Commercial era[edit]
In 1999, Jari Kuosma of Finland and Robert Pečnik of Slovenia teamed up to create a wingsuit that was safe and accessible to all skydivers. Kuosma established Bird-Man International Ltd. the same year. BirdMan's "Classic", designed by Pečnik, was the first wingsuit offered to the general skydiving public. BirdMan was the first manufacturer to advocate the safe use of wingsuits by creating an instructor program. Created by Kuosma, the instructor program's aim was to remove the stigma that wingsuits were dangerous and to provide wingsuit beginners (generally, skydivers with a minimum of 200 jumps) with a way to safely enjoy what was once considered the most dangerous feat in the skydiving world. With the help of Birdman instructors Scott Campos, Chuck Blue and Kim Griffin, a standardized program of instruction was developed that prepared instructors.[3] Phoenix-Fly, Fly Your Body, and Nitro Rigging have also instituted an instructor training program.
Despite the training and regulation, wingsuit flying remains a precarious pastime. A 2012 University of Colorado study found that 72% of wingsuit flyers had witnessed death or serious injury, and 76% had experienced a "near miss".[