Watch: Etihad cabin crew skydive from 13,000ft, conduct mid-air orchestra in free fall

The UAE’s national airline Etihad Airways has released a video showing behind-the-scenes of a stunt that had never been done before: Put together a skydiving orchestra that could play the Mission: Impossible theme song while diving from 13,000 feet at 120mph through the air.

The stunt (At Etihad, Nothing Is Impossible) – made in collaboration with Paramount Pictures and available on the airline’s social media channels – was recently released to celebrate the worldwide launch of the latest Tom Cruise-starred blockbuster, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

Watch the full video of at Etihad, nothing is impossible below:

How the mission was completed

To pull off the adrenaline-pumped video, Etihad Airways, together with their advertising agency Impact BBDO, had to do find talented musicians who are also skilled skydivers.

“The stunt took weeks of preparation. Each skydiver was given their part of music to practise and learn by heart, which they needed to be able to play perfectly despite the wild environment while skydiving,” Etihad Airways said in a press release on Thursday.

“In addition, custom rigging was made for each instrument to ensure the skydivers could safely play and pull their parachute when the time came. A professional skydiving cinematographer jumped with them each time to capture it all, including group shots where each instrument affected the rate at which they fell,” Etihad added, noting: “Throughout the process, safety was always the number one priority.”

“The hours of practice and preparation paid off. Etihad was able to create an impossible orchestra of their own and highlight to the world that Etihad is an airline that pushes boundaries and makes it their mission to deliver incredible experiences and hospitality to its guests.”

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