Photos courtesy of Red Bull.
Above: Photo by Garth Milan.
In the 1984 music video for “It’s My Life,” Wendy O. Williams—a wild, physical, creative woman and the singer in the punk-rock band The Plasmatics—climbs a ladder from a speeding car up to a flying plane. No stunt double. No hesitation. When Amy Chmelecki saw the video years ago, she instantly connected with Williams’ fearless, boundary-pushing spirit and never forgot it.
Decades later, as a Red Bull Air Force skydiver, Chmelecki decided to bring the scene from the video to life in her own way. To pull it off, she called 23-year-old Mia Chapman, Red Bull’s only U.S. female off-road pro driver. Together they shaped the idea into something real: a mix of aviation, horsepower and freefall.
To make it happen safely, they needed a pilot who could engineer every variable. Luke Aikins, a third-generation skydiver, a pilot and a Red Bull legend, was the obvious choice. He designed the systems, planned the training and coordinated with the Federal Aviation Administration and Bureau of Land Management while Stan Grey ran aerial coordination. Red Bull put together a camera crew that documented everything with their trademark mix of precision and invisibility.
The team took a “crawl, walk, run” approach, performing site inspection at Mineral Bottom in Moab, Utah, in May; test runs in the Nevada desert in July; and the actual attempt in September. The location was perfect: a long, straight stretch of road leading to a 1,000-foot-deep canyon with switchbacks to the valley floor and a dirt runway nearby for quick turnarounds. Red cliffs, the Green River, endless sky—it looked like a movie set that nature built.
On game day, Aikins flew his hot-rodded Cessna 180 while Chapman raced her 2018 side-by-side off-road vehicle toward the canyon rim. As the edge drew near, Aikins dropped in low, matching Chapman’s speed and lining up perfectly above the vehicle. A ladder extended from the belly of the plane, swaying slightly in the prop wash. Chmelecki steadied herself, timed her movement and climbed from the speeding vehicle onto the ladder. As Aikins began to climb, the aircraft lifted smoothly away from the desert floor, carrying Chmelecki up over the rim and out above the canyon. When they reached 4,000 feet above the rim, she released her grip—freefalling roughly 1,500 feet before opening her parachute and gliding to the canyon’s floor.
Photo by Chris Tedesco.
Photo by Garth Milan.
Desert winds made timing tricky, and one communications failure forced a full stop. Instead of pushing through, the team chose to pause until everything worked perfectly. Aikins landed, fixed the issue and reset it. That moment said everything about how they operated—no ego, no shortcuts. Just professionals who trusted each other completely.
For Aikins, this feat was the fulfillment of a childhood dream. Inspired by the barnstorming acts he grew up watching—where daredevils leapt from cars to planes—the project allowed him to recreate that awe-inspiring magic with the precision of modern innovation. For Chmelecki, it was about the joy of working inside a high-functioning team, the kind where everyone is calm, capable and all-in. And for Chapman, her first major Red Bull project became an opportunity to showcase her talent on a global stage and prove herself at the highest level.
At its heart, this real-life Hollywood action sequence was meant to make people smile. The visuals are wild, but the spirit behind them is simple—creativity, trust and pure fun. If this project inspires even one person to chase their own idea or reminds them that they are capable of something bold and original, then it has truly fulfilled its purpose.
About the Author
Amy Chmelecki, D-24579, has made more than 20,000 skydives since her first in 1995. She serves as a National Director on the USPA Board of Directors and is a member of the Red Bull Air Force and the Highlight Pro Skydiving Team.