| Flying a wingsuit was
my sole reason in learning to skydive. Many years
ago, I had heard about Birdman and had written
about how I was fascinated with this "flying squirrel suit".
Back then, wingsuit videos and their portrayal in the
media were almost non-existent. Some dropzones even refused to
allow wingsuit pilots to fly in their airspace. Wingsuit
pilots were considered the daredevil rogues, but since I
hadn't even made a tandem at that time, it didn't affect
me. By the time I was able to get into skydiving, the
attitude towards wingsuits had changed. Years later, when finances enabled me to
pursue my dream, I began my Accelerated Free Fall course at
Perris Valley Skydiving School in Perris, California. I
quickly busted out the required number of jumps to become
licensed and began free flying my way to 200 jumps which was
the required minimum for Birdman Wingsuit Instruction.
I was taught by a certified instructor with Birdman. I
was started on a Firebird R demo suit
and helped me reach a long-term goal--human flight. I
now have my own custom Firebird R (see photos) which I love!
|
 |
