Photographer Vincent Laforet captured these absolutely stunning high-altitude photos of New York City at night by hanging himself out of a helicopter hovering at a staggering 7,500 feet. Nobody has ever done this before from this altitude.

“It is both exhilarating and terrifying all at once,” Laforet told Gizmodo. “Let's just start off by saying this was the scariest helicopter "photo mission" of my career. And the most beautiful.”

Indeed, one veteran pilot that Laforet often flew with refused to go up to the altitude they were at, saying that “helicopters are not meant to live in that realm”.