Wingsuit - Fly Like a Bird
Recently, the internet has been flooded with mesmerizing videos of people gliding through the air in special suits. The sight of daredevils soaring at bird-like heights is nothing short of breathtaking, leaving viewers clutching their hearts after every daring maneuver.
This ultra-extreme sport is called wingsuiting. The idea of flying in special suits was inspired by flying squirrels. For a long time, attempts to design a flight suit ended tragically. It was only about twenty years ago that the modern, reliable version of the wingsuit was developed. The suit is equipped with three wings (instead of two, as in earlier versions) that feature a double-layer fabric capable of filling with onrushing airflow.
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One of the most challenging disciplines in parachuting
Wingsuiting Combined with BASE
Not everyone gets the chance to glide above the earth. To start wingsuiting, one must first complete at least 200 parachute jumps.
Unlike parachute jumps, the movement isn’t downward—it’s forward, resembling the flight of a bird. Wingsuit control is achieved by changing the angle of descent or body position.
The view that unfolds before the eyes of a wingsuit pilot makes all the preparatory jumps worth it. During one jump, the pilot travels about 2.5 kilometers horizontally for each kilometer of vertical descent. It is truly hard to believe that, in just a couple of minutes, a person can travel up to five kilometers.
Much more adrenaline can be experienced by performing wingsuit jumps from steep mountain slopes, flying just a few meters away from cliffs. The design of the suit and the ability to glide along a slope’s traverse allow the pilot to closely follow the mountain terrain, perform various maneuvers, regulate the altitude relative to the slope, and quickly distance themselves to a safe point to deploy the parachute.
To perform a jump, the pilot ascends to an altitude of approximately four kilometers. The initial flight speed is around 180 kilometers per hour.
Despite the high cost of the equipment (approximately $5,000) and strict requirements for entry into the sport, the number of fans of this aerial spectacle is steadily growing every day.
The creator of the modern wingsuit is the French designer Patrick de Gayardon. To model the wingsuit, he spent many years studying the flying techniques of flying squirrels.
Ultimately, after refining the flying suit, Patrick achieved the nearly impossible—he would jump from an airplane, descend several kilometers, catch up to the plane, and climb back into it! His total number of parachute jumps exceeded 12,000. Eight years after the first wingsuit test, de Gayardon tragically died due to a main parachute failure during one of his jumps.
Wingsuit Records
Flock of 71 Wingsuiters - Record Set in 2008
Landing in a wingsuit without a parachute is nearly impossible. To reduce the fall speed and increase lift, you’d need to significantly increase the wing area, which is not feasible due to the limitations of the human body. The only possible option would be a rigid wing frame, but that would no longer be a wingsuit.
The only person in the world to successfully land in a wingsuit without a parachute is stuntman Gary Connery. He jumped from a height of just over 700 meters and landed like an airplane on a runway made of cardboard boxes. A dubious thrill, to be honest.
A thrilling spectacle is the flight of a large group—a flock. Interestingly, during flights, it is quite possible to talk to each other to coordinate joint actions. The gold medal goes to the jump that involved 71 pilots simultaneously. For added visual impact, the participants formed the shape of a bomber during their flight.
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A jet-powered suit is currently in the testing phase. It’s hard to imagine the opportunities that will open up for wingsuiters with such equipment!
One of the major challenges is calculating the flight route and adhering to it. At the final destination, the pilot is always met by a support team, which can provide medical assistance if necessary. Despite the enormous risk and high cost of preparation, flying in a wingsuit is worth it.
Wingsuit Flight Photos
