Red Bull Pilot Successfully Lands and Takes Off from Moving Train in Single Session

Red Bull pilot Dario Costa lets go of the controls on his trusty Zivko Edge 540 and watches the cargo train thunder into the distance at an incredible 120 km/h (75 mph). On February 15th, 2026, near the Turkish town of Afyonkarahisar, Costa does the unthinkable by landing on the last container, riding out a tumultuous stretch of turbulent air, and powering back out in a single smooth move. No one had ever accomplished the feat of landing and taking off from a moving train in one go.

The pilot had established a reputation as one of the greatest in the field after years of competing in aerobatic competitions and setting records, one of which was threading through tunnels at breakneck speeds. He got the idea during a trip to Turkey in 2024, when he noticed a freight train rumbling alongside the road. He’d been thinking about pulling off this trick for years, but it wasn’t until he shared his concept with his team that things began to happen. With the assistance of engineers and fellow pilots, they began sketching out the physics, calculating relative velocity, wind currents generated by each train car, and the extremely little window of opportunity they had to work with, a straight 2.5km piece of track.

Real-life tests were out, so they opted for simulations and ground rehearsals instead. Eventually, the team decided on the ideal opportunity to try it: a three-day visit in Pula, Croatia, where Rimac Automobili generously provided one of their Nevera R hypercars as a mobile platform. Drivers would accelerate to match the train’s pace, while Costa practiced landing approaches from above. To make it even more realistic, the automobile would move forward and backward to replicate the gusts of air generated by passing the train containers. That drill session taught Costa when to line up his plane and how to react to any sudden changes in lift. Every time he landed, the plane would briefly hover over the surface before pulling away again.


On the day of the stunt, the train chugged down its intended route with smoothness, while Costa circled above for a time before lining up behind it. He throttles back from cruising speed to a crawl, slowing to just a whisker above stall speed (87 km/h). The problem was that his plane’s nose was in the way, so he didn’t notice the container until he was around 200m away from impact. From that point forward, he is flying blind, relying on last-ditch radio calls from his ground spotters for assistance.


The wheels had barely bounced on the container’s surface before the turbulent air from the train’s forward motion slammed down on him like a warning sign, wings flailing in all directions. The air just over the platform slowed practically to a crawl, forcing Costa to maintain the plane’s speed at 47 knots, barely 2 knots above stall, due to the narrow margin. He was constantly fussing with the rudder and ailerons to keep it level, and it didn’t help that he was peering down at the mere centimetres that separated it from the sides. The entire landing-to-takeoff procedure took 50 seconds, exacerbated by looming trees at the end of the track glaring back at him.


Costa had just enough time to gather his breath and take stock before the next part of the act, when he yanked the stick back, sent the nose straight up, and the ground and cliff edge vanished from sight as the Edge 540 rocketed off the edge at a wild angle. The engine’s 400 horsepower propelled the plane into the air like a rocket.
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