Wingsuit Flying

Wingsuit flying’s proximity discipline has a fatality rate of one death per 500 jumps, markedly worse than the average of #2 free solo climbing’s estimated 30% career mortality. Pilots glide at 100–160 mph with a 2.5:1 glide ratio, skimming metres above cliffs and forests. Valery Rozov set a wingsuit BASE jump record of 7,220 meters from a Himalayan peak, while Jeb Corliss survived a Table Mountain crash in 2012 that killed most pilots. Suit modifications in the past decade have improved glide efficiency by 15% over earlier models, yet the sport’s inherent risks remain extreme.