DARIO COSTA TUNNEL

 

 

Dario Costa (born 9 May 1980 in Manchester, United Kingdom) is an Italian professional Red Bull Air Race competitor, stunt pilot, aerobatic artist, flight instructor and Pilatus PC6 Porter paradropping pilot from Bologna, Italy. Qualifying in, and winning, the Red Bull Air Race World Series. Dario lives in Salzburg, Austria and is also known for the world's first flying stunt and world record, including the first and only flight through a tunnel with an airplane.

Early life

Dario Costa spent his early childhood in North Africa building up his passion for flying, then, at the age of six, moved to Bologna in Italy, where he began to learn piloting in high school, where after formal flight training He made his first solo flight in 1996 at the age of 16.

After winning Aeroclub Bologna's first scholarship, initially made a living as a gardener, swimming pool cleaner, postman and later as theoretical instructor at his flying club and former high school, earning his Commercial Pilot Flight Instructor and Aerobatic Flight Instructor qualifications.

Career

Teaching and competition in aerobatics Dario evolved with the sport, and while teaching full-time in 2011, Dario became Director of Competition for the FAI World Aerobatic Championships and Chief Flight and Ground Instructor at Aeroclub Milano. In October 2013, Dario joined the Red Bull Air Race World Championships as Flight Operations Manager, Development and Ferry Pilot. In 2016, Costa became the first Italian to qualify as a Red Bull Air Race World Championship race pilot. In 2017, Costa became the first airplane pilot to fly in synchro with a freestyle skier. In 2018, Costa began participating in the Red Bull Air Race Challenger Cup and became the first Italian to participate in this motorsport competition. On the podium in his second race and in his second season won the 2019 Challenger Cup at Lake Balaton. In July 2018, Costa became the first civilian airplane pilot to photo-shoot in the air over the Italian city of Venice. And together with Ben Murphy became the first pilot to demo the Red Bull Air Race at the Farnborough International Airshow, the second largest show of its kind in the world. In March 2019, Hamilton became the first airplane pilot to fly low level racing maneuvers over the Costa Namib desert for a watch ad. In 2019, Costa became the first airplane pilot to perform and included in his performance routine a barrel roll formation flight with a helicopter flown by another Italian pilot, Mirco Flem, who was the first to perform Became the second pilot as well. In September 2019, Costa performed at AirPower, Europe's largest airshow. In June 2020, Dario performed in the Red Bull film "Drum the Bull", a music video in which internationally renowned percussionist Martin Grubinger combines classical music with the sounds of various motorsports, including a modified Zivco Edge 540 flown by Costa. Are included. Dario celebrates the 2020 Formula One World Championship back to back opening race in Spielberg. In July 2020, Dario became the first airplane pilot to fly low, on occasion for the F1 Styrian GP, ​​with the entire Red Bull Ring racetrack for a one-of-a-kind track preview video that had never been done before . In 2020, Dario has performed as the opening act of the F1 Styrian GP, ​​MotoGP Austrian and Styrian GP and the World Rally Championship in Turkey, the first airplane pilot to perform as a side-act in F1 and MotoGP and the world has been made. And also participated in the Rally Championship race in the same year. In October 2020, Dario performed in two break dance competition Red Bull BC One World Finals announcement videos that take off in synchro with dancer Rico Coker. On 2 January 2021, Dario unveiled a live biometric system installed in its stunt-plane since 2020. A tailor-made system was created based on an original idea by Costa and Marcel Steiner, which was then programmed by the Red Bull innovation team. On 20 January 2021, Dario, in collaboration with Austrian motorcycle road racer August Auinger and race car driver Bernhard Auinger, unveiled a tailor-made seat based on current F1 and World Rally Championship seats adapted by physiotherapist David Denifl of Red Bull Athlete Performance Center. On 21 April 2021 it was announced that Dario would be racing in the top class of the World Championship Air Race, starting in early 2022. The championship replaces the Red Bull Air Race and its new top class, which replaced the Red Bull Air Race Master Class. , is called AeroGP1. On 4 September 2021, Dario flew through the T1 and T2 tunnels on the Northern Marmara Motorway in Istanbul and became the first pilot to fly through a tunnel and set the Guinness World Record for the longest tunnel flown by an airplane. Has been made. 

Other activities and curiosities

For nearly ten years, Dario has been a player for Fortitudo Baseball Bologna, competing in the U12, U15 (Cadetti) and U18 (Juniores) Italian regional and national baseball championships until 1996. He has been playing primarily as a second baseman and pitcher, but was once selected as a relief pitcher for the Italian national under 18 team. His baseball uniform number was primarily 32, which is the number he used as a race pilot. In October and November 2020, Dario was seen performing as a stuntman for the film Mission: Impossible 7 in Rome.

Awards and accolades 

In 2021 Costa was awarded the Guinness World Record for the first and longest tunnel flown by an airplane. 

In 2015 Costa was awarded the "Madaglia al Valor Atlético" (Medal for Athletic Skills) by the Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano. On 5 August 2018, Costa was featured in a photo over Venice that was included in the "Best Images in Sport" by The Sunday Times. On 8 November 2019, Costa was honored by the Italian region Emilia Romagna for his sporting achievements.