Scroll down to read this post.

 

Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. I keep the website clean from pop-ups and annoying demands. Instead, I depend entirely on my readers to support me. Though this means I am sacrificing some income, it also means that I remain entirely independent from outside pressure. By depending solely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, no one can threaten me with censorship. You don't like what I write, you can simply go elsewhere.

 

You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are five ways of doing so:

 

1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.

 

2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
 

3. A Paypal Donation:

4. A Paypal subscription:


5. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
 
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652

 

You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above. And if you buy the books through the ebookit links, I get a larger cut and I get it sooner.


Best of Wingsuit Flying Compilation

6:01 pm

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.”

Genesis cover

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 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

11 comments

11 comments

  • Ron
    October 11, 2019 at 9:16 pm

    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!

  • Tom
    October 12, 2019 at 6:19 am

    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.

  • Gary
    October 12, 2019 at 7:53 am

    What’s the fatality rate for these flying squirrels?

  • Cotour
    October 12, 2019 at 8:27 am

    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.

  • Blair Ivey
    October 12, 2019 at 11:07 pm

    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.

  • wayne
    October 13, 2019 at 6:01 am

    Felix Baumgartner
    October 2012
    https://youtu.be/6U6WDpWtbTY?t=147

  • wayne
    October 13, 2019 at 6:05 am

    Col. (Ret.) Joe Kittinger
    “Space Jump”
    Project Excelsior
    https://youtu.be/sbVQ33ujzFw
    3:06

  • t-dub
    October 14, 2019 at 1:55 am

    Jokke Sommer – Incredible proximity flying . . .

    https://youtu.be/fOaBBt6sQns

  • wayne
    October 14, 2019 at 6:38 am

    Man Jumps from 25,000 ft with no Parachute (into a net)
    2014
    https://youtu.be/BPEVibUYlnQ
    3:37

  • wayne
    October 14, 2019 at 6:50 am

    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

  • Lee S
    October 14, 2019 at 10:38 am

    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!)

Readers: the rules for commenting!

 

No registration is required. I welcome all opinions, even those that strongly criticize my commentary.

 

However, name-calling and obscenities will not be tolerated. First time offenders who are new to the site will be warned. Second time offenders or first time offenders who have been here awhile will be suspended for a week. After that, I will ban you. Period.

 

Note also that first time commenters as well as any comment with more than one link will be placed in moderation for my approval. Be patient, I will get to it.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *