How to Get Into Wingsuiting

Table of Contents

• How to Get Into Wingsuiting?
• What License Do You Need to Fly a Wingsuit?
• How Does Wingsuit Training Work
• Wingsuit Skydiving Gear: Gliding Suit & Setup
• How to Get Started Wingsuit Flying the Right Way
• Ready to Take the First Step?

Key Takeaways

Wingsuiting is an advanced discipline within skydiving that requires time, experience, and structured training. While it’s not something you can do immediately, learning to wingsuit is an achievable goal for skydivers who fall in love with freefall and commit to building strong fundamentals. If you’re wondering how you start wingsuiting, the path is clear: start skydiving, gain experience, complete wingsuit training, and progress deliberately.

Wingsuit flying is about as close as humans get to actually flying like a bird. Watching someone glide effortlessly across the sky tends to spark the same thought in a lot of people: Wait… how do you even get into that?

At Skydive Key West, we see it all the time. Someone comes out for a bucket-list tandem skydive, lands grinning ear to ear, and suddenly realizes skydiving doesn’t have to be a one-time thrill – it’s a whole wonderful world of possibilities. This guide is here to show you exactly how to get into one of the most eye-catching disciplines in skydiving – wingsuiting!

How to Get Into Wingsuiting?

You don’t start wingsuiting by grabbing a wingsuit and going for it.

Every wingsuit pilot starts the exact same way – by learning how to skydive. That usually means a tandem skydive first, followed by solo training and licensing if the skydiving bug really bites.  From there, your next step to wingsuiting is gaining experience and jumping your booty off! Wingsuit skydiving is built on those early skills, not separate from them.

How hard is it to get into wingsuiting? The answer is surprisingly encouraging. Wingsuiting isn’t about being fearless, super athletic, or extreme. It’s about consistency, patience, and a genuine love for learning. The challenge isn’t the flying itself – it’s committing to the process and letting your skills grow naturally over time.

For skydivers who enjoy progression and personal milestones, wingsuiting feels less like a barrier and more like a long-term goal that keeps getting closer with every jump.

What License Do You Need to Fly a Wingsuit?

Before learning to wingsuit, skydivers need a solid foundation of experience. Most wingsuit programs require a USPA C License or higher, which means you’ve already demonstrated strong:

• Freefall control
• Canopy skills
• Emergency procedure knowledge
• Overall awareness in the sky

How many jumps do you need? In addition to licensing, the United States Parachute Association (USPA) recommends a minimum of 200 logged skydives before starting wingsuit training. These jumps should also be recent enough to ensure you’re current and comfortable in the air.

Why so many jumps? Because wingsuits change how you’re accustomed to moving through the sky. They increase horizontal movement, alter fall rates, and require a more advanced understanding and planning for separation and deployment.

Jump numbers aren’t about checking a box – they’re about flying intentionally and building those important instincts. By the time you reach wingsuit training, altitude awareness, stability, and emergency responses should feel almost automatic.

Learning to Wingsuit: How Does Wingsuit Training Work?

Learning to wingsuit officially begins with a Wingsuit First Flight Course (FFC) with a qualified instructor. A well-structured FFC prepares you for stable, controlled flight and teaches you the most important aspects of flying a gliding suit safely and confidently.

According to the USPA, every good FFC will include instruction and experience covering the critical fundamentals you need before moving on to solo wingsuit jumps. Here is what you’ll typically learn during an FFC:

• Wingsuit equipment basics: Your course should explain how your harness, container, pilot chute, bridle, and canopy choices all interact with a wingsuit setup – because not all rigs are “wingsuit friendly.”

• Safety devices: The importance of an AAD (Automatic Activation Device), a visible altimeter, and a well-sized pilot chute – all essential gear for reducing risk during complex flight and deployment phases.

• Flight mechanic and terminology: In the classroom you’ll cover concepts like lift, pitch, angle of attack, body configuration vs. body position, and how a wingsuit actually “flies”.

• Body position and control: Practice on the creeper and mockups helps you train safe body configurations, adjust pitch and heading, and understand how your body interacts with airflow before you ever leave the plane.

• Exit and navigation awareness: An instructor will walk you through spotting in the door, planning your flight pattern so you loop back to your DZ for a safe deployment, and maintaining altitude awareness throughout your flight.

• Coached first wingsuit flights: Your first flights are structured to build confidence – you’ll learn simple turn patterns, controlled navigation, and how to manage your break-off altitude and parachute deployment safely.

• Post-flight debriefing: Expect a thorough breakdown after every jump so you understand what felt good, what to refine, and how your flight timing and control are progressing.

By the end of your FFC, you should be able to execute exits that keep you positioned for a predictable flight, navigate smoothly through the air, and deploy your parachute at a safe point in your pattern. The goal isn’t to be perfect – it’s to be comfortable, controlled, and self-supervising as you continue your wingsuit journey.

Wingsuit Skydiving Gear: Gliding Suit & Setup

When you’re learning to wingsuit, your gear does more than just fit – it directly affects your safety, flight predictability, and comfort. Your equipment should be adapted specifically for wingsuit flying, because even rigs that work great for skydiving aren’t always great for wingsuiting. A solid wingsuit gear setup typically includes:

• Wingsuit designed for beginners: Your “squirrel suit” should come from a reputable manufacturer and be rated for first flights, helping you learn lift, glide, and control without excessive speed or surface area.

• Reliable main canopy: A non-elliptical, docile canopy with on-heading openings to make your parachute deployment more predictable. Beginner wingsuit pilots often fly canopies with moderate wingloading, around 1.3:1 or less.

• Automatic Activation Device (AAD): Mandatory for most wingsuit flights, an AAD provides a safety backup if you’re unable to deploy your parachute manually.

• Reserve and deployment systems adapted for wingsuiting: Using an RSL (reserve static line) with a MARD (main-activated reserve deployment) device and a BOC (bottom of container) pilot chute system. These setups tend to perform better with the unique airflow created by a wingsuit than some older configurations.

• Pilot chute and bridle specs: A pilot chute at least 26 inches in diameter with a lightweight handle, and a bridle length of at least 7 feet to help the pilot chute clear the disturbed air during deployment.

• Helmet and altimeters: Wearing a helmet is essential, especially when you’re new to wingsuitting or flying near others. Both audible and visual altimeters (mounted on your chest strap or mud flap rather than on your wrist) help maintain altitude awareness, which is critical when vertical speed is slower than what you’re used to during normal skydiving.

Many beginners rent wingsuit gear during training, which allows them to try different suits and setups without committing to a purchase. The focus is on learning and comfort first, before investing in expensive equipment right away. 

How to Get Started Wingsuit Flying the Right Way

The most successful wingsuit pilots follow a clear path:

• Start with tandem skydiving to catch the skydiving bug
• Progress through solo training and earn your USPA A license
• Build freefall control, canopy skills, and obtain a USPA C license
• Complete a First Flight Course to learn the basics of wingsuit flight
• Practice regularly with coaching and debriefs to improve

Wingsuiting rewards patience. Each jump builds on the last, and the journey is just as fun as the flights themselves. The thrill of gliding, the views, and the personal growth all make the progression worthwhile.

Ready to Take the First Step?

If wingsuit flying has been on your mind, the first step is simple: start skydiving. From your first tandem jump to earning your licenses and entering your first FFC, every step gets you closer to flying like a bird.

At Skydive Key West, we make every jump exciting, comfortable, and chock-full of good vibes. Come make a tandem in paradise – with sun, ocean, and nonstop smiles along the way! Book your jump and start your skydiving journey with us. Blue skies!