On a wing and a prayer: Adventurer becomes first to fly through a waterfall wearing a wingsuit
Last updated at 12:54 PM on 29th June 2011
Hurtling through the air at 85 miles an hour, this is the moment daredevil adventurer Jeb Corliss becomes the first man to fly through a waterfall wearing a wingsuit.
Soaring through the mountainous region of Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, the 35-year-old flies within five feet of the 2,000ft sheer cliff wall.
Plummeting three feet for every one foot he moves forward, Mr Corliss's precision flight enables him to travel through the two foot-wide falls despite turbulence caused by the water hitting his suit.
Time for a soaking: Jeb Corliss hurtles through the air just feet from the cliff face in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland, as he became first to fly through a waterfall wearing a wingsuit
The feat took a year to plan and the American, who lives in California, practiced his flight eight times before succeeding on his ninth attempt.
After flying through the waterfall, he then deploys his parachute and sinks slowly to the ground.
He said: 'It is a very precise flight. You have to get there with enough altitude and enough lift so that you don't hit the side of the cliff.
'You just don't know what effect the waterfall itself is going to have on the wingsuit.
'It is about lining yourself up to fly through a slot in the cliff face that is shaped like a C.'
Nice view from up here: Mr Corliss, 35, has to judge his flight with precision to avoid slamming into the cliff face
Test flights: It took nine attempts before he was able to successfully go through the waterfall
Mr Corliss filmed his attempts to see what happened as his wingsuit passed through the water.
He is gathering information for an attempt to land a wingsuit without a parachute.
'When I hit the waterfall it was a shock, I really felt it weigh down on me as I travelled through at near to 90 miles an hour,' he said.
'And when I watched the video back of the attempt I saw that the water actually bounced off me.
'I performed it nine times to get it right and I have to be honest with you, it was very exciting.'
Touching down: Mr Corliss is gathering information with a view to completing a flight in a wingsuit without a parachute
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