Ueli Gegenschatz: Fulfilling the dream of flight in a high-tech torrent

Ueli Gegenschatz: Fulfilling the dream of flight in a high-tech wingsuit

Wingsuit jumping is the leading edge of extreme sports -- an exhilarating feat of almost unbelievable daring, where skydivers soar through canyons at over 100MPH. Ueli Gegenschatz talks about how (and why) he does it, and shows jawdropping film.

Ueli Gegenschatz is known for his expert paragliding, skydiving and BASE jumping -- and his utterly jawdropping flight in a wingsuit, a high-tech flying-squirrel-inspired getup that lets him soar as close as humanly possible to our shared dream of flight. His "addiction to speed" is inspiring and a little bit nutty, but his preparation for each jump is very serious (his online biography lists his professions as "aerialist / insurance and precaution advisor").

A member of the Swiss national paragliding team for four years, Gegenschatz co-founded the Red Bull acro team in 1995. His BASE jumping stunts are the stuff of YouTube legend: the Eiffel Tower; Petronas Towers in KL; the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks all in one day ... and for 2009 he's working on several world-premiere aerial stunts that will once again redefine humanity's relationship to gravity.