How to Be a Wing Walker

Take the first step out of the cockpit. With the prop wash blasting your face with air and a 450 horsepower airplane engine roaring in your ears, climb to the top of the wing to attach yourself into the harness. Wing walking became popular in the air shows of the 1920s as daredevils moved along the wings during flight, attempting to outdo each other. There are a few hardy souls who have taken up the art of walking in the air again.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Small aircraft
• Pilot you trust
• Wing Walkers rack
• Safety harness

1. Get a mentor. There isn't any instruction manual for wing walking. The safest way to go about it is to learn from someone with experience.
2. Earn your pilot's license. Though this isn't a requirement, the majority of wing walkers are pilots and will tell you that understanding the feel and roll of flight from a pilot's perspective goes a long way in ensuring personal safety when you're on the wing.
3. Build your stamina. Wing walking is about letting the crowd below see you move, one foot in front of the other, hand over hand along the wings of the plane. Even in flat routines where the airplane stays level, the constant position changing is far more strenuous than riding through the different aerobatics maneuvers attached to the rack.
4. Be creative in your stunts. A background in gymnastics or dance is recommended as you perform stunts in a variety of poetic and artistic positions. The wind will push against you the entire time as you perform loop and swing motions across the wing.