Carving against the airplane: the genuinely hard part

The forces on the line are basically like being towed behind a boat: when the vehicle turns tightly, you get carried outwards and suddenly go much faster – physics I knew from wakeboarding and from having been towed on skis many times: by bungee, by winch, by car. It got interesting once everything was dialled in and we wanted hard action that had to look effortless: I started riding carving turns behind the straight-flying airplane. That meant fighting the speed – and Tom fighting me: every hard turn pulled the tail of the airplane towards me through the leverage, and he had to counter-steer firmly. You can barely see it in the video – but it was remarkable how clearly he felt me.

Add the aerial interplay: Hilde, Tom's wife, flew a second airplane filming our machine – partly in formation, partly offset. Plus the FPV drone. Two airplanes, me on the line, one drone – and the action had to happen exactly at the right focus point. Which angle creates which effect is precisely the topic of my article on camera angles & rigs.

Permits & safety on the ice

The long cold spell triggered the whole operation: the ice was partly more than half a metre thick – no danger for crew or aircraft. The middle of the lake also has comparatively little bird life, keeping the impact on nature low. The local police were informed and even attended the main action; Tom holds a landing permit outside the airfield for his machines anyway. Water rescue and emergency services stood by – and plenty of spectators got to watch. How shoots like this are secured and permitted in general is covered in the mountain shoot guide; how the risk enters the calculation, in the risk matrix.

The suit under stress test

And the client? Shaping New Tomorrow promotes its elastic suits with exactly these clips – sport in suits that follow every movement. Carving turns at 90 km/h behind an airplane are a rather honest proof.

Result & rollout

Because nobody had done it in this form before, the clip performed very well on social media. The official client clip plays as a reel further up in this article, the internal directors-cut teaser at the very top. We shot late in the winter, so the campaign goes properly live next winter season. The feedback has been strong already, the client is happy – and more clips are coming, plus a longer behind-the-scenes edition that I will probably edit myself. This article will grow with it.

What a booker takes away

It worked because the team harmonised perfectly – even though we didn't all know each other beforehand. The key is clear role separation: everyone owns their area, gives directions within it and agrees on what is possible and what is not. For me at the end of the line it doesn't matter where the drone flies – my focus is entirely on the ski performance and on anticipating the forces I transfer to the airplane. I can do that because, as an engineer, I bring the technical understanding – the same mindset as with my self-built rigs and my freeskiing. Tom coordinates with Hilde, everyone with the camera team, photographer and camera with each other so nobody ends up in anyone's frame.

That kind of coordination only works with true professionals. Someone doing this for the first time brings a safety risk into the entire action, in every respect. Planning a stunt or action shoot nobody has done before? Send a booking request.

FAQ

How does aircraft skiing work?
An airplane with a tow coupling pulls the skier on a roughly 30-metre line across a frozen lake – with a wakeboard-style handle instead of a fixed connection, so the rider can let go and the pilot can release the line at any moment.

How fast do you go on skis behind an airplane?
The airplane needs around 70 km/h for stable flight – in the turns, centrifugal forces carry the rider outwards to 90–100 km/h.

How is an action like this made safe?
Thick, verified ice (here over half a metre), a route flown several times in advance (ice holes!), informed police on site, water rescue on standby – and a team in which every professional owns a clear role.

Project facts

Crew and credits

This shoot would not have been possible without the team — thanks to everyone involved for their highly professional work: @flystol.eu, @mischfabrik, @freezingmotions and @radlhuber.