Red Bull’s wingsuit pilot makes history with his latest dive

Frédéric Fugen, a Red Bull wingsuit pilot, has flown the closest anyone has ever come to the Great Pyramids of Giza.

The 42-year-old is a well-known skydiver, wingsuit pilot, and BASE jumper; having previously entered plane mid-air, a proximity flight through Lebanon, and manoeuvres above Mont Blanc.

He has flown using his wingsuit, alongside former French national paragliding team member Vincent Cotte, through the ancient pyramids in Egypt.

The duo came so close to the Pyramid of Khafre that they were almost able to touch it on the way past.

The trick has been a dream of Fugen’s but he didn’t think it was feasible until he sought the help of a local paragliding school.

Skydive Egypt allowed Fugen and Cotte to join its Jump Like a Pharaoh event and use their wingsuits, which can allow pilots to perform a ‘resource’ technique to gain altitude at the end of their drop,

“Until now, skydiving was only allowed above the pyramids at high altitudes. It’s the first time a wingsuit flight has been made this close. “It has been absolutely amazing to get right next to these giant stones, some of the last wonders of the ancient world that are still visible today. I felt so small in front of such big monuments. I never even thought I would be able to make this flight one day. If this project has been possible, it is because flying techniques and materials have evolved a lot recently,” said Fugen.

Fugen and Cotte dropped in from 1,500 metres and quickly reached speeds of up to 250 kilometre per hour.

They fell to a minimum elevation of 90 metres before using the ‘resource’ technique to pull up and open their parachutes at 140 metres, the exact height of the Pyramid of Khafre.

Fugen began his career free flying in 2004 when before joining the French national team.

He first won the World Championship that year and held the title between 2004 and 2009.

The pair dominated the competitive skydiving scene and created some of the world’s biggest spectacles, including the world’s highest BASE jump from a building, flying alongside a passenger jet, and jumping into moving planes.

Source: Agencies