Jeb gives a media interview.
At 6 p.m. on September 22, renowned American wingsuit flyer Jeb Corliss arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport. On September 28, he will take on yet another new challenge in his career — wingsuit flying through the world’s narrowest natural mountain fissure, the One-Line Sky between Ya Peak and Ling Peak of Jianglang Mountain in Quzhou, Zhejiang. This is another feat of self-challenge by Jeb, with a level of difficulty far surpassing his 2011 wingsuit flight through Zhangjiajie’s Tianmen Cave.
Jeb’s flight arrived at the capital airport around 5:27 p.m., and by 6 p.m. he had already appeared at the international arrivals exit. Dressed in black, Jeb looked in good spirits, showing no signs of having just undergone a long-haul flight. Speaking to the media, Jeb said he was excited to see familiar faces and very happy to be back in China. Jeb was accompanied by his mother on this trip. “Jeb has done a lot of training and is fully prepared. I have great confidence in him,” said Jeb’s mother.
On May 30 of this year, Jeb announced his plan to challenge the One-Line Sky of Jianglang Mountain at the “Heaven’s Gate Flyby – Jeb Corliss Media Meet” hosted by Red Bull. According to the plan, the One-Line Sky Jeb will fly through this time is a narrow passage between Ya Peak and Ling Peak of Jianglang Mountain, standing 312 meters high, 298 meters long, and 20 meters wide at its broadest point. According to Jeb, when he flies through the One-Line Sky, the entrance will be about 10 meters wide, and the exit is expected to be only 6 meters wide. For a wingsuit flight that may exceed speeds of 200 km/h, navigating through such a long and narrow passage is more difficult than his previous challenge through Zhangjiajie’s Tianmen Cave, making this undoubtedly an even more thrilling and extraordinary flight.
Some of the media waiting at the airport for Jeb’s arrival questioned his decision to take on this challenge, calling it too “crazy.” But he responded: “I am an extreme sports athlete, not a reckless madman. My job is risk assessment. Before wingsuit flying, the first thing I do is assess the risks — that’s the only thing I think about. To achieve something that no one has done before, you need not only determination to solve problems but also the organic combination of skill and technique. People who don’t know me or understand wingsuit flying might think this is crazy, but if you listen carefully to my training and the relentless efforts I’ve made to assess risks, you won’t think so.” According to Jeb, his decision to challenge the One-Line Sky of Jianglang Mountain was made after thorough judgment and scientific calculation, not an impulsive act.
This One-Line Sky flight will be Jeb’s first personal challenge since he was injured on Table Mountain in South Africa last year. On January 16 of last year, Jeb Corliss was filming a wingsuit documentary for an American TV station on Table Mountain in South Africa. He attempted to fly at high speed from the mountaintop to the foot of the mountain while touching hydrogen balloons tied to the cliff face. At that time, due to one hydrogen balloon deviating from its intended path, Jeb, who was diving at the time, did not notice the change in the balloon’s position, resulting in him crashing into the cliff at a speed of 190 km/h and severely injuring his leg. But Jeb miraculously survived, underwent treatment, and announced his comeback in May of last year. He then participated in the first Red Bull Wingsuit World Championship at Zhangjiajie’s Tianmen Mountain in October of the same year. After fully recovering this year, Jeb announced his decision to challenge the One-Line Sky of Jianglang Mountain and also declared that he would participate as an organizer in the second Red Bull Wingsuit World Championship from October 11–13. “I believe I’m 100% recovered, both physically and mentally,” said Jeb.
Since the incident on Table Mountain in South Africa, Jeb has been especially meticulous about site inspections and pays even more attention to safety assurance. Regarding this challenge, Jeb said his biggest concern is the weather. He said: “I heard that a typhoon recently made landfall and will also affect the Zhejiang region, so I can’t wait to get to Jianglang Mountain to see what impact the typhoon will have. As for the One-Line Sky itself, before coming to China, I had already conducted many test flights in Switzerland, and I’m in good form. I’ve also virtually flown through the One-Line Sky of Jianglang Mountain many times. Although it’s not exactly the same as reality, it’s very close, so I’m quite confident in that regard.”
On September 28, Jeb Corliss will officially fly through the One-Line Sky of Jianglang Mountain. Jeb, who arrived in Beijing on the 22nd, did not stay in the capital but flew overnight to Quzhou, Zhejiang to prepare for the challenge. According to the schedule, over the next few days, Jeb will personally visit Jianglang Mountain to repeatedly inspect the terrain on-site and strive to master every detail of the One-Line Sky. “Only by understanding and familiarizing ourselves with every detail on-site can we scientifically calculate the most optimized and safest flight route and plan, ensuring the challenge is successfully completed on the basis of safety,” said Jeb.