Extreme Flying in Photos

See how adventure fliers are pushing the boundaries of human flight.

Inverted flight is likely one of the segments of Rob Holland's airshow routine during which he can relax between seemingly impossible maneuvers. Holland can make his MX Aircraft MXS tumble nose over tail and snap it over so quickly it appears to fly backward. (Photo by Scott Slocum)

Chuck Aaron was not only the first civilian to fly aerobatics in a helicopter. A talented mechanic, Aaron also made all of the modifications required for the Red Bull branded BO-105 to be able to handle such extreme flight. Watch Chuck Aaron fly his helicopter here. (Photo by John Ryan)

The Red Bull Air Race pushes highly skilled aerobatic pilots to the max as they travel at high speeds around a twisting racecourse marked by inflated pylons and broken up by highly technical aerobatic moves. Get a taste of the extreme flying at the Red Bull Air Race in this video.

**Tailwheel airplanes equipped with fat tundra tires allow pilots to fly into rough backcountry airstrips and designated areas where most pilots would never dream of landing. A high level of piloting skill is required to survive in these extreme conditions. ** (Photo by George Kounis)

While some wingsuiters have hundreds of BASE jumps under their belts, many extreme fliers have perished while pushing the limits of proximity flying at high speeds with nothing but a fabric suit between them and the ground.

Yves Rossy, aka Jetman, developed a rigid wing powered by four model-airplane jet engines to allow for powered flight controlled by his own body movements. Watch Jetman fly in this video here.

Paragliding pilots can feel, touch, hear and smell flight. While high speed is not the name of this game, the sport can be taken to the extreme. A high-performance parachute allows for aerobatic maneuvers that place the pilot way above the wing. See what powered paragliding is like in this video here.

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Flying StaffEditor

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