Aigen im Ennstal, Austria, September 30, 2025:
In a groundbreaking feat that pushes the boundaries of both climbing and aviation, Red Bull athlete Domen Škofic of Slovenia has etched his name into the history books as the first person in the world to climb the outside of a plane in mid-flight.
At 2,500 metres above the Austrian Alps, Škofic scaled an 8a climbing route designed across the wings of the Red Bull Blanix Team’s iconic L-13 Blanik glider, while the aircraft flew at speeds of nearly 100 km/h. Battling freezing windchill, aerodynamic drag, and shifting G-forces, the 2016 Lead World Cup champion completed the daring climb before leaping into the sky for a celebratory backflip skydive from 1,500 metres.
A Route Beyond Imagination
The stunt began after take-off when Škofic opened the cockpit canopy and stepped onto the glider’s left wing with only a 12 kg parachute backpack strapped to his shoulders. His route was mapped as a figure-eight path: first along the underside of the lower wing, then a precarious transfer beneath the fuselage to the opposite side, before finishing across the top surface of the right wing.
Unlike rock or indoor climbing, where gravity is the primary force, Škofic had to navigate an entirely new set of physical challenges — the constant push of 80–100 km/h airflow, windchill equivalent to –10 °C, and the shifting pull of G-forces. Every move had to be timed precisely with the pilot’s maneuvers, at what the team described as “neutral moments” when airflow and gravity briefly balanced.
Red Bull Athlete’s Reaction
For Škofic, the project was the realization of a dream he had long harbored — merging climbing with the freedom of skydiving.
“It was an incredible feeling — much harder than the preparation on the ground,” he said after completing the stunt. “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, so combining climbing with skydiving was a dream come true.”
Trust in the Skies
The climb was made possible thanks to months of meticulous planning and trust between athlete and pilot. Ewald Roithner, a veteran of the Red Bull Blanix Team, piloted the glider during the attempt.
“Everything was rehearsed in detail,” Roithner explained. “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.”
Engineering the Impossible
Executing such a stunt required a marriage of innovation and engineering. The glider itself, a Blanik L-13, was chosen for its stability and ability to fly at relatively slow speeds, making it suitable for climbing. Custom aerodynamic climbing holds, designed in Slovenia by Škofic’s father, were engineered to withstand forces up to 1.2 tons while minimizing drag.
The preparation also included months of wind tunnel training, parachute drills, and simulations of the route in extreme conditions. The entire climb was documented with nine onboard cameras, capturing every second of the world-first achievement.
A New Dimension in Climbing
For the global climbing community, this stunt represents more than just spectacle — it redefines what the sport can be. By transforming an aircraft into a climbing wall, Škofic introduced a third dimension to the sport: altitude and airflow. The project proved that climbing can transcend rock faces and walls to enter entirely new arenas where aerodynamics and gravity collide.
“This is a milestone not just for me but for climbing as a whole,” Škofic said. “It shows that with creativity and courage, there are no limits to where this sport can go.”
Athlete’s Career Highlights
Škofic’s achievement adds to an already stellar career. A prodigy who climbed a 9a route at age 15, he went on to win the Lead World Cup in 2016 and, earlier this year, completed a 9b+ climb — the hardest of his career. He also teamed up with fellow Slovenian Janja Garnbret in 2021 to climb Europe’s tallest chimney at 360 metres. The plane climb, however, stands apart as a world-first in the fusion of climbing and aviation.
Pushing the Limits of Human Potential – Red Bull
The Plane Climb Project, as it has been dubbed, merges human ambition with technical precision, highlighting the extremes of athletic creativity and innovation. For Red Bull and Škofic, the project is a statement that adventure sports can still break new ground in an era where records are harder and harder to come by.
As the footage of Škofic clinging to the wings of a glider at 2,500 metres circulates worldwide, one thing is certain — this is more than a stunt. It’s a testament to courage, engineering, and the relentless pursuit of pushing beyond the possible.
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