Professional Red Bull skydivers Marco Fürst and Marco Waltenspiel, successfully attempted the world’s first wingsuit flight through London’s defining landmark: Tower Bridge.
Attempting a challenge never-before faced in history, the Marcos jumped from a helicopter at 3,000 feet high, diving down to 35 metres above the River Thames, soaring through Tower Bridge and completing a complex manoeuvre, known as a ‘flare,’ to rise up again to 80 metres, the height required to open their parachutes before landing safely.
From takeoff to landing, the wingsuit flight lasted 45 seconds, covering a distance of 1.2 kilometres and reaching a top speed of 246 kilometres per hour.
Red Bull skydiver Marco Fürst said:
“I just feel amazing. The jump was beautiful and everything worked out really good. 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.”
Red Bull skydiver Marco Waltenspiel said: “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.”
It is a challenge the pair have been preparing for since April 2022 and has involved constructing a training ground in Oxfordshire, which featured two cranes to mimic the dimensions of the Tower Bridge.
Wingsuit flying is known to have revolutionised skydiving, with the purpose to convert vertical falling into a horizontal flight, then landing safely on the ground using a parachute.
Known for pushing the conventional limits of skydiving, the Marcos are part of the Red Bull Skydive Team. Having completed over 22,000 jumps between them in places like Croatia’s heart island and iconic downhill ski run ‘The Streif’ in Kitzbühl, Austria, the duo have now achieved their dream of flying through the historic London landmark.
Red Bull partnered with Canon as the Official Camera Partner to bring the project to life, utilising a broad range of cutting-edge imaging technology to capture the action.
Watch Marco Fürst & Marco Waltenspiel’s successful wingsuit flight through the Tower Bridge via Red Bull UK HERE
