Two Pilots Will Attempt To Swap Planes In Mid-Air This Weekend

[Oxman]

Video is in the link.

Two Pilots Will Attempt To Swap Planes In Mid-Air This Weekend

Two Pilots Will Attempt To Swap Planes In Mid-Air This Weekend

www.iflscience.com

On Sunday, April 24, two pilots, skydivers and cousins Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington, will try something quite extraordinary: switching planes while in mid-air. The feat, sponsored by Redbull, has been 10 years in the making and will be the first time in aviation history a pilot will take off in one plane and land in another.

The stunt, which will be streamed live on Hulu, will see Aikins and Farrington pilot their respective Cessna 182s to an altitude of about 4.3 kilometers (14,000 feet). At this point, they will use a custom-manufactured airbrake to hold the planes in a controlled-descent speed of 225 km/h (140mph), leave their planes uncrewed, and jump out. If all goes well, they will be able to get to the other's plane, get behind the controllers, and safely land the aircraft back on the ground – all in under a minute.

"I'm in one plane, he's in the other one, nobody else. We put the planes in a dive, straight at the ground, and then I'm going to get out of my plane, he's going to get out of his plane, and we're going to swap planes mid-flight,” Aikins, whose idea it was, told CNN.

"I'm going to skydive into his, he's going to skydive into mine, I'll bring his plane back to land and he's going to bring mine."

Explained like that, it seems simple – but there’s a lot of fascinating engineering that had to be solved before that could happen. The planes need to slow down before and during the dive otherwise the wings would be ripped off.

 

[ppragman]

Good lord, why?

I mean, this is cool, but… why?

 

[jrh]

Good lord, why?

I mean, this is cool, but… why?

Because they can.

Skydiving stunts are kind of like skateboarding, snowboarding, mountain climbing, or any number of other random things that don't really have a purpose beyond the challenge of it, the sense of accomplishment, the bragging rights, etc.

It's more about pushing to see what's possible than actually producing something useful.

 

[DropTank]

Let's go Darwin!

 

[knot4u]

I don't like to see useful airplanes destroyed for no reason, but are clapped out meat bombers really a loss? If these guys have to go to these extremes to get their rocks off I'm glad it'll be in a somewhat controlled enviroment rather than endangering anyone other than themselves if something doesn't work out as planned.

 

[Wardogg]

So I knew this other guy that purposefully jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. That didnt end so well for him.

 

[ILS37R]

So I knew this other guy that purposefully jumped out of a perfectly good airplane. That didnt end so well for him.

One of those cases where it might have been better to ask for permission rather than forgiveness...

 

[Cherokee_Cruiser]

Meh.

I've already seen something similar in Cliffhanger.

 

[bimmerphile]

red bull logo plastered across something as pedestrian as a 182 does make me chuckle

 

[zmiller4]

red bull logo plastered across something as pedestrian as a 182 does make me chuckle

If you’re looking to transport 4 people and reasonable luggage across moderate distances at a somewhat respectable speed, there’s nothing as extreme as a 182!

 

[bimmerphile]

If you’re looking to transport 4 people and reasonable luggage across moderate distances at a somewhat respectable speed, there’s nothing as extreme as a 182!

“extreme mediocrity!”
*soaring guitar riff*

 

[ppragman]

If you’re looking to transport 4 people and reasonable luggage across moderate distances at a somewhat respectable speed, there’s nothing as extreme as a 182!

It’s a good airplane, as this the 172 - they’re both boring as sin, but they’re good respectable well engineered machines.

My buddy has a Mooney, it’s a cool airplane, but it seems pretty useless if you have more than one person, a dog, and a bag.

 

[DropTank]

"Need something as boring as a flying 1997 Toyota Camry?"
"Well look no further than the Cessna 182!!"

 

[MikeD]

The good thing is, the NTSB can pre-fill the accident report of the who, what, where, and how; just have to leave the when open of date/time. Makes for an easy investigation from open to close including the report.

 

[knot4u]

"Need something as boring as a flying 1997 Toyota Camry?"
"Well look no further than the Cessna 182!!"

I like 182's, it's a wonderful airplane. So much better than a 172 if you actually want to travel. Well maintained versions are still not cheap. Unfortunately that utility led them down the sad road of being used as jump airplanes, and those examples aren't the sort of thing I'd buy and restore to travel with loved ones on board. It's not a sexy airplane, but it's perfect for a lot of private owners.

 

[DropTank]

I like 182's, it's a wonderful airplane. So much better than a 172 if you actually want to travel. Well maintained versions are still not cheap. Unfortunately that utility led them down the sad road of being used as jump airplanes, and those examples aren't the sort of thing I'd buy and restore to travel with loved ones on board. It's not a sexy airplane, but it's perfect for a lot of private owners.

Agreed.
I wouldn't own one, but it's a good utility plane.
(but boooring)
(as it's supposed to be I guess)

 

[knot4u]

Agreed.
I wouldn't own one, but it's a good utility plane.
(but boooring)
(as it's supposed to be I guess)

Wouldn't you agree it's a perfect personal airplane for someone who isn't wealthy, but has a passion for aviation, that is only able to fly 3-4 times a month and wants to travel 400-500 miles with 1-3 pax and a small amount of luggage? I have a friend with a very nice 182 that he owns on a strict budget and that's exactly how he uses it. It lives outside with covers on it and I know he'd love to have a hangar, but he's happy to own it and take care of it (he's also an A/P). When he first got into it he was a partner and ended up buying out the original owner. Is it boring? I suppose that's a question of relativity, for him it most certainly isn't.

 

[DropTank]

Wouldn't you agree it's a perfect personal airplane for someone who isn't wealthy, but has a passion for aviation, that is only able to fly 3-4 times a month and wants to travel 400-500 miles with 1-3 pax and a small amount of luggage? I have a friend with a very nice 182 that he owns on a strict budget and that's exactly how he uses it. It lives outside with covers on it and I know he'd love to have a hangar, but he's happy to own it and take care of it (he's also an A/P). When he first got into it he was a partner and ended up buying out the original owner. Is it boring? I suppose that's a question of relativity, for him it most certainly isn't.

I absolutely agree.
And boring isn't entirely an insult. Frankly, for the normal pilot, boring is exactly what you want in most airplanes.
Fly, be reliable, be safe.

Disclaimer: I'm not one to own a plane. They're always money pits, and nothing in the price range I'm willing to purchase interests me.

 

[knot4u]

I absolutely agree.
And boring isn't entirely an insult. Frankly, for the normal pilot, boring is exactly what you want in most airplanes.
Fly, be reliable, be safe.

Disclaimer: I'm not one to own a plane. They're always money pits, and nothing in the price range I'm willing to purchase interests me.

I think the most exciting airplane I ever was able to fly was a Pitts S2-B. A friend owned one and occasionally he'd invite me to go flying. I'd show up to his hangar at KVNY and have to take everything (when I say everything I mean everything) out of my pockets and put them in "gym" lockers he had set up in the hangar. We'd fit the parachute as he'd give the same brief regarding anything going wrong and we'd push the airplane out, close the hangar doors, jump in and go flying. I was not, and am still not, qualified to even taxi an S2-B but oftentimes once we were away from the airport he'd let me fly. He taught me about entering and exiting loops and barrel rolls. It seemed to me that if you even thought about doing something in that airplane it was already halfway there. My friend was Wayne Richards, he was killed flying his Thunder Mustang one afternoon when the engine failed. I miss that guy.

 

[DropTank]

I think the most exciting airplane I ever was able to fly was a Pitts S2-B. A friend owned one and occasionally he'd invite me to go flying. I'd show up to his hangar at KVNY and have to take everything (when I say everything I mean everything) out of my pockets and put them in "gym" lockers he had set up in the hangar. We'd fit the parachute as he'd give the same brief regarding anything going wrong and we'd push the airplane out, close the hangar doors, jump in and go flying. I was not, and am still not, qualified to even taxi an S2-B but oftentimes once we were away from the airport he'd let me fly. He taught me about entering and exiting loops and barrel rolls. It seemed to me that if you even thought about doing something in that airplane it was already halfway there. My friend was Wayne Richards, he was killed flying his Thunder Mustang one afternoon when the engine failed. I miss that guy.

The problem with exciting flying is that it will eventually become too exciting.
It's just pushing the odds in the wrong direction.