 alt=|300x300px|Wingsuit flyer over fields in the UK Wingsuit flying (or wingsuiting) 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 1990s, creates a surface area with fabric between the legs and under the arms. Wingsuits are sometimes referred to as "birdman suits" (after the makers of the first commercial wingsuit), "squirrel suits" (from their resemblance to flying squirrels' wing membrane), and "bat suits" (due to their resemblance to the animal or perhaps the superhero). In the mid-1990s, the modern wingsuit was developed by Patrick de Gayardon of France, adapted from the model used by John Carta. In 1997, the Bulgarian Sammy Popov designed and built a wingsuit that had a larger wing between the legs and longer wings on the arms. He tested his prototype in a vertical wind tunnel in Las Vegas at Flyaway Las Vegas. Popov's wingsuit first flew in October 1998, but never went into commercial production. In 1998, Chuck Priest mentored by Patrick de Gayardon, began flying De Gayardons wingsuit in Hawaii. Discussions of the two (2) working together to produce these suits ceased upon Patricks fatal wing suit jump there in Hawaii, resulting from a negligent rigging modification. Several lines were unintentionally trapped/sewn into the wall of the 'tray' of his container while attempting to add a foam 'wedge' to the seat of the wingsuit. Independently, Priest built and test jumped his first (1) wingsuit design to fly / film Volcano Jump project [Kalapana, Big Island Hawaii]. 1999 Priest built his second (2) design, from scratch featuring his company label Da' Kine Rags Hawaii. Priest test jumped each design modification himself. Priest designed the wings to be thicker and larger to match the depth of the jumpers torso, setting a new standard to the progression of wingsuit design. Priest incorporated foam ribs inside the wing airfoils. These added rigidity to the wings and were better able to smoothly change their shape during high speed, carving dives. This made the wingsuit more stable to fly steep at high speeds. Additionally, Priests new design included an inflatable seat area, [De Gayardon was intending to utilize], without needing to attach it to the parachute container. Priest built only two (2)more of these wingsuits to premire with Da' Kine Rags sponsored flyers (Marcos Heggli and Oliver) in the 1999 Vicci Boogie, France, where they recieved much attention. Priest's Da' Kine Rags wingsuits never went into commercial production. Flying together for the first time, Popov and Priest showcased their designs side by side at the World Free-fall Convention at Quincy, Illinois, in August 1999. Both designs performed well. Currently 2021, Popov previously a world class sky surfer, owns and operates a skydive center, while Priest works with top wing suit production company Tony Suits, developing 2022 wing suit models. thumb /Users/chuckdakine1/Desktop/F1000006_2. JPG
1999 Priests flight over Mokuleia Hawaii alt=|300x300px|Wingsuit flyer over fields in the UK Wingsuit flying (or wingsuiting) 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 1990s, creates a surface area with fabric between the legs and under the arms. Wingsuits are sometimes referred to as "birdman suits" (after the makers of the first commercial wingsuit), "squirrel suits" (from their resemblance to flying squirrels' wing membrane), and "bat suits" (due to their resemblance to the animal or perhaps the superhero). In the mid-1990s, the modern wingsuit was developed by Patrick de Gayardon of France, adapted from the model used by John Carta. In 1997, the Bulgarian Sammy Popov designed and built a wingsuit that had a larger wing between the legs and longer wings on the arms. He tested his prototype in a vertical wind tunnel in Las Vegas at Flyaway Las Vegas. Popov's wingsuit first flew in October 1998, but never went into commercial production. In 1998, Chuck Priest mentored by Patrick de Gayardon, began flying De Gayardons wingsuit in Hawaii. Discussions of the two (2) working together to produce these suits ceased upon Patricks fatal wing suit jump there in Hawaii, resulting from a negligent rigging modification. Several lines were unintentionally trapped/sewn into the wall of the 'tray' of his container while attempting to add a foam 'wedge' to the seat of the wingsuit. Independently, Priest built and test jumped his first (1) wingsuit design to fly / film Volcano Jump project [Kalapana, Big Island Hawaii]. 1999 Priest built his second (2) design, from scratch featuring his company label Da' Kine Rags Hawaii. Priest test jumped each design modification himself. Priest designed the wings to be thicker and larger to match the depth of the jumpers torso, setting a new standard to the progression of wingsuit design. Priest incorporated foam ribs inside the wing airfoils. These added rigidity to the wings and were better able to smoothly change their shape during high speed, carving dives. This made the wingsuit more stable to fly steep at high speeds. Additionally, Priests new design included an inflatable seat area, [De Gayardon was intending to utilize], without needing to attach it to the parachute container. Priest built only two (2)more of these wingsuits to premire with Da' Kine Rags sponsored flyers (Marcos Heggli and Oliver) in the 1999 Vicci Boogie, France, where they recieved much attention. Priest's Da' Kine Rags wingsuits never went into commercial production. Flying together for the first time, Popov and Priest showcased their designs side by side at the World Free-fall Convention at Quincy, Illinois, in August 1999. Both designs performed well. Currently 2021, Popov previously a world class sky surfer, owns and operates a skydive center, while Priest works with top wing suit production company Tony Suits, developing 2022 wing suit models. thumb 1999 C. Priest flys over Mokuleia Hawaii. Foto by Marcos Heggli
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1999 Priests flight over Mokuleia Hawaii
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/Users/chuckdakine1/Desktop/F1000006_2. JPG
1999 C. Priest flys over Mokuleia Hawaii. Foto by Marcos Heggli