Getting Started in … Wingsuiting with Justin Duclos

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Sunday, November 23, 2025

A Parachutist Series

Are you getting close to 200 jumps, and curious how to pursue something exciting and new in your skydiving? Maybe you’ve always been interested in body flight and want to really fly. Perhaps your best friends at the drop zone are the pilots, and you just want to sit next to them on every jump. For any number of reasons, many of us have pursued or considered pursuing the world of wingsuiting. But how do you begin? What skills are important to lay a solid foundation for future wingsuiting? How do you get even better when you feel like you may have hit a wall? Multi-rated instructor and wingsuiter extraordinaire Justin Duclos is here to answer these questions and more.

What first interested you about flying a wingsuit?
Before I started skydiving, I remember watching a wingsuit BASE video of Vincent “Le Blond” Descols out-flying this seemingly giant flat span of earth that required extreme glide. I would ask myself, “How is that even possible?” I watched it over and over, feeling so mesmerized that I knew I had to try out flying a wingsuit someday.

Why do I need 200 jumps before I can start?
You need 200 skydives before trying a wingsuit to ensure you have solid freefall skills, emergency-procedure experience and canopy control. Wingsuits add complexity and risk, so this requirement exists for safety. It’s also a standard enforced by instructors and drop zones. The 200-jump requirement isn’t a gatekeeping tactic, it’s there to keep you alive and progressing. In my experience, sometimes 200 isn’t enough.

What is a wingsuit first-flight course like?
A wingsuit FFC can be as chill as making a day of jumps with a friend. The course begins with a comprehensive ground school that lasts a couple hours, going over a good exit, stable flight, good practice pulls and a stable deployment. Video of other courses is typically used to show good and bad technique, as well as someone who may have developed poor habits after starting off well. Following the ground instruction, students make their first wingsuit jumps under the supervision of an instructor. The goal of the first jump is to exit the aircraft in a stable position, fly in control, maintain altitude awareness, and deploy the parachute safely. Most courses include three to four jumps, depending on the student’s performance and the instructor’s program. After each jump, the instructor provides a debrief, often using video footage, to review flight performance, body position, navigation and deployment quality. New wingsuit flyers are strongly encouraged to continue practicing solo or in small groups, starting with smaller suits and gradually progressing.

Skydiving is already expensive. How can I try out wingsuiting without spending a ton on new gear?
Start by taking that first-flight course, which includes coaching and help finding a wingsuit rental, so you don’t need to buy gear right away. Many drop zones offer rental suits beyond the FFC, letting you practice without the up-front cost of buying. There are also a lot of great third-party rental programs that can meet your needs. Being well-involved in the community can be beneficial, because maybe a friend will let you use their hand-me-downs in exchange for a few jumps. Also, actively viewing marketplace groups like Facebook can provide great deals on suits others are trying to sell. The real cost of skydiving is not gear; it’s the jumps. You have to be in it to win it, and wingsuit gear costs nothing compared to the wingsuit progression. So, spend on the gear, spend on the progression, and have the best experience of your whole life and feel how worth it it is! Although saving money can be nice, when possible, it’s highly recommended to get a new suit custom fit to you for an optimal training experience.

Nobody at my drop zone flies a wingsuit. How can I find good instruction?
Squirrel has a great coaching resource that can be found on their website. They aim to provide jumpers with the information needed to fly competently and exercise good judgement. Everything from first-flight courses to advanced techniques, you can find someone in your area to contact and help out. It is not recommended to insert yourself on big group jumps or go out by yourself thinking you will just figure it out. Be honest about your progression and be honest about your experience.

What can I work on in my regular skydiving that will help me one day with wingsuit flying?
Focus on developing excellent body control, especially in belly flying, tracking and angle flying, since wingsuits rely heavily on subtle and balanced movements. Learning to fly relative to others without contact will also help with flocking skills later. Sharpen your altitude awareness and build the habit of frequent, disciplined altitude checks, which will help later when dealing with longer, slower skydives. Consistently practicing smooth, on-heading deployments is key, as this skill becomes even more critical in wingsuit flight. You should also invest time in mastering canopy skills. Accurate landings, off-DZ navigation, and managing imperfect openings will all serve you well. Get comfortable with various exit types, learn your gear inside and out and begin filming and debriefing your jumps to catch small issues early. Keep your emergency procedures sharp and start visualizing doing them with limited mobility, as a wingsuit restricts arm movement. This mental practice is essential for building quick, confident reactions. Most importantly, cultivate a calm and precise flying style and a mindset focused on progression and safety. All of these habits will set a solid foundation for when you transition to wingsuit flying.

What do you know now that you wish you’d known at the beginning?
Take it slow. One of the biggest lessons is that precision and patience matter far more than speed or progression for its own sake. Trying to advance too quickly can lead to bad habits, unstable deployments or dangerous situations. Video debriefs and coaching, even for small things like exits and heading control, are tools many wish they’d used from the beginning. In short, many seasoned wingsuiters look back and wish they’d taken more time, asked more questions, and treated early progression with more respect.

What mistakes do people most often make when getting started?
When beginners start wingsuit flying, they often make several common mistakes that can compromise safety and progression. One of the most frequent errors is rushing into wingsuiting with minimal experience or lacking solid body control, deployment consistency and canopy skills. Poor body position and instability (especially during exit) are also common, as new flyers may tense up, misalign their posture or exit the aircraft with too much force, leading to uncontrolled tumbling. Many struggle with altitude awareness due to slower fall rates, becoming overly focused on flying and forgetting to monitor their altimeter. Deployment issues are another major concern; improper body position or hesitation during the pull can result in hard openings, line twists or malfunctions. In addition, some new wingsuiters use gear that isn’t optimized for wingsuiting or try to fly suits that are too large for their skill level. Overconfidence often leads to progressing too quickly or attempting formation flying before mastering solo control, which increases the risk of collisions. Finally, neglecting post-jump debriefs or failing to analyze video footage means that mistakes go uncorrected, slowing learning and increasing danger. Overall, safe wingsuit progression requires patience, self-awareness, solid foundational skills and a strong focus on continuous learning.

I have some experience wingsuiting solo, but want to take it to the next level. What suggestions do you have?
The key is refining your fundamentals while gradually introducing new challenges. Focus on perfecting body position, transitions and especially clean, stable deployments. Small inefficiencies now can become big problems in more complex flights. Investing in one-on-one coaching is highly valuable at this stage, as it can accelerate your progress in relative flying, dynamic maneuvers and suit control. Before jumping into group or formation flying, build your skills by flying relative to one other person, learning to match glide, speed and spacing. Resist the urge to upsize your suit until you’ve mastered the one you’re currently flying; full control, smooth exits and safe deployments should come first. Advanced navigation is another important area to work on, including reading wind conditions, adjusting flight plans and preparing for off-DZ landings. As your range increases, it’s also critical to understand local airspace rules and keep your gear in top condition, using wingsuit-appropriate setups. Above all, maintain a cautious, progression-focused mindset. Set clear goals, manage risk wisely and know when to sit a jump out. With patience and intentional training, you’ll build a strong foundation for safe and skillful wingsuit advancement.

What was the best wingsuit advice you’ve ever received?
“Just make it look easy.”