PREVIEW

Slovenian climber and Red Bull athlete Domen Škofic has become the first person in the world to scale the outside of a plane in mid-flight.

He completed an 8a climbing route across the wings of the Red Bull Blanix Team’s historic Blanik glider at an altitude of 2,500 metres while the aircraft flew at speeds of up to 100km/h.

Equipped only with a parachute, Škofic faced freezing windchill, shifting G-forces and the relentless push of airflow, making it a challenge unlike anything attempted in climbing or aviation. After take-off from Aigen im Ennstal in Austria’s Styria region, he opened the cockpit canopy, climbed out with a 12kg parachute backpack and began his ascent, first moving along the underside of the lower left wing before transferring beneath the fuselage to switch wings in mid-flight.

He then transitioned onto the top surface of the right wing, battling heavy airflow and drag, before leaping from 1,500 metres and completing the feat with a celebratory backflip skydive. The conditions added an extra layer of complexity, with air temperatures at altitude hovering near 4°C but windchill from the 100km/h airflow bringing the real feel closer to –10°C.

Unlike rock climbing, where gravity is the sole opponent, this ascent required a balance between gravity, wind pressure and motion, with every move timed to “neutral moments” between aerodynamic forces and gravitational pull.

“It was an incredible feeling – much harder than the preparation on the ground,” said Škofic. “I started to doubt whether I could do it, but the route was just challenging enough. Something like this has certainly never been done before. Climbing always gave me the urge to jump. Combining climbing with skydiving in this project was a dream come true.”

Red Bull Blanix pilot Ewald Roithner said: “Everything was rehearsed in detail. Domen knew exactly how I would fly, and I knew his moves just as precisely. In the air, communication was minimal but trust was absolute.”

The project required months of preparation, including wind tunnel training, parachute jumps and route simulations in extreme conditions. Custom aerodynamic holds, designed in Slovenia by Škofic’s father and capable of withstanding 1.2 tonnes of force, were fitted to the aluminium-built glider, a stable slow-flying aircraft considered ideal for the climb.

Škofic, crowned Lead World Cup champion in 2016, previously tackled Europe’s tallest chimney with fellow Slovenian Janja Garnbret. His latest achievement, the “Plane Climb”, adds a new chapter to a career defined by pushing the boundaries of the sport.