What Does a Wingsuit Flight Feel Like? The Closest a Human Can Come to Becoming a Bird

Photo: HEDONIST

There is a moment, just seconds after the jump, when gravity as we know it seems to disappear. The body shifts from a vertical fall into a horizontal glide, and the air becomes an ally rather than an obstacle. Wingsuit flying is not merely an extreme sport — it is an experience that dissolves the boundary between human and nature.

What exactly is wingsuit flying?

A wingsuit is a specially designed suit with fabric membranes between the arms and legs, allowing the body, after jumping from a height — a cliff, mountain, or aircraft — to transform into an aerodynamic shape capable of gliding through the air. Instead of free fall, the flyer quite literally flies, sometimes covering several kilometres before deploying a parachute.

Speeds exceed 200 km/h, yet what surprises most is not the adrenaline, but the sensation of control and silence. The sound of the wind is often the only companion in flight.

A sensation that cannot be simulated

Unlike many other extreme sports, wingsuit flying does not offer chaos — it demands focus. The view opens into valleys, rivers, ridgelines, and cliffs passing beneath like a living map. Every movement of the arms or body alters the flight path, creating a profound sense of connection with space itself.

Experienced flyers often describe it as the closest a human can come to the feeling of a bird in flight — without engines, cabins, or barriers.

Where does wingsuit flying take place?

The most renowned wingsuit destinations include the Alps (Switzerland, France, Italy), the Norwegian fjords, the Dolomites, and select cliffs across the United States. Locations are chosen with precision: altitude, terrain, airflow, and exit points must be perfectly aligned.

This is not a beginner’s sport — wingsuit flying represents the final stage of skydiving, requiring hundreds of prior jumps, extensive training, and absolute discipline.

Hedonism at the edge

Though it may appear raw and dangerous at first glance, wingsuit flying carries a quiet, almost meditative dimension. It is a luxury of experience — not accessible through money alone, but through dedication, knowledge, and courage.

In a world saturated with noise, wingsuit flying offers something rare: pure presence in the moment. No screens, no filters, no replay. Just the sky, the body, and a flight line chosen entirely by you.

For hedonists seeking extremity with meaning, this is not an escape from reality — it is its most distilled form.