Travel is all about the adventure: one part what you’re doing and two parts what you’ll tell the people back home when the trip is over. That’s just human nature.
But…
…some folks take it a little further. And some of those people video it for later. Whether you watch them for inspiration, education, or to make a list of things you will never let anybody talk you into, you must check out these most incredibly epic flying videos from travellers around the world.
1. Hot Enough Helicopter
You can ride a helicopter to see the sites at most of the places you might fly to visit, but in 2014 some visitors to Iceland recorded this video from helicopter of the Bardarbunga Volcano erupting. This is full-on pyroclastic flow time, here, not the “slightly smoking rock” of a Hawaii volcano “adventure.” When you consider what active volcanoes do to wind patterns and air pressure, it’s amazing how smooth the ride appears.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLOIvrxmbxo
2. Wingsuit Landing
Wingsuit flying has already been described as the doom of mankind because we have finally invented a hobby that’s more fun than staying alive. It’s a hardcore adventure sport under normal circumstances. Now watch Gary Connery jump from a helicopter at 2,400ft flying a wingsuit then landing without deploying a parachute.
3. The Red Bull Banzai
Yes, this is a few years old but it remains one of the best-publicized extreme flight events of all time. Red Bull sponsored extreme athlete Felix Baumgartner to jump from a height of 128,000 feet (39 kilometers above ground) to break the existing freefall record by a distance of nearly two miles. Technically, this is less “flying” and more “falling with extreme style,” but it remains an epic example of aerial awesomeness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f-K-XnHi9I
4. Guy Skypes With His Parents While Skydiving
This video is exactly what it sounds like, including a relatively normal skydiving trip along with reaction footage of his (surprisingly foul-mouthed) parents in a skype call during the event. If you skydive or zipline on your next holiday, we dare you to do the same. “Hey, I bet you can’t guess what I’m doing” takes on a whole new meaning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzYxhqhvKyI
5. The World’s Longest Tandem Zipline
Zipline trips are so common now that people who call themselves “travellers” instead of “tourists” sometimes avoid them as passe. But only visitors to Whistler in Canada get to ride the 2-kilometer drop at speeds of up to 150km/h over the treetops. There’s a higher ride in Alaska but for jaw-dropping, breathtaking views, there’s nothing quite like this one. One lucky tourist caught it on camera.
6. A Different Kind of G Spot
Red Bull Air Race is an annual speed and precision slalom for prop plane fliers from around the world, and even preparing for it is a serious test of skill and endurance. Watch here as Hannes Arch of Austria pulls 11.2G of acceleration during practice. The average human passes out at around 5G.
7. Storming It Old School
Before the days of Red Bull and high-tech collision prevention – heck, even before the days of jet engines, particularly insane pilots would “barnstorm” for oohing and aahing crowds. It gets its name from the practice of flying a biplane low enough and with enough precision to fly it through a barn, but really any one-story building with a wide enough door will do the trick. This specific video features a pair of pilots storming the same barn simultaneously.
8. Get High With A Water Jet Pack
Imagine a toy that gives you the ability to fly 30 feet above the ocean. Well, some clever fella has only gone and invented such a thing. Introducing the Flyboard…
Actually skydiving from orbit, or wingsuiting through a canyon, takes time and training most travellers can’t work into their schedules or budget. But you can totally do many of the other items on this list as part of a trip to South Africa, Hawaii, Iceland or many other destinations. Work up your courage, then get that trip started by booking your flight today.
