Slovenian climber completes world’s first ascent on wings of glider in mid-flight

The 31-year-old completed nan feat astatine an altitude of 2,500 metres, navigating some wings successful a figure-eight manoeuvre earlier ending nan effort pinch a parachute jump and backflip from 1,500 metres.

The climb, rated astatine trouble level 8a, tested Škofic against headwinds of up to 100 kilometres per hour, sub-zero windchill and shifting G-forces. Months of preparation, including upwind passageway sessions, parachute training and spot conditioning, were required to make nan task possible. Specially designed aerodynamic handles, developed by Škofic’s father, were fixed onto nan wings to withstand nan strain of his movements.

Pilot Ewald Roithner of nan Red Bull Blanix Team flew nan glider astatine unusually debased speeds to support stableness during nan attempt. The climb, documented by 9 onboard cameras, has been described arsenic a unsocial operation of utmost sport, aviation and engineering, turning an thought erstwhile thought intolerable into reality.