2 minute read
Into the Eclipse
Bicho’s journey to the eclipse
Bicho Carrera planned a special flight on the day of a total eclipse of the sun. The young Chilean would fly his paraglider in the darkened sky of the eclipse as the moon passed exactly in front of the sun. The result: an unforgettable experience – and fantastic pictures.
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About
Bicho Carrera The 23-year-old Chilean professional pilot spends the southern summer at home where he operates a tandem business. In the northern hemisphere summer he lives in Europe and competes in the Acro World Cup. He finished second overall in the 2019 season.
Film
https://www.redbull.com/cl-es/ videos/viaje-al-centro-del-eclipse
Equipment
OMIKRON
This is the kind of adventure you only experience once in your career.
Victor “Bicho” Carrera
On July the second 2019 hundreds of thousands of South American citizens trembled with excitement in anticipation of this rare spectacle. At 16:49 exactly, in Chile, the moon passed between the sun and the earth. A total eclipse ensued. Victor “Bicho” Carrera brought some spectacular pictures of this unique natural phenomenon back with him. At the decisive moment no one was closer to the sun than the 23-year-old paraglider pilot.
Solar eclipse “It was my first solar eclipse”, reported the enthusiastic young Chilean. At the moment the moon completely hid the sun, life became completely still, dark and cold. “I already had a queasy feeling up there that there was something crazy about doing this – a lunatic experience if you want to be literal”. It was fortunate that Bicho did not know what to expect. “When the critical time came I felt somewhat flustered.” He had only two and a half minutes of complete shadow in which to get the glider in the right position for the camera.
In the centre Redemption was granted, as the team leader reported from the ground: “Bicho, we’ve got it!” Straight away all the tension that had built for days and weeks fell away: the journey from Europe to Chile, five days searching for the right take-off place – finally found in the ancient mountain mining town of Condoriaco – numerous test flights, two and a half minutes for the shooting, the full cooperation of the whole team. Uffffff. “But it worked”. This day was like no other. For a couple of minutes Bicho flew in the centre of the sun.
