Pictured: The 'Human Red Arrows' who leap from planes at 13,000ft wearing just wing suits

Just like the Red Arrows, they soar through the sky in perfect formation leaving a trail of smoke in their wake.

Unlike the Red Arrows, this daredevil crew do it without aeroplanes.

They are skydivers wearing just a helmet and £1,000 body suit with flaps of material between the legs and under the arms to act as wings.

The team leap from a plane at 13,000ft and fly inches apart as they glide to earth at 120mph with smoke canisters strapped to their ankles.

Enlarge   wingsuit

In harmony: The BirdMan wingsuit display team perform in Germany

Once within 3,000ft of the ground they open a parachute and float to earth.

It might look terrifying but Mark Harris, 35, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, who also films the jumps, says: 'It's actually not as dangerous as you might think. I've never had a major accident yet.'

It may look terrifying but Mark Harris, 35, from Kettering, Northamptonshire, who also films the jumps, says it is one of the most 'liberating' and 'peaceful' experiences possible.

Close-up: The wing suit helps them glide to earth

Close-up: The wing suit helps them glide to earth

Mark, 35, from Kettering, Northants, said: 'For years sky divers have been trying various formations during jumps so this provided a framework for the jumps.

'But we have studied Red Arrow formations and how they move through the air, which gave us a lot of inspiration.

'It's actually not as dangerous as you might think because, although you're flying through the air at more than 120mph, you're actually only falling at about 40mph.

'The suit is as close to the sensation of flying as you can get, and enables you to glide rather than just free fall.

Enlarge   The 'human Red Arrows'

Formation: The 'human Red Arrows' perform a precision synchronised wingsuit jump over Castellon, Spain

'Once you are in formation it is one of the peaceful experiences imaginable and you can't help but have your breath taken away by some of the views.'

The extreme sport of wingsuit jumping started in 2002 but has grown in popularity and evolved into formation sky-diving.

The team - called Topgun' - has members from Denmark, Sweden, Britain and Holland and jumps all over Europe in formations including up to 16 divers.

Mark, who has taken part in more than 6,000 wingsuit jumps, added: 'Wingsuit jumpers are experienced sky divers who want to try something different.

'I've never had a major accident yet - there have been a few mid-air collision but we usually just laugh it off and get back in formation.

Enlarge   The BirdMan wingsuit display team perform in Germany

In harmony: The BirdMan wingsuit display team perform in Germany

'It's highly skilled as you need to know exactly who is supposed to be where within the formation at any given time.'

Last year the Topgun team joined up with other jumpers to break the world record for formation wingsuit skydiving in California. 

The group of 71 people from six different countries smashed the record after 30 jumps. 

Now they are hoping to get 100 jumpers together to break their own record in November.

According to wing suit lore, 72 fliers have died since the practice first started in 1930. 

 


{"status":"error","code":"499","payload":"Asset id not found: readcomments comments with assetId=1163439, assetTypeId=1"}