[imagesource: YouTube / Soul Flyers]
The Soul Flyers, as this French skydiving and wingsuit team is known, love to push the boundaries of what is possible.
You may recognise the team name from a stunt a few years back involving a BASE jump from the top of the Jungfrau, one of Europe’s highest mountains, and a landing inside a Pilatus Porter light aircraft in mid-air.
Tragically, one of the men involved that day, Vince Reffet, died in 2020 in a training accident in Dubai.
The Soul Flyers were not to be deterred, though, and the current trio has claimed a new record for the longest-ever wingsuit flight, covering an incredible 7,5-kilometre horizontal distance in just over three minutes.
The flyers skimmed the summit of Mont Blanc and hurtled over ridges and through crevasses into the Chamonix valley, reports The Times:
Fred Fugen, a 43-year-old pioneer of the extreme sport, led Vincent Cotte and Aurélien Chatard out of a helicopter over the 4,810m (15,780ft) peak, streaking low over the snow-covered summit then steering a breathtaking path along the north face across glaciers, ridges and rock, all captured on camera.
One of the most challenging aspects, aside from finding the best line and coming within touching distance of the mountain, is staying in formation throughout the flight.
Constant communication is key to this and you can hear the wingsuit-wearing daredevils chatting throughout the flight:
[source:times]
[imagesource: Alison Botha] Gqeberha rape survivor Alison Botha, a beacon of resilience...
[imagesource:mcqp/facebook] Clutch your pearls for South Africa’s favourite LGBTQIA+ ce...
[imagesource:capetown.gov] The City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee has approved the...
[imagesource:drugwatch] Jassis, Yaz. This is a full-blown mess. In what appears to b...
[imagesource:mikebolhuis/facebook] The search for the 66-year-old Cape Town hiker has c...