Luke Czepiela, a Polish pilot and former Red Bull Air Race Challenger Class World Champion recorded a historic moment by successfully landing his specially modified aircraft on the helipad of Dubai's luxury hotel Burj Al Arab. After being trained for it for two years, Czepiela pulled off the heart-stopping stunt in 'world first' landing on the just 27-metre-long space.
The video of the stunt was shared by Redbull on their official Instagram page, and the incident was also brought to light on the company website. The pilot wore a helmet featuring the brand while carrying out the stunt.
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Czepiela completed the task in only 20.76 meters despite having 27 meters to bring his Cub Crafters-built STOL aircraft (Carbon Cub/short take-off and landing) to a stop. “To be honest I couldn’t feel happier! Two years in the making, third attempt (to land) and everything was perfect. We’ve managed to put a plane on a helipad 212 meters above the ground, on the most iconic, the most beautiful building in the world,” the pilot was quoted in a report by Arab News. “I feel awesome. There is no other word to describe it!"
It is noted that Czepiela’s landing is not the first time the sail-shaped hotel has been the scene of an impressive feat. The space, in the past, has witnessed a tennis match between champions Roger Federer and Andre Agassi in 2005, along with David Coulthard performing donuts in a Formula One car in 2013, and a bike jump by BMX rider Kriss Kyle in 2019.
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