Biker caught floating six-feet in the air after high-speed crash

A ‘lucky’ motorcyclist has been captured appearing to float six feet up in mid-air as competitors race by him – only to eventually crash down on his bum and narrowly escape being run over. Paul Henderson says he was chasing two riders during an amateur race at Castle Combe Circuit, Chippenham, Wiltshire, when he accelerated too hard coming out of a chicane.

Astonishing snaps show the moment the 52-year-old was thrown into the air in a squat-like position – making it look like he’s hovering above his competitors. Other photos show him crashing to the floor and landing on his bike as other riders narrowly miss him while travelling around 40mph.

The dad-of-three managed to avoid being run before walking off the track and being assessed by medics where it was confirmed he wasn’t injured. Paul says ‘time slowed down’ while he was airborne and he remembers thinking ‘that’s a nice blue sky, but at some point I’m going to hit the deck’.

He says he’s pleased semi-professional photographer Ritchie George captured the stunning sequence as it proves just how high he was flung.

The 52-year-old was thrown into the air in a squat-like position (Image: Kennedy News and Media)

The accident, known as a ‘high-side’, happened during the eighth lap of nine in an amateur race on April 22 and meant he was marked as ‘did not finish’. Surprisingly he left the track with only a ‘sore bum’ and some minor damage to his bike then took paracetamol ahead of returning to race again the next day.

The images have been liked more than 400 times on Facebook, with some labelling him ‘the flying man’ and one even joking ‘he’ll have to pay a fine for invading British airspace’. Paul, from Newcastle, Tyneside, said: “I remember looking into the air and thinking ‘that’s a nice blue sky, but at some point I’m going to hit the deck’. Time slowed down.

“There were two guys in front of me and I knew I was catching them so as I came to that corner for the eighth time I just got on the throttle a little too early. The bike started to slide, I dropped the throttle and then it was weird. Normally when you high-side you go forward but mine just flew me up in the air.

“It happened so quickly. A split second and before I knew it I was off the bike. It told me you’re not staying on, you’re going off.

“I was lucky not to be run over but It’s a saving grace that it’s not a fast corner so people could react. I came down hard on my bum and feet so they were a little sore.

“It was great to see the pictures to show I was as high as I thought I was. When a racer comes off the first thing you say is ‘did someone get it?’.”

Paul, who started track racing in 2014, broke his back in four places during a bike crash in 2019 and says he was advised not to get on a bike again and ‘whatever you do, don’t high-side’.

The former army fusilier says the accident occurred on the track’s first left turn after multiple rights so a high-side was more likely to happen due to him having a cold left side of the tyre.

Winded Paul says he managed to stand up and stumble off the track before the red flag was waved and the race ended prematurely for what he believes to have been another crash.

Richie says he’s relieved Paul, who lives in Dorchester, Dorset, is okay after witnessing the incident while he was snapping a rider in front of him.

Ritchie, from Gloucester, Gloucestershire, said: “I was focusing on the bikes at the front then I could see him in the air in the background through my viewfinder.

“I’m glad I managed to capture it because a crash happens so quickly and the chances of catching it are slim. I’m more glad he’s okay though.

“He went really high. It must have been a good 6ft in the air.”

George’s Facebook post was inundated with more than 200 comments from fellow bikers baffled by the height Paul was flung into the air.

One commented: “Bloody hell, the flying man! I’m glad to hear he’s ok but I don’t think I’d be moving for weeks after that.”

A second said: “Oof… I’m glad he’s ok, that’s some flight.”

A third joked: “Worst part is when he eventually lands he’ll have a fine for invading British airspace without consent.”

Paul jokingly commented: “Can I just say It was a lovely blue sky I was looking at – before I landed to do a track inspection.”

Castle Combe Circuit have been contacted for comment.