World first: Pilot lands plane on Burj Al Arab Jumeirah

At 39 years old, Luke Czepiela has spent his life pushing his limits in aviation, and at 6:58 a.m. on March 14, he became the first person in history to land a plane on the helipad atop the iconic Burj Al Arab Jumeirah in Dubai.

Czepiela, an air racing champion, had just 27 meters to bring his Cub Crafters-built STOL aircraft (Carbon Cub/short take-off and landing) to a stop and completed the task in 20.76 meters. While the aircraft is specifically made for abrupt landings in ordinary circumstances, landing atop a 56-story building ensured Czepiela’s historic landing took place in extraordinary circumstances.

Adding to the spectacle was Czepiela’s take off, where he soared over the beach in celebration.

“To be honest I couldn’t feel happier! Two years in the making, third attempt (to land) today and everything was perfect. We’ve managed to put a plane on a helipad 212 meters above the ground, on the most iconic, the most beautiful building in the world,” said Czepiela.

“The best bit after the landing was the take-off, I had so much fun just dropping the aircraft out of the sky and diving almost to beach level.”

Czepiela has been prepping for this moment since 2021. In total, he completed 650 test landings at ground level — in Poland, the US, and Dubai — building his confidence to land on the elevated helipad.

“The biggest challenge was the lack of any external points of reference, which is usually found at an airport where you have hundreds of meters of runway,” he said.

“Normally when approaching a runway, I see how high above it I am, and I can easily control the approach path. Today the helipad disappeared over the nose and my periphery was reduced. I had to rely on my practice and instincts if I wanted to