Birdman

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A flying birdman over Deland, Florida at about 12,000 feet flies 60 miles an hour downwards while going forward at 70 miles an hour. Some wing suit have travelled as far as 12 miles Photo by Terry Towbridge, courtesy of Birdman International., Edit International

Jari Kuosma, the famed Birdman, makes a turn 6,000 feet up over Hanto, Finland. Photo by Jussi Laine for Edit International

Jari Kuosma, the famed Birdman, who broke the curse that killed almost everyone of the 89 parachutists and sky divers who tried to fly with wings, prepares to go up for a flight. Behind him are various sky divers getting ready for jumps. Photo by Ron Laytner, Edit International

Jari Kuosma learning to base jump by leaping off the dread 2,700 foot high Monte Brento cliff north of Milan, Italy. His chute did not open for four seconds and he managed to finally open it 150 feet up. "It was the closest I have ever been to death." Photo by Jukka Kuosma, courtesy Birdman International, Edit International

Jari Kuosma, 36, of Finland is the sky diver who made flying possible in a wing suit he invented. "I left a job with a big telecommunications company in Finland where I had to wear a suit and tie," he says. "Now I travel the world introducing people to sky flying and have never worn a tie since." Photo by Ron Laytner, Edit International

Birdman Jari Kuosmo wears a special tattoo on his right arm showing the progress to wings of Leonardo DaVinci's famous painting of a man. Photo by Nina Stromberg, BirdBabe, Copyright by Edit international.

Jussi Laine, a daring photographer who is the official photographer for Birdman International, takes a self portrait 13,500 feet above Helsinki with a camera attached to a pole connected to his foot. Photo by Jussi Laine for Edit International

Leonardo Da Vinci's famous drawmg pf a man with arms oustretched inspired men to try to fly with wings on their arms. Edit International

A 1914 US Patent application for a set of wings for an early Birdman. Every one of them who tried to fly jumping out of balloons, died. Photo Edit International.

Carl Laurin, 71, of Deland, Florida is the only living survivor of almost 100 men who tried to fly with wings after jumping out of airplanes. He lived because he had powerful arms and hands and kept his primitive canvas-covered wings together by holding a strap. "I'm lucky to be alive," he says now. Photo by Ron Laytner, Edit International

Jari Kuosmo, the famed Birdman, who invented the flying suit he is wearing here in a Deland, Florida hanger, stands with his good friend and mentor, Carl Laurin, 71, the only survivor of earlier flying suits. Photo by Ron Laytner, Edit International.

Sky diver Betsy Barnhouse hitches a ride on Birdman Scott Campos over Deland, Florida. Not many women have yet gone into wing suit flying but when they do they will win the title of Birdbabes, according to Jari Suomo. Photo by Michael McGowan, Edit International.

Finish daredevil Jari Kuosmo, 36, jumps off the 2,700 foot high cliff at Monte Brento in Northern Italy. There is no time for a Birdman wing suit and Jari, wearing a parachute, must open it in split seconds. Photo courtesy of Birdman International, Edit International.

A GATHERING OF BIRDMEN. A group of wing suit fliers gather for a photo after a formation flight. Photo by Andrey Vaselow, courtesy of Jari Kuosma, Birdman International, Edit International

Jari Kuosma, The Birdman, flies at over 100 miles an hour across the sky. Photo courtesy of Birdman International, Edit International.

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