Once in a while we run videos that fit in the “don’t try this at home” category. This one definitely belongs there. Red Bull Air Race pilot Hannes Arch recently flew a slalom course around a line of windmills at the Tauern Wind Park in Oberzeiring, Austria — Arch’s birth country. The result is the spectacular video below.
“When you have such a wind farm at your front door and fly past it often, it’s no wonder you want to fly through it at some point,” Arch said.
While Arch is no stranger to quick turns at high speeds, the stakes were much higher in the windmill stunt compared with the twisting courses at the Red Bull Air Races. The pylons Arch usually flies around are inflatable, and there is no damage to the race airplane if it hits those obstacles. However, the damage caused by even the slightest nudge to a solid windmill would be devastating to both airplane and pilot.
Standing at around 230 feet tall, the windmills are also taller than the Red Bull Air Race pylons. Another addition to the challenge was the fact that the terrain around the wind farm is far from flat.
With the knowledge of Arch’s extensive experience flying extreme flight paths, the flight was nothing short of spectacular. But unless you are a world-class aerobatic pilot with much experience flying pylon courses, please don’t try this at home.
