Best of Wingsuit Flying Compilation
An evening pause: I have posted several previous evening pauses on wingsuit flights, in 2011, 2012, and 2015. It has been awhile, so let’s do it again. The music is Prologue by Philter.
Hat tip Cotour, who added that this is “Without a doubt the most exhilarating and dangerous sport that humans participate in.”
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
An evening pause: I have posted several previous evening pauses on wingsuit flights, in 2011, 2012, and 2015. It has been awhile, so let’s do it again. The music is Prologue by Philter.
Hat tip Cotour, who added that this is “Without a doubt the most exhilarating and dangerous sport that humans participate in.”
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Those dudes or dudets have some serious stones! I have over 20 jumps (not many in the airborne world) but almost all no matter the time of day were night jumps!
Steely Dan was flat out wrong, you CAN buy a thrill! But, when things go wrong, I would remember B.B King and agree … the thrill is gone.
One would have to assume that life insurance companies keep a list of the people who participate in these extreme sports and deny them coverage because of it.
What’s the fatality rate for these flying squirrels?
I would think that the wing suit fatality rate would be statistically fairly high given the assumed limited number of wing suit flyers. I have made only 2 jumps and thought about such a system to extend the experience.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatalities_due_to_wingsuit_flying
It appears that the use of a wing suit in a “normal” jump has few problems and fatalities, its the “Close proximity” flying that presents the problems. Traveling at what I would estimate 150 MPH in close proximity to cliffs and mountains increases the rush, but also increases to the extreme the probability of failure and death. There is just no margine of error at such close to the surface operation.
Its the taking it to the next level, like with most everything exciting that humans participate in, that causes the death rate to soar. I will assume that using a wing suit is exciting enough, but must become boring for some dare devils in a short time frame and pushing the edge of the envelope is inevitable.
Ah, to be human.
If their are indeed aliens observing human activities this is just one more to add to a long list that they are surely scratching their bulbous heads and smiling in admiration, or confusion.
Not surprised to see a Red Bull logo in there somewhere.
To bring back an 80’s term, that is massive. And looks like a lot of fun. Not doing it, though.
Felix Baumgartner
October 2012
https://youtu.be/6U6WDpWtbTY?t=147
Col. (Ret.) Joe Kittinger
“Space Jump”
Project Excelsior
https://youtu.be/sbVQ33ujzFw
3:06
Jokke Sommer – Incredible proximity flying . . .
https://youtu.be/fOaBBt6sQns
Man Jumps from 25,000 ft with no Parachute (into a net)
2014
https://youtu.be/BPEVibUYlnQ
3:37
Band of Brothers (2001) –
D-Day Jump Scene
https://youtu.be/YVhkZ7jeB20
8:33
“95 year old World War II veteran Harry Read parachutes into Normandy 75 years after D-Day landings”
ITV News June 2019
https://youtu.be/ergGhuEwYhg
2:35
I kinda get it…. I did a static line jump from 2500′ back in the 80’s… It was probably the biggest thrill I ever had… And a couple of bungee jumps shortly after ( much scarier! )
But the sheer chance of smashing head first into a rock or the ground during wingsuiting freezes my blood!
Back in the day, I believe cave diving was considered one of the most dangerous sports…. One for you to “dive” in in Bob?
( Sorry for the pun…. I will get my coat!)