Patrick De Gayardon

Patrick de Gayardon, often hailed as one of the greatest all-around skydivers of the 20th century, left an indelible mark on the world of skydiving through his groundbreaking innovations and fearless pursuits. Born on January 23, 1960, near Paris, de Gayardon was raised by his grandparents after the untimely death of his parents when he was just two years old. His early life was marked by a passion for solo sports like tennis and skiing, and he pursued law at university before discovering his true calling.

At the age of twenty, de Gayardon began BASE jumping, which soon led him to skydiving. Initially drawn to freestyle, he quickly transitioned to skysurfing, a discipline in which he showcased his extraordinary skills and earned global recognition. De Gayardon was not content with just participating; he constantly pushed the boundaries of what was possible in parachuting and BASE jumping. In 1992, he BASE jumped from the world’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls in Venezuela, and in 1993, he jumped into the Sòtano de Las Golondrinas sinkhole in Mexico, both feats requiring immense skill and courage.

De Gayardon’s contributions to skydiving extended far beyond his jumps. He was a true innovator, deeply interested in the dynamics of flight. In a notable flight over Moscow, he set a record by jumping from over 40,000 feet without a respirator, a feat achieved through meticulous planning with a team of technicians. His most significant contribution, however, was to the development of the modern wingsuit. Inspired by the flying lemurs of Madagascar and drawing from the work of earlier pioneers, de Gayardon began designing a self-inflating jumpsuit with fabric between the arms and legs, allowing for unprecedented horizontal movement during freefall.

In 1997, de Gayardon tested his wingsuit design in Chamonix, managing to glide over three and a half miles in a three-minute freefall from 4,000 meters. This achievement revolutionized skydiving, proving the viability of human wingsuits and paving the way for future developments. From 1995 until his untimely death in 1998, de Gayardon made about a thousand test jumps on his designs. He became the first to perform a wingsuit proximity flight, skimming mountain terrain in France, and famously exited and re-entered the same aircraft to demonstrate his wingsuit’s capabilities.

De Gayardon’s influence extended to other innovators as well. Yves Rossy, known for his fixed-wing jetpacks, was inspired by a chance meeting with de Gayardon in 1992. The founders of Birdman and Phoenix-Fly, Jari Kosoma and Robert Pecnik, were similarly inspired by de Gayardon’s designs, deciding to pursue wingsuit development after seeing photos of his suits.

Tragically, Patrick de Gayardon’s life was cut short on April 13, 1998, while skydiving in Hawaii to shoot a promotional video for his wingsuit design. He exited the aircraft with two friends but did not survive the jump, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and inspiration. De Gayardon’s contributions to skydiving and wingsuit development continue to influence the sport, and he is remembered as a pioneer who forever changed the way we think about human flight.