VIDEO: Volvo’s ‘Flying Passenger’ literally takes the high road

November 29, 2016

Will the paraglider, being towed by the truck, make it under the flyover? Will sales rise of 2394 Volvo trucks equipped with the latest I-Shift Dual Clutch?

Thankfully the paraglider makes it. Who knows if Volvo sales will surge. But the video of a man paragliding off the back of a lorry on a sunny day is worth watching. Beautiful Croatian mountain scenery is part of this “Flying Passenger’ video made for Volvo Trucks. The challenge was shot in the Dinaric Alps in Croatia on closed-off roads and under strict safety supervision.

It’s the latest in the Live Test video series by Volvo. The driver of this Volvo FH truck – forward control high cab – must maintain a high cruising speed to keep the paraglider in the air. The test highlights the performance of Volvo Trucks’ powertrain, fitted with I-Shift Dual Clutch.

The truck driver is Louise Marriott, from New Zealand. She knows something about maintain constant speeds, too. In late 2015, Marriott was proclaimed the most fuel-efficient driver in the on-road category of Volvo’s annual Asia Pacific Fuelwatch Challenge.

Marriott became the first female driver – and New Zealander - in the competition’s six-year history to achieve a podium finish at the event, joining Ravi Poleboina from India who was awarded the most fuel-efficient driver in the off-road segment.

Marriott, a driver for JPM Holdings in Christchurch, New Zealand, was one of four female entrants. The other three were from China, Thailand and Korea. To win the title of the most fuel-efficient driver in the on-road category, she clocked 17.5% less fuel compared to the highest amount of fuel burnt at the event.

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