Dario Costa started to learn piloting while at high school in Bologna where after formal flight training he did his first solo flight at the age of 16 in 1996. Earned his living initially as theoretical instructor at his flying school and high school enabling him few years later to obtain his commercial pilot, flight instructor and aerobatic flight instructor qualifications. Teaching and competing in aerobatics, Dario evolved with the sport and in 2011, while still teaching full-time, was contest director of the 2011 FAI World Aerobatic Championships and in 2013 joined the Red Bull Air Race World Championship as flight operations manager, development and ferry pilot. In 2016 became the first Italian to qualify as Red Bull Air RaceWorld Championship race pilot. In 2017 flew in synchro with freestyle skierIan Rocca in the Mottolino Livigno snowpark for a Lamborghini ad becoming the first ones to ever perform such stunt. In 2018 started competing in the Red Bull Air Race Challenger Cup becoming the first Italian to join this world championship. In 2019 flew low level racing manoeuvres over the Namib Desert for a Hamilton Watch ad. On his second race got on the podium and on his second season won the 2019 Challenger Cup in Lake Balaton. In 2019 became the first ever airplane pilot to perform and include in his display routine a barrel roll in formation flight together with a helicopter flown by another Italian pilot Mirko Flaim and also became the second pilot ever to include in his display routine a roll around wingsuit skydivers. In June 2020 Dario has performed in the Red Bull movie "Drum the Bull", a music video in which the internationally renowned percussionist Martin Grubinger combines classical music with the sounds of different motorsports, including the modified Zivko Edge 540 flown by Costa, to celebrate the 2020 Formula One World Championship back to back opening races in Spielberg. In July 2020 Dario has flown at low level, for F1 Styrian GP, the Red Bull Ring racetrack for a kind of track preview video never done before.
Awards and accolades
On August 5th, 2018 Costa was featured in a picture over Venice which was included in "The best images in sport" by The Sunday Times.
