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Speedy "Sputnik"
Daredevil beats flight time of Aer Arann aircraft
World renowned Swiss wing-suit flyer Ueli "Sputnik" Gegenschatz, who recently base jumped from the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris, travelled to the west coast of Ireland over the June bank holiday weekend to complete a unique project.
Daredevil "Sputnik" flew unaided, a distance of 17.6km - the longest flight ever recorded in a wing-suit - gliding from above the edge of beautiful Inis Mor over Galway bay to Connemara regional airport near Inverin in county Galway. Sputnik also beat the flight time of the Aer Arann Islander passenger aircraft, which travels this route daily in seven minutes, by a full 75 seconds.
In order to complete the distance, Sputnik needed to exit his skydiving aircraft at an altitude of 4,500 metres. He flew across the Atlantic waters at an average speed of 250km/hr with the aid of a strong tailwind. The passanger aircraft, with a top speed of 193km/hr, took off from Inis Mor airstrip, cruising to an altitude of 200 metres as Sputnik exited his aircraft high above the island.
Sputnik released his parachute 200 metres above the mainland before touching down on the runway at Connemara Regional airport, clocking a time of five mins 45 secs. "I was fortunate to have very strong tailwinds on the day which increased my chances of making the long distance. It enabled me to reach an average speed of 250km/hr and make the crossing. I was happy not to land in the ocean as I've heard the Irish waters are very cold!"
Sputnik has been on a global quest to find the most challenging terrains of the world to traverse in his specially designed wing-suit. His adventures have brought him to the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps, Popocatepetl in Mexico and now to the Aran Islands on Ireland's stunning Atlantic coast.
Using a Garmin GPS tracking device on his wrist, Sputnik transmitted data back to his laptop on the ground which calculated his top and average speed during the race.
Paul Tuthill is the MOLI View's contributing editor for the UK & Ireland
Daredevil "Sputnik" flew unaided, a distance of 17.6km - the longest flight ever recorded in a wing-suit - gliding from above the edge of beautiful Inis Mor over Galway bay to Connemara regional airport near Inverin in county Galway. Sputnik also beat the flight time of the Aer Arann Islander passenger aircraft, which travels this route daily in seven minutes, by a full 75 seconds.
In order to complete the distance, Sputnik needed to exit his skydiving aircraft at an altitude of 4,500 metres. He flew across the Atlantic waters at an average speed of 250km/hr with the aid of a strong tailwind. The passanger aircraft, with a top speed of 193km/hr, took off from Inis Mor airstrip, cruising to an altitude of 200 metres as Sputnik exited his aircraft high above the island.
Sputnik released his parachute 200 metres above the mainland before touching down on the runway at Connemara Regional airport, clocking a time of five mins 45 secs. "I was fortunate to have very strong tailwinds on the day which increased my chances of making the long distance. It enabled me to reach an average speed of 250km/hr and make the crossing. I was happy not to land in the ocean as I've heard the Irish waters are very cold!"
Sputnik has been on a global quest to find the most challenging terrains of the world to traverse in his specially designed wing-suit. His adventures have brought him to the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps, Popocatepetl in Mexico and now to the Aran Islands on Ireland's stunning Atlantic coast.
Using a Garmin GPS tracking device on his wrist, Sputnik transmitted data back to his laptop on the ground which calculated his top and average speed during the race.
Paul Tuthill is the MOLI View's contributing editor for the UK & Ireland
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