Wingsuit flyers in their own words

• "We were doing something that we knew some people had done before. But they were all dead."

Finland's Jari Kuosma on his early experiments using wingsuits on jumps from cliffs. Mr. Kuosma survived, and he now runs Birdman, a wingsuit manufacturing company.

• "You are near a dream. The emotions are so strong, you become addicted."

Yves Rossy on what it's like to fly his rocket-powered carbon-fibre wing.

• "That yawning door opening into space is like the very jaws of hell. We're not birds."

1950's wingsuit experimenter Leo Valentin on what he felt when the aircraft door opened for a jump.

• "It's every bit as important as climbing Everest the first time, but you can do it on the ground, in Vegas, with 500,000 spectators there watching it live…"

California wingsuit flier Jeb Corliss on his quest to become the first man to intentionally land without a parachute.

• "If Jeb lands the wingsuit without a parachute and survives he is going to be my hero."

Luigi Cani, a wingsuit jumper who is working with Mr. Corliss in his bid to become the first man to intentionally land without a parachute.

• "My biggest concern is what happens when I get bored with this."

Veteran BASE diver Phil Smith on the risks of wingsuit jumping from buildings, bridges and cliffs.