Two adventures, one idea: Adi Geisegger, Michi Maurer and Patrick von Känel share the same passion: exploring the unknown and achieving the seemingly impossible. Their shared idea of flying through a tunnel with a paraglider led to two extraordinary projects. Despite their different approaches and goals, all three faced the same challenges and pushed themselves to the limit.
The first successful tunnel flight
Adi, filmmaker and photographer, had the idea of a video in which a paraglider glides through a tunnel. Inspired by ground skimming – flying just above the ground – he created a storyboard, but the question remained: was such a thing even possible? What began as a crazy idea turned into an adventurous project for the whole team. The biggest hurdle was finding a suitable tunnel: It had to be high enough and the gradient had to match the glide angle. Adi finally found what he was looking for. After extensive preparations – measuring the tunnel, selecting the glider and deciding on a launch site – the big moment arrived. Michi, Adi's friend and a professional pilot, mastered the challenge on his third attempt. With nerves of steel and a precise feel for flying, he flew through the 68-metre long tunnel without touching the sides or the ground. This milestone was not only immortalised in film, but also recorded in paragliding history as the first successful tunnel flight.
Through the Tunnel and Beyond
Michi had completed the first successful tunnel flight, but Patrick's vision went one step further. He wanted to fly through the tunnel and then fly on seamlessly – a smooth transition from darkness to the freedom of the skies. He kept this idea in his head for a long time and went to look at countless tunnels in Switzerland, analysing their steepness and height. But every attempt failed: the canopy touched the ceiling or the ground was touched enroute. The breakthrough came during the X-Alps 2023, when Patrick hiked through a tunnel in South Tyrol and realised it was perfect for the project! A year later, he returned with a team and his sponsor. Patrick flew through the 152-metre tunnel with his trademark precision and elegance, without touching the ground. Even though his dream of continuing to fly up, up and away after exiting the tunnel was not achieved, he set a new marker for the longest tunnel flight.
Two paths of the same vision
These two projects combine technical precision with an unquenchable thirst for new adventure. They demonstrate that the seemingly impossible can be achieved through tenacity and teamwork. Despite the shared vision of flying through a tunnel, the realisation differed considerably – as did the films that emerged at the end.
The equipment
More about the team
Patrick von Känel
Patrick is an ADVANCE test pilot and a successful competition and cross-country pilot. He realizes impressive adventures regularly. In 2019, he was the youngest participant of the X-Alps and in 2021 he crossed the finish line in the second place.
Michi Maurer
Paragliding is Michi's profession. He is an experienced competition pilot and is a test pilot at ADVANCE.
Adi Geisegger
Adi has been flying paragliders and hang gliders since the early 1990s. Since then the photographer and filmmaker can frequently be found with his paramotor.