World Record attempt- Wingsuit

Name: Mathias Wyss
Nationality: Swiss
Background: Swiss Air Force, Parachute Special forces
Sport: Wingsuit
Currently: Will attempt a world record in wingsuit basejump in 2018
All images © Mathias Wyss/ Nuit de la Glisse

We are stoked to introduce our latest member to TEAM SUBTECH- Wingsuit base jumper, Mathias Wyss

The former Swiss Special forces parachute soldier will later in 2018 attempt a World Record

…where he will be base jumping off a 6000m / 20.000ft peak in central Asia

We asked Mathias a couple of questions to hear his thoughts on the upcoming World record attempt and how he got in to the sport

– How did you get into flying wingsuit?

I started parachute jumping when I got into the Swiss Air Force parachute special forces. Soon after that I started wingsuit flying from airplanes

Since I love being in the mountains, after a few years it was a natural step for me to bring my wingsuit skills to this environment and start basejumping

Nowadays, my credo is to never hike down when mountaineering

…I either bring my skis, paraglider or preferably my wingsuit. Call me lazy, but I’m loving it

– What are the worst risks associated with this sport?

We are flying close to terrain at over 240km/h (150mph). Since this sport is not regulated, anybody is free to do whatever they want

However, if you don’t have a solid flying skills, know-how in aerodynamics, weather, flight tacts and planning, as well as good judgement, your risk level increases dramatically and it’s a matter of time until you run out of luck

The challenge is not so much in landing a new viral video on Youtube, but rather in practicing this sport in a sustainable way

– Have you had any close call incidents?

Yes, I have had a few close calls. It was during the booming years of wingsuit proximity flying when everybody was over-excited and the risks weren’t yet fully understood

All of my close calls happened when flying in a formation with people I hadn’t yet shared enough flights with together. As such I was following the leader somewhat blindly and ended up in situations I probably wouldn’t have gotten myself into otherwise. Those were important lessons

– Where do you begin if you want to get in to the sport and start flying?

You have to start by getting your parachute license and accumulating a few hundred jumps from an airplane

During this time you can already start flying wingsuits in this safe environment

Eventually you’ll have to take a basejump course, albeit you’ll first be jumping without wingsuits

It is then important to find a mentor that will coach you while you gain experience, and maybe after a 100 basejumps you can start flying wingsuits in the basejump environment

After a few hundred wingsuit basejumps and several years you might be ready to start wingsuit proximity flying

A lot of people rush this process and put themselves at risk

– Tell us about the World record attempt you are doing later this year?

We are planning to realize the biggest wingsuit basejump that has ever been done

For this we have set our eyes on a beautiful 6’000m (20’000ft) peak in one of central Asia’s most stunning mountain ranges

This embodies the ultimate human dream: To fly like a bird for as long and as far as possible

In the meantime we’ve had to postpone it to 2018. A lot of things need to come together fur such an adventure and it just didn’t work out for 2017 – that’s life

– What are your initial thoughts after using the PRO DRYBAG 45L?

I am amazed by the great waterproof specs and the shockproof features – all in all an impressively light and portable package.

As such this bag fills a gap that special backpacks or hard-cases for notebooks and camera equipment do not satisfy as they are either not very portable, heavy or non-waterproof.

The Pro Drybag 45L is my new go-to-bag for whenever I’m bringing sensitive gear

We are stoked to have Mathias on our team and look forward to follow him on his preparations for the the World Record in 2018

Check out his website for more info Länk