Shoecam Takes Wingsuit Flying to New Heights

For most thrill-seekers, skydiving alone is an adrenaline rush worth experiencing only once, but for the death-defying, elite skydiver, the wingsuit is the next step in daring midair adventures. But thankfully, we people who like our feet planted on the ground can enjoy the thrill ride via our flatscreens, due to some fearless cinematography from the daredevils themselves. And though there is no shortage of awesome skydiving footage on the web, there is a shortage of camera angles, with most placed in the helmets of those falling from the sky.

Aside from the usual helmet cam, wingsuiter Richard Schneider has hacked together his own foot cam, with a ContourHD camera attached to his shoe. It's nothing revolutionary, but the result provides some amazing jump footage, giving an over-the-shoulder view of the cameraman himself. Check out the footage from the skies over Chicago.

The shoecam is somewhat tricky, though, since the parachute lines can snag on it, but the shoe and camera remain loose enough so as not to cause a problem should it happen.

Interested in skydiving with a wingsuit? Schneider has a how-to article on his website PictureCorrect that outlines the process of becoming a wingsuit jumper, which requires at least 200 solo jumps. Once you're ready, it's off to wingsuit school...