Wingsuit flying is powerful, fast, and complex and small mistakes can have big consequences. Whether you’re new to wingsuiting or pushing the limits, these four core wingsuit skills often make the difference between a safe flight and an incident.
The Exit: Entering the Airflow, Not Jumping Out
Instability issues and spins often start with a poorly executed exit.
A clean exit sets your angle of attack and proximity with other wingsuiters from the start, and often for the rest of the flight.
For beginners: take an athletic stance at the door. Once you’ve spotted the DZ, give your friend the nod, count it out, and enter the airflow — think of it like diving into a wave at the beach. Avoid over-arching or exiting chest high, which can land you a date with the rear wing.
Spoiler alert: doing that won’t win you any popularity points with the pilot, the DZ, other jumpers, or your body.
So remember: enter the airflow symmetrically, like diving into a wave, and aim to be level and flying 30–45 degrees off jump run from the start.
Why fly 30–45 degrees off jump run?
It creates clear airspace below the door in case you — or someone behind you — has a bad exit. This way, they’re less likely to fall into another flyer.
Practice mock exits, and always be aware of aircraft type, tail clearance, and exit order coordination.
Tip: always inform manifest that you’re doing a wingsuit jump, and ask the pilot about power reduction. A clean exit starts with a clean setup.
Out of Control Flight: Spins and Stalls Start with Mismanagement
Flat spins aren’t a mystery, they’re asymmetric stalls, usually caused by poor angle of attack and wingsuit configuration. When you lose airflow over the top surface of the suit for too long, you lose lift and can stall your wingsuit. This often leads to instability and, sometimes, the dreaded flat spin.
Recovery demands immediate action: arch, look at the ground, dive to increase airspeed, and you’ll most likely fly out of it. Most pilots either over-input or freeze.
Barrel rolls and recovery techniques should be practiced intentionally in training. If you’ve never trained instability recovery on purpose, you’re overdue.Tip: Learn what “good airspeed” feels like on your suit. Practice flying at different angles of attack : steep and fast, flatter and slower.
Situational Awareness: Flight Patterns and DZ Landings
Landing off isn’t a joke, it’s a red flag. So is failing to communicate your flight plan, flying an erratic line (especially back over jump run), or ignoring wind conditions. You’re not just flying for fun; you’re navigating shared airspace.
Every wingsuit flight needs a deliberate plan from exit to opening, especially when flying with others or near a busy DZ.
Your flight should include:
- Communication between groups on the load (moving groups, tandems, high pullers)
- A planned exit order and heading
- A flight path that accounts for current winds aloft (during flight and under canopy)
- Navigation back to a known landing zone — upwind
- A clear break-off, deployment quadrant, and holding area
Too many off-landings happen because someone pushed too far downwind, lost the LZ, or followed the group blindly. Strong winds aloft can carry you farther than expected. The best pilots plan their deployment points upwind of the LZ, buying margin for canopy flight.
A few other considerations:
- In high winds, your deployment point may be farther from the DZ than you’re used to, use your suit’s performance wisely
- Open with altitude margin-don’t treat the last thousand feet as playtime
“Flying your pattern is just as important as flying your suit.”
Deployment: Symmetry, Airspeed, and Configuration
Wingsuit deployments are uniquely unforgiving. You’re flying fast, possibly fatigued, and everything has to happen with precision. Poor technique during deployment is a top contributor to cutaways, line twists, and hard openings, and most of it is preventable.
What goes through my head during deployment:
Adjust pitch, increase angle of attack to bleed speed, focus on symmetry. Reach evenly for my PC, knees bent, chin up, slight arch, strong throw.
Key Points:
The Flare
You’re not trying to go to the moon. You’re trying to slow your airspeed for a soft, controlled opening.
- Don’t flare too high or slow down too much — airflow over the top surface still matters
Adjust Body Configuration
- Chin up
- Slight chest arch
- Knees bent
- Legs symmetrical
Reach for the BOC
- Rotate hands behind your arm wings for a symmetrical reach
- Grip the PC firmly, don’t swipe or “fish” for it
- Throw with purpose, a clean, strong toss into clean air
- Avoid hesitation or weak throws, follow through like your life depends on it
Stay Active
- Stay symmetrical during snatch force to avoid line twists
- Stay present, don’t zone out during opening
After Deployment:
- Canopy checks and adjustments
- Control heading with risers
- Collapse slider, unstow brakes, unzip leg wing (if stable)
- Reposition and navigate to the LZ
- Loosen chest strap last
- Stay clear of other canopies and make heading corrections early
This is the last controlled act of your wingsuit flight. Treat it with the same discipline you give to exits and navigation. If you’re not 100% focused here, you’re leaving safety up to luck.Tip: Keep your tail zipped until you’ve confirmed you can safely land your canopy.
Bonus: On Progression and Discipline
Too many pilots rush their progression. Upsizing to a bigger suit without mastering your current one isn’t just ineffective — it’s dangerous. If you can’t fly cleanly, stay in your slot, or recover from instability, you’re not ready for more surface area or speed.
Tip: Progression isn’t a race. The best pilots go slow and go far.
The Sky Rewards Humility
Every incident report is a learning opportunity. But the best wingsuit pilots don’t wait for malfunctions or scares to reassess. They tighten their process every jump.
Exit clean. Fly smart. Deploy safe. And never stop refining the fundamentals.
