This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Who needs to take a hike past the Hollywood Sign when you can buzz by it after jumping out of a plane? This extreme approach is the work of The Red Bull Air Force, described as "a team assembled from the most accomplished and experienced skydivers, B.A.S.E. jumpers and paragliders on the planet."
The five-member team (Luke Aikins, Miles Daisher, Mike Swanson, Andy Farrington and Jon DeVore) recently put on their special jumpsuits that "shape the human body into an airfoil, creating lift and, with it, “human flight” - (think flying squirrel)" Red Bull Air Force explains, to zip past the famous landmark. The team did several jumps from a chopper at 8,000 feet, whizzing past the sign at over 100 mph.
The idea to jump past city landmarks begin in Seattle, when the team wanted to jump from the Space Needle. Since they weren't permitted to do that, they settled for jumping past it.
