How many Wingsuiters are there?

[skyjumpsteve 0]

A thread in the "General Skydiving Discussions" forum about the number of active skydivers worldwide got me thinking about how many wingsuiters there are. How many do you think there are in the world? What are we talking.....under a thouasand? A couple thousand? more?

[greybeard 0]

one (1) in Eloy.

[VectorBoy 0]

Only one in eloy Mark?

[The111 0]

Quote

A thread in the "General Skydiving Discussions" forum about the number of active skydivers worldwide got me thinking about how many wingsuiters there are. How many do you think there are in the world? What are we talking.....under a thouasand? A couple thousand? more?

I know that 2 years ago (roughly) there were around 2000 BirdMan suits sold (going by serial numbers). This was just before PF formed. Find updated numbers from BM, PF, Tony Suits, Fly Your Body, and Matter and sum them all.

Then you have a start.

But there are many people who have made one jump and never bought a suit.
Many people who have made one jump, bought a suit, and then not jumped it again.
Many people who have 50 jumps but have never bought a suit.
Many people who have a few hundred jumps and own MULTIPLE suits.
Many suits not being actively jumped.
Even some suits that will never be jumped again.

So the total number of suits sold is not the answer, but it's still good info.

One thing is for sure: there has never been more than 100 of us together at one place and time (as far as I know).

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[skyjumpsteve 0]

I thought about the number of wingsuits sold but you are right that it is really not the answer. And I was curious about the number of "active" wingsuiters...say someone who does at least a handful a year, not someone who did just one flight. Given all the knowledge in this forum and how tapped in ya'll are I thought someone might have a rough estimate.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

I, myself, have owned at least ten wingsuits:

-3 classics
-1 GTi
-1 original skyflyer
-2 S3's
-1 S6
-1 Vampire
-1 Blade (not here yet)

My wife has owned two. Manufacturers numbers will in no way be accurate. I doubt there are 500 wingsuiters in the world who own at least one suit and have made more than five or ten jumps. I have trained hundreds of people in first flight training, but most of those boogie jumpers don't ever buy a suit and will only jump a suit the next time they go to a major boogie where wingsuit vendors are.

[The111 0]

Quote

I have trained hundreds of people in first flight training, but most of those boogie jumpers don't ever buy a suit and will only jump a suit the next time they go to a major boogie where wingsuit vendors are.

It's true.

The one time I went to WFFC and sat in the BirdMan booth, there were so many times the following happened:

"I'd like to jump a suit, I've done it before."
"How many times?"
"Once."
"When?"
"Last year."

I don't know what would compel somebody to want to only fly once a year. I guess price has something to do with it.

On the note of "how many suits have you owned"...

1 GTi
1 S3
1 Acro
1 Mach1 coming soon...

All still in my possession...

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[mccordia 73]

I guess it would mostly come done to what you define as a "wingsuiter"
At least 25+ wingsuit jumps per year? I dont want to start a debate, or even set a definition.

But looking at Holland. I think we have around 75 or so people who own a wingsuit or borrow one every once in a while to make a jump (rough estemate). Some of those make more then a few jumps a year, some only one.

But if I where to name all the people who truly fly their wingsuits more often, who practice wingsuiting as a dicipline, I think Holland would count maybe 10 or so flyers..

And I think thats the same worldwide..you have people who made 1/5 wingsuit jumps, and might only do it again at a boogie a few times in the coming few year. People who own suits but hardly ever fly them. And a bunch of active flyers...

What the count would be for each group...no clue..

JC
FlyLikeBrick
I'm an Athlete?