Wingsuit flying (wingsuiting)
Wingsuit flying, or wingsuiting, is an extreme sport that combines elements of skydiving and BASE jumping, utilizing a specialized suit designed for enhanced aerial maneuverability. The wingsuit features fabric wings attached between the arms and torso, as well as between the legs, allowing wingsuiters to glide through the air and travel horizontally at slower speeds. The sport originated in the 1990s with the development of modern wingsuits and has since evolved into various disciplines, including performance and proximity flying.
Wingsuiters typically jump from airplanes or fixed objects, employing parachutes to ensure a safe landing. The practice requires considerable skill, as divers must manage their body position and control the parachute during descent. Competitive wingsuit flying has gained prominence, with events where participants are judged on acrobatics and performance measured by GPS technology.
Despite its thrilling appeal, wingsuit flying is recognized as a high-risk activity; concerns have been raised about safety, particularly following a rise in fatalities among wingsuiters. Learning to wingsuit often involves informal mentorship from experienced fliers, and a formal wingsuit school was established in 2017 to promote safer practices. The sport has garnered significant attention through social media, contributing to its growing popularity worldwide.
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Wingsuit flying (wingsuiting)
Wingsuit flying, or wingsuiting, is an extreme sport that is a form of skydiving with a special suit. The sport dates to the 1990s, when the first practical wingsuits were developed. Wingsuiters often jump from planes or off mountains or other fixed objects, a practice called BASE jumping. The sport has developed quickly, and modern wingsuiters may participate in a number of disciplines, including artistics (acrobatic), performance, and proximity flying.
The wingsuit—which is also known by other names, including batman suit, birdman suit, and flying squirrel suit—is a jumpsuit with wings between the arms and torso and a third wing between the legs. The suit has inflatable pressurized nylon cells, which increase the surface area of the diver's body and provide greater lift. The suit allows the user, or wingsuiter, to fly longer distances horizontally while falling more slowly. The user adjusts various parts of the body, including feet, head, hips, shoulders, and spine, as well as the arms and legs, to change speed, cover distance, and maneuver. Some fliers have deliberately soared under bridges or between objects.
Background
Franz Reichelt, a French inventor, created the earliest documented example of a wingsuit. He designed a flying parachute suit to be worn by pilots of airplanes, which had only recently been invented. Reichelt intended the suit to be used to escape damaged planes. He successfully tested his suit using dummies, and tested it himself by jumping from the Eiffel Tower in Paris in 1912. The suit canopy did not open in time, however, and he died on impact.
For much of the twentieth century, a number of people experimented with the idea of a suit with wings, with no demonstrable success. In 1994, Frenchman Patrick de Gayardon created and demonstrated the first successful modern wingsuit. In 1997, the skilled flier leaped from an airplane using a wingsuit and later flew back into the same plane. Other designers refined the wingsuit and developed variations for a number of jumping needs, such as maneuverability and distance.
Many early adopters of wingsuits were experienced skydivers. Beginning in the 1960s, many used parachutes and jumped from skyscrapers and cliffs in national parks. When skydivers began using wingsuits, they often continued to participate in BASE jumping. BASE jumping refers to leaping from fixed objects that fall into one of four categories: buildings, antennas, spans (bridges), and earth (cliffs). BASE jumping is considered one of the most dangerous activities in the world.
Wingsuit flying became widely known early in the twenty-first century with the advent of new technology and the growth of social media. New helmet cameras designed for sporting activities allowed fliers to document their experiences and share them on social media. In 2006, jumper Loïc Jean-Albert posted helmet camera video of a jump on YouTube. In the video, he glides close along mountain walls. This footage rapidly generated public interest in wingsuit flying, and more fliers began posting videos.
Overview
Wingsuiters are typically equipped with altimeters and altitude-warning devices to ensure they accurately calculate the landing. They must deploy a parachute to slow them down before they reach the ground. The wingsuiter must use his or her arms to deploy and control the parachute. The flier must also quickly unzip the leg wing, so he or she can run on the landing. Wingsuits, which are custom made by hand, can cost up to $2,000.
Wingsuiting has developed into a competitive sport that involves individual jumps and team events. The first international wingsuit formation flying events were held in Sweden in 2002 at an event called the Hercules Boogie. In 2004, German and Dutch skydivers developed an online performance competition format. They created a system, Paralog, to upload flight information and scores for time, speed, and distance. Paralog was used as a live competition format for the first time in 2005. It became an official Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) format in 2015, and the inaugural FAI World Cup of Wingsuit Performance Flying event was held in the United Kingdom in May. The World Cup competition includes both acrobatic and performance flying. Acrobatic competition involves a team of two performers and a videographer. The performers complete a series of moves within a time limit, while the videographer records evidence on which the team is scored. Judging considers style, docks (controlled contact of one performer on another), and camerawork of free and compulsory routines. Performance flying uses a global positioning system (GPS) to measure performance during a wingsuit flight. Information from the device is pulled into the Paralog jump logger, which provides information such as flight speed, distance, and horizontal speed. Any wingsuit flier can download the jump logger and submit flight information.
Wingsuit fliers have achieved a number of milestones. For example, in 2012, Gary Connery became the first person to complete a chuteless jump from an aircraft. The renowned stuntman devised a landing site of more than eighteen thousand empty cardboard boxes, three layers deep. The landing site was 12 feet (3.6 meters) high, 350 feet (106 meters) long, and 40 feet (12 meters) wide. On June 1, 2017, Fraser Corsan broke the world record for speed in a wingsuit, reaching 249 miles per hour (mph) and becoming the fastest human without the use of machinery. He also held altitude and distance records.
With the increasing profile of the sport on social media, it has grown in popularity. Although no official numbers have been kept, the popularity of wingsuit flying has had a parallel in an increase in fatal flights of BASE jumpers. A large increase in the number of deaths in 2016 raised concerns about the extreme sport: Thirty-eight wingsuiters died, with fifteen killed in August alone. Some of those who died were very experienced, including the skydiver and wingsuit flier who parachuted from a helicopter into the opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games dressed as fictional spy James Bond. Proponents of the sport say they do not support legislation, but many do say participants should be trained. Most practitioners learn from other wingsuit fliers, rather than professionals. To address the lack of training, the first wingsuit school was established in 2017.
Bibliography
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