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(CNN) Polish pilot Lukasz Czepiela made aviation history on Tuesday when he became the first person to land a plane on the helipad of Dubai’s iconic Burj Al Arab Jumeirah hotel.
Czepiela was able to bring his specially adapted light aircraft to a halt in just 21 meters (68 ft), landing on a platform just 27 meters (89 ft) wide, 212 meters (696 ft) off the ground on the 56th story structure.
“The biggest challenge was the lack of any external reference points, which is usually found at an airport where there are hundreds of meters of runways,” he told sponsor Red Bull.
Located above the 59th floor of the Burj al Arab hotel, this helipad overlooks the Dubai coastline. Since 1999 it has hosted an impressive array of international sports stars.
The helipad has been transformed into an auto track, a boxing ring and the starting point for the highest kitesurfing jump ever.
Tiger Woods taking off at the helipad ahead of the 2004 Dubai Desert Classic.
Anthony Joshua trained at the helipad in November 2017.
US golf star Cheyenne Woods paid a visit to the helipad during the 2014 Dubai Ladies Masters.
Andre Agassi and Roger Federer played a friendly game overlooking the Dubai skyline in 2005.
The Burj al Arab stands at 321 meters on its own artificial island in the Arabian Gulf.
Shaped like a sail overlooking the sea, the Burj al Arab is the world’s tallest hotel-only building.
The Burj al Arab received the first ever heliport license from the General Civil Aviation Authority of the United Arab Emirates.
The stunt had been in the planning since 2021 and required 650 test landings, according to Red Bull.
Czepiela’s main job is to captain an Airbus A320, but he has some impressive flying achievements to his name, including winning the 2018 Challenger Class World Championship title at the Red Bull Air Race and landing an airplane on a wooden pier in Sopot, Poland.
Czepiela managed to land the light aircraft on a platform just 27 meters (89 ft) wide, at 212 meters (696 ft) above the ground.
Czepiela joins an elite group of sports legends who have graced the sail-shaped hotel’s helipad, including tennis champions Roger Federer and Andre Agassi, who played a match there in 2005, and former F1 Grand Prix winner David Coulthard, who performed donuts there In 2013.