AFYONKARAHİSAR, Turkey – Red Bull athlete Dario Costa has made aviation history by successfully landing his aircraft on a moving cargo train in Turkey before taking off again in a remarkable feat of precision flying.

The 44-year-old Italian pilot completed the world-first manoeuvre in Afyonkarahisar, Turkey, on 15 February 2026, touching down on the ninth container of a moving train travelling at 120 km/h before executing a vertical take-off from the same platform.

Costa had just 50 seconds to complete the entire sequence, requiring him to reduce his Zivko Edge 540 aircraft to a near-stall speed of 87 km/h to match the train’s velocity whilst maintaining perfect alignment on a platform just centimetres wide.

Technical precision required

The manoeuvre, dubbed “Train Landing”, demanded exceptional skill as Costa performed a blind landing with the target container remaining outside his field of vision throughout the approach. The pilot relied entirely on cognitive training and flying expertise to achieve the precise alignment needed.

The aircraft approached from south-east to north-west over a 2.5 km track, with wake turbulence from the moving train reducing airspeed over the container by 33 km/h and creating unstable airflow that required continuous adjustments to maintain control.

Costa’s aircraft normally cruises at 370 km/h and lands at 148 km/h, making the reduced approach speed of 87 km/h particularly challenging. Even a mismatch of a few centimetres could have resulted in the aircraft overshooting the narrow container surface.

Months of preparation

The project required extensive engineering analysis, simulation work, and safety protocols. Costa underwent specialised cognitive preparation at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Thalgau, including “time-movement-anticipation” training crucial for executing the blind landing.

Prior to the Turkey attempt, a three-day moving-platform test was conducted in Pula, Croatia, using a Rimac Automobili Nevera R hypercar as a precision-moving platform reference to refine alignment and reaction timing.

The Zivko Edge 540 aircraft received minimal modifications, with engineers designing custom strakes and six small vortex generators to optimise the 400-horsepower aircraft for lower-speed flight.

Return to Turkey

The location held special significance for Costa, who previously achieved another world first in Turkey with his 2021 “Tunnel Pass” project, flying through two highway tunnels outside Istanbul.

During a subsequent visit, he encountered a passenger train in Kars that inspired the train landing concept.

Afyonkarahisar was selected after extensive analysis due to its railway infrastructure, operational conditions, and geographic characteristics that enabled the project to be executed safely.

‘A true test of skill’

“Train Landing was one of the most challenging and demanding projects of my career,” Costa said. “There were so many variables to measure, but the greatest test was learning to land blind on a very small moving runway – relying only on cognitive and flying skills.

“Despite the difficulty, it was a great experience. For the first time, an aircraft successfully interacted with a moving train, bringing together the oldest motorised transportation with the newest. It was a complex project that required precision, teamwork, and trust – and I’m proud we executed it as planned.”

Aviation consultant Filippo Barbero praised Costa’s achievement: “The most critical aspect was the alignment with the train, so precision had to be absolute, and he achieved that. During a project like this, there’s no room for emotions – Dario is a true magician.”

Record-breaking pilot

Costa is recognised for high-precision flying and technically complex aviation projects. The Italian pilot has delivered more than 20 aviation world firsts and holds five Guinness World Records. He is the first and only Italian to qualify, compete and win in the Red Bull Air Race, and the youngest ever recipient of the prestigious Bob Hoover Freedom of Flight Award.

The successful train landing represents what organisers describe as “a step change in applied aerodynamics and pilot skills”, demonstrating how data-driven preparation and precision flying can expand the boundaries of controlled flight in non-traditional environments.