What’s it like to fly?
Not in an airplane, mind you. That’s available to all of us depending on our finances, tolerance for cramped legroom or seatmates with personal hygiene shortcomings.
For millennia, we have wanted to fly. But for most of our history, human flight was considered folly or even seen as parable against the arrogance of over-ambition.
However, despite all our ingenuity and advances in technology, it turns out Mother Nature worked out the flightless people problem a long, long time ago. Or more specifically - squirrels did.
In fact, it’s a contraption that replicates the genius design of a flying squirrel, called a “wingsuit”, and it has earned Ellen Brennan the label of "world’s fastest woman."
Ms Brennan is a top competitor in wingsuit BASE jumping, which she says is "a sport of jumping off of a cliff, on top of a mountain."
A BASE jumper's suit has wings on it which inflate after they launch themselves, meaning the wearer can fly down the mountain and then land with a parachute.
A mountainous area near Chamonix, France has quickly grown to be one of the most popular places in the world for wingsuit BASE jumping. It’s a terrifying yet exhilarating high-speed adrenaline rush, set against a lovely, picturesque alpine backdrop.
You will more than likely never do this; however, strap on headphones if you have them, click the video above and let wingsuit designer Matt Gerdes and Ms Brennan take you on a flight.
Just remember to not fly too close to the sun.
Watch the video.
