If I would be asked what is the most thrilling, scary and dangerous sport is, i would say it’s Wingsuit flying! According to our beloved Wikipedia: “Wingsuit flying is the art of flying the human body through the air using a special jumpsuit, called a wingsuit, that shapes the human body into an airfoil which can create lift. The wingsuit creates the airfoil shape with fabric sewn between the legs and under the arms. It is also called a birdman suit or squirrel suit.”

But hey, let’s put the theory aside and watch this incredible video of those human squirrels falling just few centimeters away from the cliff:

(MSP’s wingsuit segment from “Seven Sunny Days”)

Pretty impresive, yes? If you got interested here’s some history for you:

Between 1930 and 1961 71 out of 75 people have died trying to perfect a wingsuit. Nevertheless some of those pioneers have successfully glided for miles and inspired many people to keep trying.

In the mid-1990s, a French skydiver Patrick de Gayardon developed a quite reliable wingsuit which brought the endeavor into the modern age. Unfortunately he died on April 13, 1998 while testing his latest modification.

In 1998, Jari Kuosma of Finland and Robert Pecnik of Croatia teamed up to fulfill their dream of creating a wingsuit that was safe and accessible for all skydivers when they established BirdMan, Inc. BirdMan’s Classic, designed by Robert Pecnik, was the first wingsuit offered to the general public.

Some additional facts:

A typical skydiver’s terminal velocity: 110 to 140 mph or from 180 to 225 km/h.

Birdman’s velocity: dramatically reduced speeds, a momentary speed of 25 mph or 40 km/h has been recorded, however 60 mph or 95 km/h is more typical.

Materials used in wingsuit: Rip-Stop nylon and or Parapack with thin plastic ribs

Can you try it? The United States Parachute Association (USPA) recommends in the Skydivers Information Manual, that any jumper flying a wingsuit for the first time have at least 200 jumps and be accompanied by an instructor or 500 jumps experience without instruction.

Wingsuit manufacturers offer training courses and certify instructors.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wingsuit_flying