Olav Zipser (born 12 March 1966, Simmern,
West Germany
West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...
) is a
Sports Emmy Award
The Sports Emmy Awards, or Sports Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Sports ...
winning professional skydiver.
Zipser launched the
freeflying
Freeflying is a skydiving discipline which began in the late 1980s, involving freefalling in various vertical orientations, as opposed to the traditional "belly-to-earth" orientation. The discipline is known to have originated when Olav Zipser bega ...
movement of the early 1990s when he began experimenting with non-traditional forms of body flight. Since then, he has been part of the worldwide sport of FreeFly and has helped it grow to the
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The (; FAI; en, World Air Sports Federation) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintai ...
competition level that it is at today. He is respectfully known as "The Father of FreeFly".
Zipser is the founder of the FreeFly Training and Instruction Program,
The First School of Modern SkyFlying, the Atmosphere Dolphin FreeFly Licence Program, the
Space Games
Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually conside ...
, and The FreeFly Astronaut Project. He was also the first to make use of Space Balls to train and test free flyers to an international standard.
Zipser completed his 21,000th skydive at Skydive Dubai
UAE
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
in 2012; as of June 2015 he has logged more than 22,750 skydives. He has flown in 25 of the worlds wind tunnels, won more than 51 gold medals from various international skydiving competitions, has trained 14 world champion skydivers from around the world, and has flown his human body the equivalent of almost three times around the Earth at the equator.
Zipser is a member of the Human Synergy Project, and was a test pilot and astronaut in training with
Team Synergy Moon (a
Google Lunar X-Prize official team).
The Birth of FreeFly
Zipser started skydiving in the experimental phase of the
Accelerated Freefall {{unreferenced, date=December 2016
Accelerated freefall (AFF) (known in Canada as progressive freefall, and in Finland as Nova (''NO''peutettu ''VA''paapudotus, a literal translation)) is a method of skydiving training. This method of skydiving tr ...
progression skydiving program in 1986, and immediately began experimenting with non-traditional forms of body flight. He studied and trained human aerodynamics in a wind tunnel for four months. From that experience he developed a new concept of human body flight, which he called
FreeFly. First he trained friends, then he developed a professional FreeFly Training and Instruction Program so he could train others to become FreeFly teachers and instructors.
The First School of Modern SkyFlying
Main article
The First School of Modern SkyFlying
With the objective of researching, documenting, developing, teaching, training, and pushing the envelope of human flight capability, Zipser founded The First School of Modern SkyFlying in 1994. He came up with the idea of using Space Balls as independent measuring devices for constant speed (155 mph) and direction (straight down). These measurements train and test freeflyers so that they can meet an advanced international standard.
The Atmosphere Dolphin FreeFly Licence Program
Consisting of advanced human flight performance tests / a series of predetermined high speed aerobatic freefly manoeuvres around and with at first one then two Space Balls, in 1996 Zipser developed the Atmosphere Dolphin FreeFly License Program and awarded Atmosphere Dolphin FreeFly Licenses AD-A to AD-D. This provided the testing ground for the research and development of freeflying, and opened up the possibility for a number of high-speed human flight air games and competitions.
Through March 2007, a total of 410 FreeFlyers from 32 nations have achieved Atmosphere Dolphin FreeFly licences. Four of those have earned Atmosphere Dolphin AD-D licences.
The Space Games
In the early days of FreeFlying, Zipser wanted to bring together the world's then-best freeflyers to research, develop, and document the performance evolution of human freeflight, or freeflying.
So he devised the first human flight races, air games and competitions. Each has an open-class and a pro-class, based on his Atmosphere Dolphin FreeFly Tests. He also founded the
Space Games
Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually conside ...
, which incorporates double-elimination, one-on-one races; open rounds; competition rounds; the FreeFly Indie 500; the FreeFly Atmosphere Dolphin Challenge; Fastest, Slowest and Furthest competitions; Freestyle; Sky Surf; and 3way and 4way FreeFly Challenges.
The first Space Games was held in 1997 at Skydive America Palm Beach in Pahokee, Florida.
A total of 16 Space Games events were held between 1997 and 2004. The resulting recognition and following brought FreeFlying into the international public eye, and took the competition to the next level.
So far, Space Games cash prizes totaling as much as US$35 000 per event have been awarded to winners of different categories.
FreeFly Officially Recognised
In 2000 FreeFlying become officially recognised as an aviation discipline by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, opening up the possibility for official National Championships and World Championships in FreeFly.
Zipser won gold at America's first official FreeFly National Skydiving Championships in 2000. He competed again, and won gold at the first official Fédération Aéronautique Internationale FreeFly World Skydiving Championships and
World Air Games
The FAI World Air Games (WAG) is an international air sports event organized by Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (World Air Sports Federation - FAI), inspired by the Olympic Games.
Competitions
#Aerobatics
#Aeromodeling
#Air racing
#Ballo ...
, held in Spain in 2001.
In 2001, Zipser introduced FreeFly at the
World Games
The World Games are an international multi-sport event comprising sports and sporting disciplines that are not contested in the Olympic Games. They are usually held every four years, one year after a Summer Olympic Games, over the course of 11 d ...
(under the patronage of the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
) in Japan. That introduction led to Olympic recognition of FreeFlying and to FreeFlying being included in the 2005 World Games, which took place in Duisburg, Germany.
Stratosphere Skydive
In 1995 Zipser became the first civilian to skydive from the
stratosphere
The stratosphere () is the second layer of the atmosphere of the Earth, located above the troposphere and below the mesosphere. The stratosphere is an atmospheric layer composed of stratified temperature layers, with the warm layers of air ...
when he jumped from an
Ilyushin 76
The Ilyushin Il-76 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-76; NATO reporting name: Candid) is a multi-purpose, fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan strategic airlifter designed by the Soviet Union's Ilyushin design bureau. It was first planned as a comm ...
at 41,667 feet over central
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
. He performed the skydive with
Patrick de Gayardon
Patrick de Gayardon (; 23 January 1960 in Oullins, Rhône – 13 April 1998 in Hawaii) was a French skydiver, skysurfer and a BASE jumper.
De Gayardon was famous for pushing the boundaries of skydiving. He was one of the first people to develop ...
for
Sector No Limits
Sector No Limits and Sector are Italian wristwatch and diving watch brands by homonymous company.
History
It was founded in 1973 by Filippo Giardiello, in Naples, Italy, then also owner of Philip Watch and later the company was established in N ...
Sports Watches. They set the record for exiting an aircraft from the highest altitude without oxygen and achieved FreeFly speeds of 750kmh.
Sports Emmy Award
Zipser received a
Sports Emmy Award
The Sports Emmy Awards, or Sports Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Sports ...
from the
National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences
The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) is an American professional service organization founded in 1955 for "the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, edu ...
in 1995 for his performance and aerial cinematography of
ESPN's inaugural X Games
The X Games are an annual extreme sports event organized, produced and broadcast by ESPN. Coverage is also shown on ESPN's sister network, ABC. The inaugural X Games were held during the summer of 1995 in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island, ...
that summer.
FreeFly Astronaut Project
Founded by Olav Zipser In 2009, The FreeFly Astronaut Project is a scientific research mission toward the development of appropriate techniques and survival suits for high-altitude and low-earth-orbit emergency re-entry survival and rescue situations.
The aim of the project is to develop a safe and economical emergency return and rescue method to improve the odds of survival for mankind's future space pioneers and tourists in the event of a space emergency.
The FreeFly Astronaut Project will forgo the balloon-lift method utilised by the current record holders,
Felix Baumgartner
Felix Baumgartner (; born 20 April 1969) is an Austrian skydiver, daredevil and BASE jumper. He is widely known for jumping to Earth from a helium balloon from the stratosphere on 14 October 2012 and landing in New Mexico, United States, as par ...
with
Red Bull Stratos
Red Bull Stratos was a high altitude skydiving project involving Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner. On 14 October 2012, Baumgartner flew approximately into the stratosphere over New Mexico, United States, in a Gas balloon, helium balloon befor ...
(highest skydive) and
Joe Kittinger
Joseph William Kittinger II (July 27, 1928 – December 9, 2022) served as a United States Air Force (USAF) officer from 1950 to 1978. He was a fighter pilot who earned Command Pilot status and retired as a colonel. He held the world record for ...
with
Project Excelsior
Project Excelsior was a series of parachute jumps made by Joseph Kittinger of the United States Air Force in 1959 and 1960 from helium balloons in the stratosphere. The purpose was to test the Beaupre multi-stage parachute system intended to be ...
(longest freefall). Instead, it will make use of specially modified
InterOrbital Systems
Interorbital Systems (IOS) is an American rocket and satellite manufacturer located in Mojave, California. The company was founded in 1996 by Roderick and Randa Milliron and is currently completing the development of the worlds lowest-cost orbital ...
SR 145 rockets to propel Team Synergy Moon test pilot and astronaut-in-training Olav Zipser to increasingly higher altitudes (higher than any manned balloon can possibly go). At those high altitudes, Zipser will employ the FreeFly techniques—developed and tested over his 26-year, 21,000-jump skydiving career—to control his descent to Earth.
The FreeFly Astronaut Project has committed to five rocket launches to increasingly higher altitudes, culminating with a FreeFly reentry from above the
Karman Line
Karman or Kármán is a Hungarian surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Harvey Karman (20th century), inventor of the Karman cannula
* Janice Karman (born 1954), American film producer, record producer, singer, and voice artist
* J ...
(100 km)—a real space altitude. Zipser will be the first person to jump from a rocket, and will break and set numerous official
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale
The (; FAI; en, World Air Sports Federation) is the world governing body for air sports, and also stewards definitions regarding human spaceflight. It was founded on 14 October 1905, and is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland. It maintai ...
skydiving
Parachuting, including also skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point in the atmosphere to the surface of Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent using a parachute or parachutes.
For ...
,
aeronautics
Aeronautics is the science or art involved with the study, design, and manufacturing of air flight–capable machines, and the techniques of operating aircraft and rockets within the atmosphere. The British Royal Aeronautical Society identifies ...
and
astronautics
Astronautics (or cosmonautics) is the theory and practice of travel beyond Earth's atmosphere into outer space. Spaceflight is one of its main applications and space science its overarching field.
The term ''astronautics'' (originally ''astronaut ...
records with each launch.
Launches will take place from InterOrbital Systems facilities at the
Mojave Air and Space Port
The Mojave Air and Space Port at Rutan Field is in Mojave, California, United States, at an elevation of . It is the first facility to be licensed in the United States for horizontal launches of reusable spacecraft, being certified as a sp ...
. The first launch is planned to 45 km (131,000 feet).
Russian spacesuit manufacturer Zvezda is providing Zipser with a specially modified
Orlan Series spacesuit for his FreeFly mission.
In 2011, Zipser spent an undisclosed amount of time at the
Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center
The Yuri A. Gagarin State Scientific Research-and-Testing Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC; Russian: Центр подготовки космонавтов имени Ю. А. Гагарина) is a Russian training facility responsible for train ...
in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
for training and collaboration on the development of a supersonic spacesuit to be used as an economical rescue and return alternative for astronauts and space tourists.
Skydive for Rhinos
When Zipser traveled to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
in 2012 for
The Ranch SkyDiving Boogie and Symposium held at
The Ranch Resort
The Ranch Resort is a family-owned leisure, sports, exhibition, conservation, accommodation, and conferencing centre within the large Ranch Conservancy located in the Capricorn District of the Limpopo Province. south of Polokwane – the ca ...
to give a presentation on the FreeFly Astronaut Project, he was exposed to the
rhino
A rhinoceros (; ; ), commonly abbreviated to rhino, is a member of any of the five extant species (or numerous extinct species) of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. (It can also refer to a member of any of the extinct species o ...
poaching crisis. He came on board as an International Skydive for Rhinos Ambassador with African Conservation Trust's Skydive for Rhinos campaign.
The initiative raised R6.6 million South African Rand for strategic rhino anti-poaching efforts in South Africa.
Parachute Association of South Africa Toggle Times Newsletter Issue 19
retrieved 14 Dec 2012
See also
*Freeflying
Freeflying is a skydiving discipline which began in the late 1980s, involving freefalling in various vertical orientations, as opposed to the traditional "belly-to-earth" orientation. The discipline is known to have originated when Olav Zipser bega ...
* The First School of Modern SkyFlying
*Space Games
Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually conside ...
References
External links
International Association for the Advancement of Space Safety - Interview with Olav Zipser
retrieved 15 March 2014
Parachutist Online - Olav Zipser Profile
retrieved 4 June 2015
Cypress Aero - Catching up with Olav Zipser
retrieved 9 Jan 2018
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zipser, Olav
Skydivers
Living people
1966 births
Parachuting
Aviation inventors
Aviation pioneers
Sports inventors and innovators
Creators of sports
German test pilots
German flight instructors
Competitors at the 2001 World Games
World Games gold medalists