Looking into: The "Flying Squirrel Suit"

Have you ever imagined parachuting through the skies? Well you can slow it down even further by having a glide in a recent "Flying Squirrel" (or Wingsuit) suit design, which became popular in the 1990's. With the modern design it is possible for the jumpers to glide at speed of over 200km per hour. The jumping can take place off of a man made structure such as a bridge or antenna, or out of an airplane. Jumps have been made from above the alps, flying barely above ground level. Professional jumpers have been able to fly around 15 feet above ground level.

It is still not safe to land without the aid of a parachute, although the ground descent speed is only 50km per hour. This speed is within a safe zone for landing on the ground, however due to the very fast forward speed caused by the gliding of the suit, parachutes are necessary for a safe landing. The suits are made from a thick nylon, which is a strong material for enduring the stresses of the up to 200km per hour gliding speed. Birdman was the first manufacturer to create the safe use of Wingsuits by having lessons taught with the "Instructors Program". One of the main differences between the squirrel suit and a flying squirrel is that the squirrel can use its tail as a rudder, where as the person using a Wingsuit has to steer by leaning into the direction they want to go.