07/10/2026
How fast can a human being fly? 🪂💨
Speed Skydiving is all about pushing the limits of human flight, but the discipline has come a long way since its early days.
Inspired by speed skiing, early Speed Skydiving competitions explored how fast a person could travel through freefall. By the late 1990s, the discipline was beginning to take shape, with the first European competition held in Gap-Tallard, France, in 1999.
This photograph, from the 2001 Speed Skydiving World Cup in Lapalisse, France, offers a glimpse into that era. It shows Mike Brooke’s equipment, including two ProTracks positioned on either side of his parachute. His prototype Atom parachute, developed by Parachutes de France specifically for speed, was designed for the demands of this emerging discipline.
Since then, the discipline has continued to evolve, combining aerodynamics, body control, technology, and extraordinary mental focus.
Today, the FAI world record stands at 539.51 km/h, achieved by Sebastián García Gutiérrez on 29 August 2025. This is faster than most commercial aircraft cruise speeds and in the range of high-speed rails.
From early experiments in human flight to record-breaking speeds, Speed Skydiving is a powerful reminder of how many ways there are to explore the open skies. 🌍
📸 Martin Ciekala for ParaMag
