Aerial first: Max Manow's daring canyon glide with a plane
Max Manow from the Red Bull Skydive Team has become the first person in the world to execute an extraordinary air manoeuvre by attaching himself to a flying aeroplane. This remarkable achievement took place over a canyon, and shortly afterwards, the daredevil and the towing plane flew into the canyon together.
German parachutist and skydiver Max Manow, a Red Bull Skydive Team member, accomplished this astonishing feat. As depicted in the video footage shared, Max jumped out of a helicopter to grab a handle extended from an aeroplane, allowing the plane to tow him.
Max Manow wore a special wingsuit with aerodynamic surfaces that create lift, enabling gliding after jumping from a height. The German parachutist executed a series of such jumps in the United States over the Little Colorado River and its carved canyon.
After leaping from the helicopter, Max Manow began a stable dive, maintaining a flat trajectory towards the canyon. Soon after, a plane appeared featuring a unique handle beneath its fuselage.
Thanks to this set-up, Max Manow, towed by the plane, flew into the canyon of the Little Colorado River, rose above it, disconnected from the plane, and safely landed on the ground with a parachute.
During this unusual trial, the lightweight Cessna 182 aeroplane used for the experiment played a crucial role. Not only was a boom placed under its fuselage, but a sizeable perforated airbrake was also utilised. This allowed the aeroplane to decelerate adequately during a shallow dive, enabling Max Manow to grasp the boom with the handle after flipping onto his back.
The method of evacuating CIA agents
The aerial manoeuvre somewhat resembles an inverted Fulton STARS system, a method developed in the United States for evacuating individuals or loads from the ground and used by the CIA, among others.
The method involved a low-flying aeroplane capturing a balloon with an attached rope, to which a person in a special protective suit was secured. After capturing the balloon, the aeroplane "snatched" the person from the ground, towing them through the air.
