Skip to main content

Even the Green Goblin would be jealous of this daredevil on a drone

A bola da Taça de Portugal Placard chegou pelo ar
When you think of drone delivery, you probably picture a quadcopter with a small package dangling beneath it. You certainly don’t imagine a man holding a soccer ball while standing on a multi-rotor copter that’s flying toward a ref who’s waiting to start a cup final, right?

So check out the video above, where you’ll be treated to the bizarre sight of a man holding a soccer ball while standing on a multi-rotor copter that’s flying toward a ref who’s waiting to start a cup final.

The eye-catching spectacle took place over the weekend at the start of the Portuguese Cup Final between Benfica Lisbon and Vitória de Guimarães at Lisbon’s National Stadium.

Sporting a rather fetching pair of gold-colored shoulder pads, the flying ball-deliverer rose above the crowd to much excitement, hovering high in the air while holding the all-important match ball.

Looking comfortable and in control, and handling the appalling weather conditions with aplomb, the daredevil pilot pulls a few gentle moves before making a perfect landing at the side of the field and handing the ball to the ref, allowing the game to get underway.

It’s an impressive display, and certainly a lot smoother than the early efforts of this guy who developed a flying suit using six micro-gas turbines for power.

In other drone-carries-human escapades, YouTube star Casey Neistat recently used a one to fly him over a house in rather spectacular fashion, while Latvia-based drone maker Aerones used one of its specially designed flying machines to hoist a guy hundreds of feet in the air for what was apparently the world’s first drone jump. Aerones’ plan is to market its machine as a cost-effective rescue vehicle for emergency situations where traditional forms of transport are of little use.

Oh, and in case you’re interested, Benfica won the soccer clash, beating Vitória de Guimarães 2-1.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
Wing drone delivery heads to first U.S. metro area
A Wing delivery drone in flight.

Drone-delivery leader Wing is gearing up to launch its first service in a major U.S. metro area.

Up to now, the Alphabet-owned company has been trialing drone-delivery services in several cities in Australia and Finland, as well as the small community of Christiansburg, Virginia, with more than 130,000 commercial deliveries completed globally to date.

Read more
Watch Emirates’ new daredevil ad shot by a drone
emirates new daredevil ad shot by drone burj khalifa 2022

Emirates' 2021 ad featuring a stunt actor perched atop the world’s tallest building proved such a hit that the airline decided to do it all over again ... and then some.

The same woman stands at the very top of the same building -- the 828-meter-high Burj Khalifa in Dubai -- except this time, the world’s largest passenger jet makes a guest appearance.

Read more
Drone-delivery specialist Wing lifts the lid on its secret testing facility
The drone used by Wing's delivery service.

Drone-delivery specialist Wing has lifted the lid on its secret testing facility in Australia.

A video (below) shared by the Alphabet-owned company shows how its team is continuing to develop its drone technology while at the same time running trial services delivering snacks and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals to residents in places such as Logan City near Brisbane.

Read more