Red Bull’s motto has long been “It Gives You Wings” and their latest video certainly proves it.
Known for their impressive death-defying stunts, the energy drink-turned-extreme sports brand sent two of its best Red Bull Air Race pilots to the sky to try to become the first duo to ever fly through a building.
At upwards of 185 mph (160 knots), Paul Bonhomme and Steve Jones can be seen flying their Xtreme Air XA41 planes just three feet above the ground in formation. While others have accomplished the feat solo, it’s never been done by a pair.
The aerobatic duo, who have been flying together for almost 17 years, are used to pulling off ridiculous stunts that would leave us crapping our pants – but as you can see in the video, both of the pilots knew the risk of attempting to fly through the hangar.
In typical Red Bull fashion, the video is beautifully shot and offers a variety of unique angles both outside the plane and in the cockpit with Bonhomme and Jones. There’s even a video that gives the viewer a 360-degree look from the wing, proving just how precise the two pilots had to be to thread the needle and make history.
“Ultimately if we get it wrong, we hit a building, so pulling up and seeing Steve still there, there was a great sense of relief, but it was really great fun and also slightly bizarre flying through a building with my mate,” Bonhomme said about flying through the 24-foot high hangar in North Wales.
The stunt was done to help promote the upcoming Red Bull Air Race events Sept. 26-27 at Texas Motor Speedway and Oct. 17-18 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship features many of the world’s best race pilots using the fastest, most agile and lightweight racing planes to navigate through a low-level aerial track made up of air-filled pylons 80 feet high at speeds of up to 230 mph.
The entire series is also broadcast on FOX Sports 1.
Ed Miller is a contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on Twitter @PhillyEdMiller or “like” CraveOnline Sports on Facebook.
Photos courtesy of Red Bull Content Pool.
