Australian_Geographic_-_August_2015_AU_.

96 Australian Geographic

W

E TRAVELLED TO a specialist high-altitude sky-

diving drop zone in Davis, California, for our practice

jumps on 1 April 2015. Our fi nal jump at Davis was

a full trial from 30,000ft. To guard against decompression

sickness we had to breathe pure oxygen for an hour before take-

off at daybreak. Under our wingsuits we wore several layers of

thermals and a wind stopper. Our helmets housed cameras, GPS,

audible altimeters and Bluetooth communication devices.

Once we’d settled in the plane and connected to the onboard

oxygen system, we could all contemplate what lay ahead. Every-

one was quiet. I concentrated on the slow even breathing that

helps me stay focused in stressful situations, and visualised each

part of the jump from exit to landing.

The plane climbed to 30,000ft in 30 minutes. Five minutes

before exit we began the awkward business of turning on our

personal oxygen systems and cameras, and disconnecting from

the umbilical cord of the plane’s systems. At our predetermined

exit coordinates, Tad opened the plane door. It was –48°C out-

side. Within moments we were out and fl ying, moving into the

formation we’d practised.

We fl ew across the patchwork fi elds of Davis for six minutes

(double our normal fl ight time). The sun was low in the sky,

bathing the alternating green and brown paddocks in silver. It

was breathtakingly beautiful, but cold. With a forward speed of

more than 160km/h, the chill in my hands was painful. We all

put down safely, completely elated that everything had

worked perfectly. We were ready for the Grand Canyon.

After a 14-hour drive from Davis to Peach Springs in Arizona

we met Bennett Jackson, who was to be our guide and main

Hualapai liaison. Bennett’s family has lived in the Peach Springs

area for centuries. He has a strong and intimate connection to

the land on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

From Peach Springs we followed his four-wheel-drive

along a rough dirt track for almost three hours, before reach-

ing a remote part of the canyon where, he told us, no-one

but Hualapai had ever been before. The track ended abruptly

on the edge of a cliff. The view in every direction was as spec-

tacular as it was daunting. We walked around the forested

peninsula, behind a feature known as McKee Point, for fi ve

hours, looking for a clearing to land our parachutes.

WITH MORE than 300 individual

panels, these custom-made suits

have wings between the arms

and legs, which the skydivers

use in conjunction with a

parachute system. The suits are

constructed of high-tech fabrics

such as ‘zero-porosity’ nylon

and Mylar plastic sheet. They

are light but incredibly strong

and use gravity to transform

speed into lift, enabling skilled

pilots to achieve horizontal

speeds of about 200km/h and

reduce vertical speeds to

70km/h or less.

With a forward speed of more

than 160km/h, the chill in my

hands was painful. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: GRAEME MURRAY; WWW.SIERRALARA.COM/GETTY; VICENTE CAJIGA

AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC

SOCIETY SUPPORTED

LAYERS

The suit consists of four

layers: a compression suit

worn against the skin;

woollen thermals; wind-

proof thermals; and the

custom-made outer

wingsuit.

WINGS

Much like a bird’s wing, these act as aerofoils,

directing airfl ow over the top, and creating a

lower pressure above the wing than below. This

generates lift and allows the pilots to move

forwards 3m for every 1m they fall vertically.

LEGS

The legwings are used to

control the speed: the

straighter the legs are held,

the faster the fl ying speed.

FLYING SURFACE

The total area of the

wingsuit during fl ight is

around 1.5sq.m, creating

a large aerofoil for fl ight,

but requiring signifi cant

body strength to hold in

Advanced technology enables wingsuit pilots to soar at the correct position.

unprecedented heights

HOW

WINGSUITS

WORK