Wingsuits Are Oh So Fly!!!

Story by Eden Washington, 6th grade FNN Reporter for Friendship Public Charter School Online.  Photo from Google.

March 30, 2021.  “When the topic of extreme sports came up, someone asked, “Who needs a plane when you have a wingsuit?”  …”Um, I DO!”  I am not feeling very confident in my flying skills as yet.  The closest I've gotten to flying was the iFly indoor flying place back home, to prepare me for skydiving.  FYI, I am NOT ready to skydive either.  I am still trying to wrap my head around this whole extreme sport wingsuit phenomena.  I’m sure there are extreme sports that are on the ground. This is a whole different level that my elevator does not travel to yet.  I'm not really the type of person that will back out of fun but I am also not the type of person who would risk my life either!  I just mustered up the courage to walk across an elevated glass bridge, now I’m BASE jumping off a mountain.  While this is fun to watch from the ground, there is nothing particularly appealing to me about looking like I am about to smack my head on the top of a tree, or brush my torso on a giant rock.  But I'm here now and there's no turning back, so much for staying grounded.

I am at The Dolomite Mountains in Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park in Italy, preparing to fly off in my wingsuit and I'm already thinking about landing.  This mountain is 3,343 m (10,968 ft) with an area of 15,942 km2 (6,155 sq mi).   In August 2009, the Dolomites were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.”  This site is prime for these types of extreme sports because the peak is so high.

What is wingsuit flying you may ask, and why would anyone want to fly outside of an airplane?  According to Wikipedia, “Wingsuit flying is the sport of flying through the air using a wingsuit which adds surface area to the human body to enable a significant increase in lift.  The modern wingsuit, first developed in the late 1990’s creates a surface area with fabric between the legs and under the arms.”  So I am with my crew and we are ready to step off this mountain.  I am suited up with my wingsuit, goggles, camera; rig, a rig consists of a container, reserve parachute, main parachute and an AAD, an electronic device which deploys your reserve parachute at around 800ft should you fail to manually deploy, gps, gloves, helmet; audible altimeter, an audible altimeter is designed to beep at pre-set altitudes to warn a wingsuiter to leave their group (break-off) or deploy their parachute, and a rabble of butterflies in my stomach.  Skydivers are required to carry a knife in order to handle entanglement/reserve malfunctions.  Gloves are helpful in case of bad landings, and skydive necklaces have become a common way to recognize skydivers away from the dropzone.  Here goes, as I close my eyes, the wind is so fierce pushing my weight against the air as I relax and glide.  If I stop thinking so much about landing, I might enjoy my flight.  LOL, ...just kidding, you really thought I was going to jump off the side of a mountain?  ...Not my kind of thrill or adventure.  I asked an expert who seeks this sort of rousing escapade. 

You can’t just go put on a wingsuit and fly, you have to have training first.  To do this sport justice, I sought the expertise of Andy Farrington who says “that wingsuit flying is the closest thing to being a superhero.”  When asked what he thinks about while flying, he answered, “nothing, peace, freedom, focus and relaxation”.  Most of his thought and diligence comes in preparation.  Before the jump, he scouts the line to make sure he has a good plan for execution.  “Just like a ski racer, if you do the top as planned, then the middle section, down to the bottom part of the run should be good.” The physical experience of flying is mastering a process like swinging, golfing, or riding a horse or bike, “to go fast, you dive down and point with your head; to fly slower, you fly with your head up and push your muscles; and to bank, you dip your shoulder down in the direction you want to go.  It’s just like a glider”.  Special skills needed besides plenty of experience, “you need to be comfortable and flexible. You can’t fly like a complete robot.”  Farrinton says that he does get nervous, as “nerves are par for the course on any wingsuit flight.”

There you have it peeps, anyone care to fly with me?  ...at iFly in Montgomery County Maryland.  I’ll meet you there, until then, I’m still staying grounded.

Eden Washington, 6th grade scholar at Friendship Public Charter School Online.