The fight for flight is the question of extreme
The passion for human flight has been around since we first gazed at the sky above us to see a bird
gliding almost effortlessly. Today we have a few extreme sports pioneers that are working to get a rush
yet are helping to get us closer to the reality of flight. We are still in the infancy of this endeavor yet
we see as many different types of extreme flight contraptions being conjured up as we see in the old
silent movies where men strapped feathers and boards and tried to run off ramps and ended up with
a mouth full of dirt. The closest we have to personal flight for the masses comes as a parachute and
back mounted motor that spins a prop thus giving you thrust in order to gain altitude. This gives you the
experience of cutting your engine and quietly floating yet still having the ability to turn. This is a great
way to experience altitude and the scenery yet is nothing more than a powered parachute. A closer step
is hang gliding which gives you more freedom of movement as you take off from a high elevation and
rely on your wings above to give lift as you constantly battle elevation and speed to try and stay afloat
for as long as possible. Next you have the latest and by far most dangerous ways of flight yet it is still
a controlled fall. Base jumping with a type of flying squirrel suit that allows enough lift to control your
movement making this the most maneuverable way to experience flight. This is done by only a handful
of extreme thrill seekers and is highly dangerous as it takes both base jumping skills as well as the ability
to control you maneuvers at speed excess to 100mph. Finally there is Yves Rossy who was the first to
pioneer a wing that was powered by a quad JATO system. This system still takes a parent craft or higher
altitude to start from as Yves has to fall and pick up speed before he starts the jets. He has been able
to achieve actual elevation gain in excess of 200ft and thus making a crucial step in the fight for flight.
These pioneers will continue to pave the way by being extreme in the fact that they risk themselves in
the process to seek thrills and personal flight.