A trio of daredevils scaled the iconic Blackpool Tower to grab a stunning selfie as the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Red Arrow fighter jets soared past.
Russ Edwards, Jack Perry, and Chris Fricker hung to the British landmark’s flagpole more than 518 feet above the ground while Edwards captured the once-in-a-lifetime shot during Blackpool’s annual air show last weekend. Pool Vacuum Extension Pole
Arco Professional Safety Services Ltd Training Instructor Edwards, who was supported by high-risk safety specialists Perry and Fricker, says capturing the air-defying selfie was a breathtaking experience.
“It was a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate our expertise at working at height,” says Edwards.
“We got the best seats in the house to witness and document the Red Arrows flying so close to such an iconic landmark.”
As the use of drones is not permitted during air shows, Edwards captured the gravity-defying images using a 360-degree camera on a long carbon fiber pole that was tethered to him, creating the ultimate “selfie stick.”
It is unclear exactly which 360 camera Edwards used but it appears to be a GoPro Max. The use of a selfie stick gives a drone-like effect, but in reality, the camera can see everything, except for the stick directly underneath it.
“Drones aren’t permitted during the air show so we had to fashion our very own ‘selfie stick’ which worked even better and meant we were as close as we could get to the action,” explains Edwards.
“It was an amazing and humbling experience,” he adds.
In the incredible selfie, the daring photographers pose for the shot as the Red Arrows soar over Blackpool Tower behind them with their trademark red, white, and blue smoke trails.
The Blackpool Airshow was held on August 13 and 14. The show returned after a two-year break because of the coronavirus pandemic, with the Red Arrows returning to Blackpool for the first time in four years.
A record 200,000 people turned out over the weekend event to watch the Red Arrows fly over the seafront, alongside breath-taking performances by the Typhoon display team, the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, Chinook, Muscle Pitts stunt plane, Strikemaster, and the AeroSuperBatics Wingwalkers.
Image credits: All photos by Arco Professional Safety Services Ltd.
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