On mountain ranges across the world, a small group of extreme athletes have been taking to the skies in specially-designed bodysuits to test the limits of unpowered human flight. These men and women will hike to altitudes nearly a kilometer high, only to hurl themselves from steep mountain top cliffs and fly across the terrain below.

The wingsuits they wear boast a set of wings to help maintain stability and maneuver while in the air until they finally deploy a parachute. Nevertheless, the sport is considered one of the most dangerous in the world—and ?over 72 percent of flyers have personally witnessed a fellow athletes final flight.

But with the sacrifices of their colleagues always at the back of their minds, a new generation of wingsuit pilots are exploring the potential for new technologies and techniques to help them fly farther, faster and safer than ever before.

"My ultimate goal? I want to fly my wingsuit on the moon, man!" Jokke S?ommer told me only half-jokingly. Sommer, who is sponsored by Red Bull, is one of the sport's top stars—helped in no small part by his GoPro, and the videos he uploads to You?tube.

"When I made my first wingsuit jump 15 years ago, the suits were horrid"

Nowadays, athletes such as Sommer can begin controlled flight almost immediately, whereas achieving such control previously required a freefall of over 300 metres. Once in control, a wingsuiter can dive down mountain couloirs for between 2-3 minutes, at speeds in excess of 160 mph—while the inevitability of death stares up from six feet below.