Wingsuit flying is a type of skydiving that uses a special jumpsuit with webbing to increase the area of the body and create more lift. This allows the skydiver to glide through the air for a longer time instead of just falling quickly. The modern wingsuit, created in the late 1990s, has fabric membranes stretched between the arms and sides of the body to form a shape that helps with flight. Some wingsuits also have fabric between the legs to act as a tail and help with steering in the air.

Like all skydiving activities, wingsuit flying ends with the use of a parachute. A wingsuit can be used from any high place that allows enough time to fly and deploy the parachute, such as an airplane or a tall cliff. The person flying the wingsuit wears equipment designed for skydiving or BASE jumping. After the parachute is opened, the skydiver must unfasten the arm wings to reach the controls on the parachute and guide the descent.

Wingsuits are sometimes called "birdman suits," "squirrel suits," or "bat suits." These names come from their appearance, which resembles the wings of birds, flying squirrels, or bats. Some names also relate to the famous superhero Batman and his costume.

History

An early attempt at wingsuit flying happened on February 4, 1912, when a 33-year-old tailor named Franz Reichelt jumped from the Eiffel Tower to test his invention, which combined a parachute and wing. His design was similar to modern wingsuits. Reichelt tricked the guards by saying the experiment would use a dummy. He waited for a long time before jumping and died when he hit the ground headfirst, creating a hole in the frozen ground.

A wingsuit was first used in the United States in 1930 by a 19-year-old man named Rex G. Finney from Los Angeles, California. The goal was to improve horizontal movement and control during parachute jumps. These early wingsuits used materials like canvas, wood, silk, steel, and whalebone. They were not very reliable, though some "birdmen," such as Clem Sohn and Leo Valentin, claimed to glide for long distances.

Batwings, an early version of wingsuits, were shown in the 1969 movie The Gypsy Moths, which featured actors Burt Lancaster and Gene Hackman.

In the mid-1990s, a modern wingsuit was created by Patrick de Gayardon of France, based on a design by John Carta. In 1997, a man from Bulgaria named Sammy Popov built a wingsuit with a larger wing between the legs and longer wings on the arms. He tested his design in a wind tunnel in Las Vegas. Popov’s wingsuit first flew in October 1998 but was never sold to the public. In 1998, Chuck "Da Kine" Raggs made a wingsuit with stiff ribs inside the wings. These rigid wings kept their shape better but made the suit heavier and harder to fly. Raggs’ design also was not sold commercially. Popov and Raggs showed their designs together at an event in Quincy, Illinois, in August 1999. Both designs worked well. At the same event, skydivers performed group wingsuit jumps using suits made by de Gayardon, Popov, and Raggs.

In 1999, a man from Finland named Jari Kuosma and a man from Croatia named Robert Pečnik worked together to create a wingsuit that was safe and easy for skydivers to use. Kuosma started a company called Bird-Man International Ltd. the same year. Pečnik designed the first wingsuit offered to the public, called the "Classic." Bird-Man became the first company to create an instructor program to teach people how to use wingsuits safely. The program aimed to show that wingsuits were not as dangerous as people thought and helped skydivers with at least 200 jumps learn to use them safely. Instructors like Scott Campos, Chuck Blue, and Kim Griffin helped develop a standard training method. Other wingsuit companies, such as Squirrel and Phoenix-Fly, also created programs to train coaches.

Technique

A wingsuit pilot begins free fall while wearing a wingsuit and parachute equipment. The way a wingsuit is launched depends on whether the jump is from an aircraft or a fixed object, such as a cliff (BASE jumping).

When exiting an aircraft in a wingsuit, the pilot must use skills that vary based on the aircraft’s door size and location. These skills include positioning the body correctly relative to the aircraft and the wind. Pilots must also spread their legs and arms at the right time to avoid hitting the tail or losing control. As soon as the pilot exits, the wingsuit begins to fly because of the wind created by the aircraft’s forward movement.

Exiting from a BASE jumping site, like a cliff, requires a different method. In these cases, gravity pulls the pilot downward, creating the airspeed needed for the wingsuit to generate lift. This is also true when jumping from a helicopter, paraglider, or hot air balloon. Unlike exiting an airplane, it takes time to build airspeed to inflate the wingsuit and control movement. Proper body positioning is essential during this process.

A wingsuit changes how much of the body is exposed to wind, which helps increase lift and drag. With training, wingsuit pilots can achieve a glide ratio of 3:1 or better. This means for every meter they drop, they move forward three meters. Pilots adjust their body position—such as bending their torso, moving their shoulders, hips, and knees, and changing the wingsuit’s angle—to control speed and fall rate. Because wingsuits lack a vertical stabilizing part, poor technique can cause spinning, which the pilot must actively stop.

A typical skydiver falling in a belly-down position reaches speeds of 180 to 225 km/h (110 to 140 mph). A wingsuit can greatly reduce these speeds. Some pilots have recorded vertical speeds as low as 40 km/h (25 mph). However, the horizontal speed through the air remains much higher, up to 100 km/h (62 mph).

Wingsuits from the 1990s to the early 2010s had glide ratios closer to 2:1. Skilled pilots could sometimes reach 3:1, but it was very difficult. Modern wingsuits allow pilots to achieve a 3:1 ratio more easily, enabling faster movement.

Wingsuits can perform a flare, where speed is traded for extra lift. By diving first to gain speed, modern wingsuits can briefly gain altitude during a flare.

At a planned altitude where a parachute is typically deployed, wingsuit pilots also open their parachutes. Before deployment, pilots adjust their position to slow down by flaring. Then, they reach back and throw a small parachute (pilot chute) to start the main parachute’s opening. The parachute is guided to a controlled landing using standard skydiving or BASE jumping methods.

Wingsuit pilots often use tools like portable GPS devices to record their flight path. This data helps evaluate performance, including fall rate, speed, and glide ratio. When jumping from a new location, BASE jumpers use maps and laser range finders to study the terrain. By comparing known terrain details with recorded flight data, jumpers can determine if a jump is safe. BASE jumpers also use landmarks and video footage to compare their performance with previous flights and other jumpers at the same site.

Suit design

Modern wingsuits are made with different materials to create a special shape called an airfoil. The main part of the suit is usually made from ripstop nylon, and other materials are added to strengthen the front edge and reduce air resistance.

Beginner wingsuits have smaller surface areas and less pressure inside. This helps pilots control the suit more easily and keeps it stable during flight. Using less fabric also makes it simpler to open the pilot parachute at the end of the flight. As pilots gain experience, they may choose more advanced suits with larger surface areas that allow for longer glides.

The airfoil shape is created by the pressure inside the suit and how it is built. Inside the suit, there are stiff parts called ribs that help shape the wings. A smooth front edge is important because it creates most of the lift and air resistance. Keeping air resistance low while maintaining high pressure inside the suit is a key goal in modern wingsuit design. The number and placement of air openings vary between different suit models. Suits designed for freestyle flying often have openings on the back side to keep pressure inside the suit when pilots fly upside down.

A 2010 redesign tested in a wind tunnel by the 8th Conference of the International Sports Engineering Association (ISEA) showed that adding material between the head/helmet area and the wrists to make the upper wings larger would lower the lift-to-drag ratio in most tests. This happened because the added material increased both lift and drag. Other improvements in the late 2000s and early 2010s helped increase the glide ratio of wingsuits.

Wingsuit BASE

BASE jumping is different from skydiving because it involves jumping from a fixed object like a cliff instead of an airplane. Modern BASE jumping began in 1978, but wingsuit BASE jumping, which combines wingsuit flying with BASE jumping, started in 1997 when Patrick de Gayardon made some of the first jumps. Wingsuit BASE jumping allows jumpers to fly farther from cliffs and stay in freefall longer than regular BASE jumping. Since 2003, many BASE jumpers have used wingsuits, leading to the development of wingsuit BASE jumping.

A wingsuit BASE jump starts with a jump from a cliff. Air quickly fills the suit, creating a shape that helps the jumper glide. By keeping the correct body position, the jumper can move forward 3 meters for every 1 meter they descend.

"Proximity flying" is a technique where wingsuit jumpers fly close to mountain faces and ridges. As technology and skills improved, jumpers learned to control their flight to stay within meters of the terrain. This flying style gives a stronger sense of speed because the jumper has a close visual reference. Loic Jean-Albert of France was one of the first proximity flyers, and his work helped many people join the sport. In November 2012, Alexander Polli became the first wingsuit BASE jumper to hit a wingsuit target. Polli died in 2016 after crashing into a tree during a wingsuit accident.

Wingsuit BASE jumping has more risks than regular wingsuit skydiving. Jumping from a fixed object starts with low airspeed, requiring different flying skills. Dangers like trees, rocks, and the ground must be avoided during the flight. Skydivers usually carry two parachutes, but wingsuit BASE jumpers typically use only one parachute designed for BASE jumping.

Wingsuit BASE jumping is not regulated by official rules. However, to perform the activity safely, jumpers must be experienced in skydiving, wingsuit flying, and BASE jumping. It takes hundreds of practice jumps to gain skill in each of these areas before attempting wingsuit BASE jumping.

Further technical developments

As of 2010, some wingsuits have been tested with power, often using small jet engines attached to the feet or a wingpack design to allow for faster horizontal movement and even upward flight.

On October 25, 2009, in Lahti, Finland, Visa Parviainen jumped from a hot air balloon wearing a wingsuit with two small turbojet engines on his feet. Each engine produced about 160 newtons (36 lbf; 16 kgf) of thrust and used JET A-1 fuel. Parviainen flew horizontally for about 30 seconds without losing altitude. He later made similar jumps from hot air balloons and helicopters, including one for the Stunt Junkies program on the Discovery Channel.

Christian Stadler from Germany created the "VegaV3 wingsuit system," which uses an electronic adjustable hydrogen peroxide rocket. This rocket provides 1,000 newtons (220 lbf; 100 kgf) of thrust and does not produce flames or harmful fumes. His first successful powered wingsuit jump happened in 2007, when he reached horizontal speeds over 255 km/h (160 mph).

In November 2020, professional BASE jumper Peter Salzmann made the first electric wingsuit flight, using a wingsuit developed by BMW's i division. Another type being studied is the wingpack, which is a rigid wing made of carbon fiber that is attached to the body.

Training

Flying a wingsuit makes skydiving more difficult. The Skydivers' Information Manual states that the United States Parachute Association requires skydivers to complete at least 200 skydives during freefall before taking a wingsuit training course and making their first wingsuit jump. Other countries have similar rules. Companies that make wingsuits provide training courses, certify instructors, and set minimum skydive requirements for purchasing a wingsuit. Beginners start with smaller wingsuits that have less surface area. As they gain experience, pilots can progress to larger wingsuits with more surface area, which allow for longer glides and more time in the air. In the sport of wingsuit flying, participants can choose from several sub-disciplines, such as acrobatic flying, performance flying, and wingsuit BASE jumping.

Records

The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the leading organization for airsports, created rules for official world record wingsuit formations in February 2015. These rules are posted on the FAI website.

Before these rules, the largest wingsuit formation recognized as a U.S. national record had 68 pilots. It was set on November 12, 2009, at Lake Elsinore, California. The largest global record before the rules was a diamond-shaped formation with 100 pilots, set on September 22, 2012, at Perris, California. These records are no longer valid because they do not meet current FAI rules.

Two world records were set after the rules were updated. A formation with 42 pilots in Moorsele, Belgium, on June 18, 2015, became an FAI record. This was later broken on October 17, 2015, when 61 pilots set the current FAI world record over Perris Valley Airport near Perris, California.

The current U.S. national record includes 43 wingsuit pilots. It was set on October 5, 2018, in Rosharon, Texas, at Skydive Spaceland-Houston.

The current U.S. open national docked record (when pilots hold onto each other during a formation) was set in 2014 by five pilots—Billy delGiudice, Matthew Veno, Andreea Olea, Jeff Harrigan, and Sarah Chamberlain—at Connecticut Parachutists in Ellington, Connecticut.

On May 23, 2006, Australian Heather Swan and Glenn Singleman set a world record for the highest wingsuit BASE jump by leaping from 6,604 meters (21,667 feet) on Meru Peak, India. This record was broken on May 5, 2013, by Russian Valery Rozov, who jumped from 7,220 meters (23,690 feet) on Mount Everest’s North Col. Rozov later broke his own record by jumping from 7,700 meters (25,300 feet) on Cho Oyu in 2016.

The longest verified wingsuit BASE jump was 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) by American Dean Potter on November 2, 2011. He jumped from the Eiger mountain and flew for 3 minutes and 20 seconds, descending 2,800 meters (9,200 feet).

The biggest wingsuit BASE jump, measured from exit to landing, was performed by Patrick Kerber on August 11, 2013, with a height of 3,240 meters (10,630 feet) off the Jungfrau in Switzerland.

On May 22, 2017, British wingsuit pilot Fraser Corsan set a world record for the fastest speed in a wingsuit of 396.86 km/h (246.60 mph). This record was later broken on March 27, 2025, by Chilean Sebastián Álvarez, who reached 550 km/h (340 mph).

The current world record for greatest average horizontal speed within competition rules (within 1,000 meters of vertical distance) was set by Travis Mickle (US) on November 6, 2017, with a speed of 325.4 km/h (202.19 mph). American Ellen Brennan holds the record for the fastest flying woman.

On April 20 and 21, 2012, Colombian skydiver Jhonathan Florez set Guinness World Records in wingsuit flying in La Guajira, Colombia. The longest wingsuit flight by duration was 9 minutes and 6 seconds. Sebastián Álvarez flew for 11 minutes and 1 second on March 27, 2025.

The current world record for longest time in flight within competition rules (within 1,000 meters of vertical distance) was set on August 28, 2018, by Chris Geiler (US) with a time of 100.2 seconds (1.67 minutes).

The highest altitude wingsuit jump is 13,183.70 meters (43,253.6 feet), achieved by Aaron Smith above Whiteville, Tennessee, US, on July 1, 2023.

As of 2022, the Guinness World Record for "greatest absolute distance flown in a wingsuit" is 32.094 kilometers (19.94 miles), set by Kyle Lobpries (US) in Davis, California, on May 30, 2016. Sebastián Álvarez later set the record at 53.450 kilometers on March 27, 2025.

The current world record for longest horizontal distance within competition rules (within 1,000 meters of vertical distance) was set on May 27, 2017, by U.S. wingsuit pilot Alexey Galda with a distance of 5.137 kilometers (3.19 miles).

The highest recorded flare (a sudden upward movement) is 130.9 meters (429 feet), achieved by Daniel Ossio (CH) in Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland, on May 3, 2022. The flare occurred after exiting a fast-moving aircraft.

The highest conventional flare (achieved by diving and accelerating) is 124.3 meters (408 feet), set by Luke Rogers (AUS) in Ramblers, Australia, on September 9, 2018.

On May 23, 2012, British stuntman Gary Connery safely landed a wingsuit without using a parachute. He landed on a special "runway" made of thousands of cardboard boxes.

Safety

Recent data shows that wingsuit flying has become safer, similar to other flying activities like hang gliding. In the United States, wingsuit BASE jumpers have a fatality rate of 2 out of every 1,000 participants, compared to 1 out of every 1,000 participants for hang gliding. A 2012 study by the University of Colorado found that in wingsuit BASE jumping, there was about 1 serious injury for every 500 jumps.

A detailed study on wingsuit deaths, mostly conducted by the University of Colorado, found that of 180 studied fatalities, 97% involved jumps from cliffs, and 1% involved jumps from buildings. Most of these deaths were caused by the use of the wingsuit itself, not by outside factors. This makes flying from airplanes a less dangerous form of wingsuit flying, even though some people consider it less extreme than jumping from cliffs.

Legality

Wingsuit flying is allowed with few rules in countries such as Brazil, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, New Zealand, Iceland, India, Russia, Georgia, Mexico, and Venezuela. A city in France called Chamonix had a ban on wingsuit flying, but the ban was later removed.