Peter Salzmann is the world-class wingsuit pilot, known for his daring flights and pushing the boundaries of what can be achieved in human flight. On 29th October 2024, he did it once again, by making his debut flight from Jungfrau mountain in Switzerland, with a wingsuit foil. Thanks to that unique cutting-edge feature, the Austrian daredevil was able to glide for almost six minutes, covering in that time a distance of twelve and a half kilometres, as well as breaking three world BASE jumping records.
The aforementioned wingsuit foil takes direct inspiration from the hydrofoil design. It is a 2,1-metre span wing of a layered structure, incorporating a foam core and 3D printed parts.
Working on the design and development of that innovative feature, Peter Salzmann teamed up with Austrian wingsuit expert Andreas Podlipnik, the man who is a pioneer in development of state-of-the-art BASE and parachute jumping suits.
What’s more, in optimising the foil configuration, the Red Bull Advanced Technologies engineering team helped by drawing on their experience in aerodynamics and Formula One racing series. Their critical insights were highly useful in determining performance-enhancing parameters, including the most efficient wing configuration – its profile, geometry, size and ideal distance from the pilot’s body.
‘With a normal wingsuit, we achieve a good glide ratio of 2.6 to 2.8, maximum 3 – meaning 1 kilometre down, 3 kilometres forward. With the foil, we can almost double in efficiency, gliding flatter and even further, covering more distance from the same starting point.’ – explained Andreas Podlipnik.
Works on the device took three years, during which six prototypes were built and tested.
The final prototype of the wingsuit foil weighs only 5,45 kilogrammes. The device is, therefore, relatively lightweight and has been designed to allow the pilot to hike freely in his wingsuit with the foil already attached, prior the flight. At the same time, combined with lifting force of a wingsuit, it offers considerable lift and glide ratio during flight.
Jungfrau is the highest peak in the Swiss region of Interlaken and is a well-known destination for experienced BASE jumpers. Characterised by incredible scenery and dramatic cliffs, this peak was the ideal location for Peter Salzmann’s record-breaking flight.
Salzmann began his history-making flight by jumping from a rock shelf at an altitude of 4,063 metres on the north side of the Jungfrau summit. Conditions during the flight were demanding as temperatures ranged from -5 to +9°C and the wind reached speeds of up to 37 kph. During his pioneering feat, the Austrian wingsuit pilot reached a maximum speed of 200 kph and flew for a total of 5 minutes and 56 seconds before deploying his parachute. Moreover, during that time of flight, he covered a distance of 12,5 kilometres, with altitude difference between start and landing points of 3,402 metres.
By performing the latest wingsuit foil flight, Peter Salzmann managed to set world records for Longest BASE Flight Time, Furthest BASE Flight Distance, and Biggest BASE Jump from start to landing.
‘The wingsuit foil flight today was just like out of space. It was a really challenging flight; I had everything in this flight. It was a true challenge – it was super exhausting, but also the best feeling in between. All in all, I’m just super happy that everything went well like this, and I could manage the longest foil flight.’ – said Peter Salzmann.
Peter Salzmann’s pioneering and record-breaking flight is not only his personal milestone, but also represents a major step forward for the entire wingsuit sport. Marco Fürst and Marco Waltenspiel of the Red Bull Skydive Team, colleagues of the Austrian wingsuit flyer, who worked with him on the aerial camera during their world’s first flight over the Tower Bridge in London, performed in May 2024, praised the development of the wingsuit foil.
‘Peter’s wingsuit-foil project is a really exciting innovation. It merges traditional wingsuit precision with advanced foil technology, enabling more efficient gliding and improved speed without the need for engines. I admire athletes who invest their time and energy to elevate their sport in unique ways.’ – admitted Waltenspiel.
Cover photo: Joerg Mitter / © Red Bull Content Pool. Information from the Red Bull company press release were used.
