Skydiver pulls of world’s first drone jump

A Latvian company has released a stunt video of the world’s newest extreme sport – ‘drone-diving’.

Skydiver Ingus Augustkalns was picked up from a tower by a 28-rotor drone over the Daugava river, shot to a height of 330m and sent freefalling to Earth for several seconds before releasing his parachute and floating to the ground below.

The drone, made by company Aerones, specialises in heavy-lifting and can take on weights of up to 100 kilograms, according to the company’s website.

“In the near future, our technology will save human lives, will help fight fires and carry out other challenging and significant work,' chief engineer of Aerones Jānis Putrāms said.

“With this project, we show that we are ready for serious tasks in the field of civil defence and sports.”

Preparation for the jump took six months and the team conducted a number of tests including increasing the load of weight on the drone to up to 200kg.

“We did it! We accomplished the World’s first human flight with the drone and jump at high altitude. On May 12, our 28-propeller Aerones’s drone lifted skydiver Ingus Augstkalns at a height of 330 metres, from where he accomplished the planned jump and landing with the parachute,” the company said upon successful completion of the dive.

The large drone, which weighs 70 kilograms, costs $37,000 to build and flight times are restricted to 10 minutes.