If you happened to be in central London early on Sunday morning, you probably wouldn’t have believed you were seeing.
As the sun rose over the capital, one of the most ambitious stunts the River Thames has ever seen unfolded when professional Red Bull skydivers Marco Fürst and Marco Waltenspiel made history with the first-ever wingsuit flight through Tower Bridge.
The duo jumped from a helicopter 3,000ft in the air, before freefalling 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 1.2km and reaching a top speed of 246 kilometres per hour.
Watch the jaw-dropping stunt from a first-person perspective on Red Bull’s Instagram.
This was a stunt two years in the making, with Red Bull’s preparations beginning in April 2022. This involved constructing a training ground in Oxfordshire, which featured two cranes to mimic the dimensions of Tower Bridge.
How Livett’s assisted this once-in-a-lifetime stunt
The Livett’s team were involved in the project from the very beginning, with Ed Livett serving as marine coordinator.
We worked hand-in-hand with Red Bull, helping them to secure the extensive permissions and licences required for the stunt to go ahead. We also advised on how to carry out the marine aspects of the flight, including the landing and filming, safely and successfully.
On the day itself, we provided:
- Six safety boats
- Three barges from National Pontoon
- Two tugs
- A camera boat
We’ll be sharing more information about our involvement in a dedicated portfolio case study soon, so keep an eye out for that.
We are absolutely delighted that everyone’s hard work and dedication paid off, with the never-to-be-repeated flight going off without a hitch.
Here’s to the next world-first on the Thames!
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