Several Kiwi have died in air accidents involving base jumping or wingsuit flying. People should make hundred of jumps at each stage before moving up to the next: from parachute jumps from a plane, to Base jumping, to wingsuit flying from a plane and finally wingsuit jumping from stationary objects. Monasterio led an international study of Base jumpers' personality types and the levels of the stress-linked chemicals alpha-amylase and cortisol in their saliva. He told the Herald the stress reactivity levels were higher in the base jumpers than in the general population. "Overall, base jumpers are highly resilient individuals who are highly self-directed, persistent, and risk-taking, but they [vary] in their motives and stress reactivity ...," the researchers report in the journal Physiology & Behaviour.

Source: New Zealand Herald October 13, 2016 03:45 UTC