Gliding into unknown territory
By Li Yingqing/Zhang Qiuting | China Daily | Updated: 2019-01-22 07:59
Wingsuit flying is more than just a sport for Xu Kai, Li Yingqing reports in Kunming.
If you remember the scene in the movie Transformers: Dark of the Moon where you can fly through high-rise buildings like a bat, then you know about wingsuit flying.
Xu Kai is known as "China's first wingsuit flyer". He has practiced the sport for six years.
Wingsuit flying is often thought to be extremely dangerous. It has long been misunderstood.
"Wingsuit flying consists of low-altitude flying and high-altitude flying," says Xu.
"Like skydiving, the risk of high-altitude wingsuit flying is not high. But low-altitude wingsuit flying is much more dangerous."
You must have at least 500 successful high-altitude flying sorties to practice the sport. Low-altitude wingsuit flying, on the other hand, requires a stable personality and psychological maturity.
Xu says he was not afraid but, rather, nervous when he first tried skydiving, paragliding and wingsuit flying.
"My mind used to go blank because I did not know what was going to happen. Now, I have learned to enjoy flying."
Xu believes wingsuit flying is the best way to release mental pressure.