luke in the air. The first time I attached to the handle, it was incredibly difficult. The airflow was different, throwing me around. I had to learn entirely new ways of flying."
Manow's amazing achievement has inspired the concept of an "endless skydive." By repeatedly jumping out of and reattaching to a plane, skydivers could theoretically stay in the air indefinitely without landing.
Resources: newatlas.com, redbull.com
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24 Comments
mr_squawkabout 19 hoursI wonder if this will start a world record race for how many times you can skydive and hatch and skydive and over and over.
bestboiabout 24 hoursdude "singing I believe I can fly"
garciaast3 daysREDBULL GIVES YOU WINGS!!
sophiakrissy64 daysI love skydivers!
yoisyo4 daysThis is so COOL!!!
sujononeliwe4 daysWhere can I sign up for this skydive?
zukegusu-1726504827054 daysso cool I wish I could do that
s92710475 daysits redbull what did u expext tho 💀
ddm5845415 daysI guess red bull gives you wings
dragonyear20255 daysthat is so sick!!
