Italian pilot lands plane on moving train in daring stunt

An Italian pilot made headlines after landing his plane on a moving train in a breathtaking moment before immediately lifting off again.

The astonishing stunt, performed by Italian aviator Dario Costa, required extraordinary skills: a combination of synchronised speed and precise aerodynamic control, and the 45-year-old aerobatic performer perfectly executed it.

The stunt was arranged by Red Bull in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.

The video showed Costa flying a Zivko Edge 540 plane as he tried to land it on a nine-carriage train moving at 75 mph.

He battled shifting airspeed and heavy turbulence to perform the “out of this world” manoeuvre and eventually touched down on the cargo container mounted on the train.

Costa immediately took off into a steep vertical climb. The stunt was performed after nearly two years of preparation.

Following his achievement, the Italian aviator said it was “one of the most challenging and demanding projects of my career.”

He said, “Learning to land blind on a very small moving runway was extremely difficult, as I had to rely on cognitive and flying skills.”

Red Bull wingsuit athlete Sebastian Alvarez praised fellow athlete for his achievement. Alvarez wrote, “You smoother operator,” celebrating Costa’s precision.

Canadian springboard diver Molly Carlson reacted on social media, writing, “I’M SO STRESSED.”

This adds to his already impressive stunt performing resume, Costa previously made headlines in 2021 for flying a plane through a tunnel.