SWISS WINGSUIT flyer Ueli "Sputnik" Gegenschatz is claiming a new world record for a glide across Galway Bay from the Aran island of Inis Mor last weekend.
The 37-year-old "aerialist", who jumped off Paris's Eiffel Tower just over two months ago at sunrise, says that he even beat an Aer Arann aircraft by 75 seconds during the flight on Saturday night.
The event was not publicised in advance in case weather conditions proved unsuitable, but Mr Gegenschatz completed the 17.6km journey across the Atlantic sound in five minutes and 45 seconds, according to his publicists.
Mr Gegenschatz took off from Inis Mor in a skydiving aircraft, and ejected at an altitude of 4,500m. He then glided at an average speed of 250km/h, helped by a "strong tailwind".
Some 200m above the south Connemara mainland, he opened his parachute and landed at Connemara Regional Airport in Indreabhan, Co Galway.
"I was happy not to land in the ocean, as I've heard the Irish waters are very cold," he commented afterwards.
"Sputnik", as he is nicknamed, wears a GPS satellite tracking device on his wrist which transmits data to a laptop that can calculate his top and average speeds. He has "glided" from the Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps and from Popocatepetl, Mexico's second-highest mountain. His jump from the Eiffel Tower on April 1st earned him a police warning when he landed on the Champs du Mars.
Tony Gibson, head of air traffic control at Galway airport, said that Mr Gegenschatz would not have required prior clearance as he was flying in uncontrolled air space.
