Pilots lose their licenses after trying to exchange planes mid-air in jaw-dropping Red Bull stunt

Two pilots lost their licenses after an exchange of planes in a mid-air Red Bull stunt caused an aircraft to crash.

The two men were supposed to jump out of their respective aircraft and into the other one, in what was deemed the first-ever mid-air aircraft swap.

However, the stunt went awry as one of the pilots failed to get into the other aircraft, causing it to crash into the ground.

America’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) took a dim view of the stunt, and both pilots faced punishment.

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How the Red Bull stunt went wrong

According to news reports, the idea was for the two pilots to jump out of their aircraft and swap mid-air.

After bailing from the light aircraft, they would free-fall into the opposite one, and then proceed to land them.

Both Cessnas used had modified air brakes to keep them in a slow 90-degree dive and allow the pilots to catch up.

Pilot Luke Aikins was able to get in his aircraft and recover it.

However, fellow pilot Andy Farrington failed to do so after his intended Cessna went out of control.

He parachuted to safety, while Aikins landed his plane safely.

Incredibly, it turns out Red Bull wasn’t even authorized to conduct the stunt.

After the stunt, it emerged that Aikins had requested an FAA exemption in February for a Federal Law.

This law stated that aircraft must be manned by a pilot at all times.

The two pilots lost their licenses after the stunt

Just days before the stunt, the FAA rejected the exemption, but Red Bull and the pilots went ahead anyway.

Despite the risks involved, the two pilots had their stunt livestreamed around the world.

Red Bull is, of course, famous for pulling off some outrageous stunts.

In a post-flight interview, the two pilots said they were surprised that the Cessna had gone out of control.

Following that, however, the consequences became severe for the two men.

With the accident and the defiance of the exemption, both pilots lost their licenses soon after.

So the moral of the story here is don’t defy an FAA exemption, and don’t proceed with a stunt that has been blocked!

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