Richard Greenwood Sets Oldest Wingsuit Flight Record

The 74-year-old skydiver broke the Guinness World Record previously held by Robert Felt of Wisconsin.

Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Extreme Sports

Richard Greenwood Sets Oldest Wingsuit Flight Record

Richard Greenwood, 74, set a Guinness World Record as the oldest man to fly in a wingsuit on June 5, 2026. He took the title from Robert Felt of Wisconsin, who set the previous record in May 2026 at 72.

Why it matters

Greenwood's record highlights that age has not ended a long-running skydiving career for some athletes. His effort, following a return to the sport after cancer treatment, offers a documented example of an older participant pursuing a formal record in extreme sports.

Greenwood, who has more than five decades of skydiving experience, set the record at 74 years and 136 days, surpassing Robert Felt's 72 years and 64 days. The extraction does not indicate whether the record is subject to further review.

The players

Guinness World Records

Guinness World Records is a global organization that certifies and publishes official world records across many categories, including extreme sports.

Robert Felt

Robert Felt is a Wisconsin skydiver who held the prior oldest wingsuit flyer record before Greenwood surpassed it.

Mayo Clinic

The Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit academic medical center based in Rochester, Minnesota, known for its cancer treatment programs.

The details

Greenwood first tried a wingsuit in 1997 and returned to skydiving in 2023 after cancer treatment at the Mayo Clinic, where he also lost 80 pounds. In early 2026 he read a Parachutist Magazine story about the previous record holder, then gathered documents and submitted evidence to Guinness World Records.

2016: Greenwood underwent a double knee replacement and stopped jumping.
2018: Greenwood retired from his work as an aircraft accident investigator for the U.S. Air Force.
2023: Greenwood returned to skydiving.
Early 2026: Greenwood read about the previous record and began pursuing his own.
June 5, 2026: Greenwood set the record.

Roadmap

Greenwood's record extends a recent sequence of age-based milestones in the Guinness wingsuit category, moving the benchmark from Felt's 72 to 74. It reflects a broader pattern of older athletes staying active in extreme sports well past typical retirement ages.

The record sets a new age benchmark that future wingsuit flyers will need to exceed to claim the Guinness title. Readers following extreme sports records can track how the category's age threshold changes.

The takeaway

Greenwood's record shows that returning to a demanding sport after surgery and cancer treatment is possible at an advanced age. Readers interested in staying active later in life can view his path as a documented example of sustained commitment.