It was a wingsuit dive that didn't go according to plan, as the chilling video posted on YouTube by Red Bull on 6th October illustrates only too well. Equipped with a wingsuit and a parachute, Miles Daisher readied himself to jump from the Cessna. As he began to leap, his left boot and flying suit snagged on the light aircraft's metal landing gear.
It was a close call that could have swiftly turned to disaster for the athlete and his crew. Down-to-earth Daishner describes it as a "gnarly situation". Most would employ stronger language. He was left dangling upside down from one foot in gusty mid-air, literally towed along by the aircraft. It took all his cool headed experience to steady and lock himself in position, to prevent spinning.
The next few dozen seconds must have felt like an eternity, as he found "the sweet spot", laid back and enjoyed the ride. Two of his crew eventually managed to extricate the wingsuit pilot, enabling him to land gently on firm ground.
A member of the Red Bull team and a world specialist in extreme sports, with more than 2,700 base jumps and over 3,000 parachute jumps under his belt, Daisher got off lightly with just a scare.
A relatively recent extreme sport, wingsuit flying has been described as one of the world's most dangerous sports after a series of deaths this summer. It is especially popular among 18-35 year-old males. Adrenaline junkies throw themselves from cliffs and planes wearing a nylon body suit, with stretching 'wings' inspired by the flying squirrel. Thrillseekers glide at up to 150mph (240 km/h) often skimming close to the ground before deploying a parachute.
