What is Wingsuit Skydiving?
When Boise, ID jumpers start skydiving, they’ll wear standard skydiving gear and use a parachute. Very experienced jumpers who are ready to take it to the next level can explore the possibilities of wingsuit flying, also called wingsuit skydiving. This form of aerial adventure utilizes a “squirrel suit” in addition to a parachute. While many non-jumpers use the this term Squirrel-Suit, Squirrel is just one brand of wingsuit. The wingsuit suit has webbing between the sleeves and body, and between the legs, resembling a flying squirrel. This allows jumpers to glide with more time spent in the air. This extra air time allows for precision, with many professional teams using their wing suits to build formations in the air.
If you’re interested in taking your Bozeman, MT skydiving game up to the next level, wingsuit flying might be just what you’re looking for! Did you know that DZONE is owned by Abbie Mashaal and his jump team holds three United States Parachute Association (USPA) records in Idaho for their canopy formations? They also hold one of the Idaho State Wingsuit records. Learn more about this exhilarating, extremely skilled sport with DZONE!
How Does Wingsuit Skydiving Work?
The specialized suit for wingsuit skydiving was developed in the 1990s, so wingsuit flying is still a relatively new sport. The suit isn’t just loose fabric flapping in the wind; it’s a piece of precision engineering. Most modern wingsuits feature ram-air inlets—small openings that allow the rushing air to inflate internal cells within the suit. This inflation makes the “wings” rigid and aerodynamic, much like the wing of an airplane or a parachute canopy. The increased surface area acts like an airfoil and so jumpers spend more time gliding in the air than they do with a traditional skydiving jump.
The fabric between the thighs acts as a tail for adjusting pitch, and the arm wings allow for roll. That’s how wingsuit skydivers can steer themselves into position with other divers to create spectacular mid-air formations. When it’s time to land, wingsuiters access a parachute just as they would when freefall skydiving and deploy it for a landing that’s similar to a standard skydiving jump.
Once the suit is pressurized, the pilot manages their glide ratio. While a normal skydiver might move forward one foot for every foot they fall (a 1:1 ratio), an experienced wingsuiter can achieve a 3:1 ratio, meaning they travel three feet forward for every foot of descent.
Train for Wingsuit Skydiving at DZONE
The USPA rules make it clear that wingsuit skydiving isn’t for beginners. Wingsuit flying requires a minimum of 200 freefall skydives before making a wingsuit flight. You’ll also need to be certified in solo skydiving with B and C licenses. This is the territory of skydiving professionals, but you can start the process by attending DZONE’s Zero to Hero™ skydiving school.
Book Your Skydiving Experience at DZONE®
Reading about how to skydive is one thing—experiencing the jump is another! If you’re ready to get first-hand experience with skydiving equipment and best practices, don’t wait to book your appointment! While you’re here, you can get an even better sense of how skydiving works by watching videos of experienced jumpers who were once just like you!