During a milestone flight over El Hierro in the Canary Islands, Peter Salzmann pulled off something long considered out of reach for an unpowered wingsuit: he climbed instead of drifting down. With help from a foil designed alongside Red Bull’s Advanced Technologies team, he used gentle ridge lift to gain height in winds that would normally be too weak for such a move.
The foil works in a similar way to a hydrofoil, letting him fly close to stall speed while still generating lift.
His first trial off the Jungfrau in 2024 hinted at what the system could do. The El Hierro jump confirmed it, showing he could climb, turn and stay up in a way that nudges wingsuit flying closer to true birdlike soaring.