AssetID: 55283653
Headline: Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's a revolutionary wingsuit that could help humans soar
Caption: **VIDEO AVAILABLE: CONTACT INFO@COVERMG.COM TO RECEIVE** An Austrian wingsuit pilot has developed a specially designed foil wing that has helped him achieve sustained flight and gain in altitude for the first time. Red Bull athlete Peter Salzmann completed the feat above the volcanic cliffs of El Hierro in Spain’s Canary Islands, using rising air currents along a mountain ridge to stay airborne for 160 seconds. During his best ascent, he climbed 67 metres — a height roughly equivalent to a 22-storey building — while completing multiple 180-degree turns and losing less than 200 metres of altitude overall. A typical wingsuit flight would lose roughly ten times that amount over the same duration. Wingsuit flying usually involves a controlled descent: pilots can glide, but gravity ensures a steady drop in altitude. Previous attempts to soar like birds have required extreme winds of around 120km/h. In contrast, Salzmann flew in relatively moderate winds of about 40km/h — gentle enough that paragliders were flying beside him. It was this combination of conditions and equipment that made the difference. Salzmann used a custom foil wing designed to help him harness rising air and maintain a stable flight line. “I had to fly the foil close to the stall point as it creates the most lift at that high angle of attack,” he said. “As the lift and ridge are not constant, I had to fly very sensitively and continuously correct directions and angles.” Standard wingsuits are unable to generate enough lift to hold altitude, prompting Salzmann to work on a new design. Working with Red Bull Advanced Technologies and Austrian wingsuit expert Andreas Podlipnik, he helped develop a fixed-style foil inspired by aviation and hydrofoiling. Engineers used the same advanced Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling applied to Red Bull’s Formula 1 cars to test and refine the wing’s shape, stability, and efficiency. Multiple designs were created in CAD and simulated until they met Salzmann’s flight requirements. Podlipnik said the El Hierro attempt demanded exceptional accuracy. “Flying the foil in the conditions at El Hierro was the most challenging flight Peter has ever experienced. Staying close to the terrain to remain in the high-lift and compression zone required extreme precision, with very little margin for error. Combined with the added complexity of controlling both the wingsuit and the foil, the flight was truly a masterpiece of skill and innovation.” At El Hierro, chosen for its consistent winds and ideal ridge shape, Salzmann completed six passes along a 740-metre soaring line. At times he climbed, at others he maintained level flight, and occasionally he descended. His longest continuous gain lasted 20 seconds, climbing 67 metres over a 450-metre horizontal stretch. “I was able to pass a point, soar along the mountain, turn around and, after 40 seconds of flight, pass the same spot but higher,” he said. “I gained 67 metres of altitude along the ridgeline, which is crazy.” Although he lost too much altitude while turning - something he sees as an area for improvement - Salzmann believes the flight shows that, in theory, a pilot could continue the pattern indefinitely if they consistently re-enter the lift zone. The achievement brings the possibility of sustained human flight without the need for an aircraft closer to reality.
Keywords: feature, red bull, technology, flight, stunt, flying, feature, photo, video
PersonInImage: Peter Salzmann testing his revolutionary wingsuit.