European Wingsuit Camps 2026: Where to Fly as a Licensed Italian Skydiver (May–September)

February is the month when the Italian wingsuit community stops checking the weather at Cumiana and starts looking at the Empuriabrava calendar. The May–September 2026 window is shaping up to be packed with options — perhaps too many, given that spots at intermediate and advanced camps often sell out before the manifest officially opens. This report is an operational map: locations, organizers, stated requirements, indicative costs, and — something that often gets overlooked — the specific documentation a licensed Italian skydiver needs to have in hand when flying away from their home dropzone. Exact figures should always be verified on the organizers' official websites, as requirements are updated season by season.

The Italian Regulatory Framework: ENAC Wingsuit CS First

Before talking about Spain, Portugal, or the Netherlands, it's worth clarifying the Italian starting point. To fly wingsuit in Italy — and to be considered a skydiver with proper documentation when flying abroad — you need the CS (Certificazione di idoneità a Tecniche Speciali) wingsuit endorsement annotated on your ENAC skydiving licence.

This is not a bureaucratic footnote: many European camp organizers, especially those accepting international participants, will ask to see documentation from your national federation or governing body. Showing up with an ENAC licence that lacks the wingsuit CS at a camp requiring documented proof of experience can cause problems at registration.

ENAC requirements for the wingsuit CS include a minimum number of total jumps and recent wingsuit jumps, plus a first-flight course with a qualified wingsuit instructor. The exact figures are in the current ENAC regulations — always check the latest version at enac.gov.it, as requirements can be revised. The practical takeaway: if you're planning a summer camp and don't yet have your CS, the time to start the process is now, not in April.

Map of European Camps 2026: The Main Locations

Empuriabrava (Spain) — The Default Choice for Italian Skydivers

Skydive Empuriabrava remains the most popular destination for licensed Italian skydivers for a straightforward reason: it's a five-hour drive from Turin, it operates as a full-scale professional dropzone with multiple aircraft in rotation, and every season it hosts a significant number of international wingsuit organizers who bring their camps there.

During the 2025 season, camps were run by names such as Squirrel (with instructors from their team for the AURA program), Tony Suits, and several independent load organizers of European standing. For 2026, the Empuriabrava calendar tends to fill up between June and August with at least four to six wingsuit camps at different levels.

Typical requirements stated by organizers active at Empuriabrava:

Entry-level / first-flight supervision camps: 50–100 documented wingsuit jumps, basic flocking skills

Intermediate camps (formation, tracking, angle): 200–400 wingsuit jumps, ability to fly a stable slot

Advanced / acro / proximity camps: 500+ wingsuit jumps, invitation or video selection

Indicative costs (verify before booking): structured camps with a dedicated load organizer generally range from €400 to €900 for 4–5 days, excluding jumps (which at Empuriabrava are paid separately, typically €25–35 per jump for licensed skydivers). On-site accommodation ranges from camping and hostels to hotels in town — the price difference is significant.

2026 booking windows: historically, summer camps open registration between January and March. Follow the Skydive Empuriabrava Facebook page and official website, as well as the individual organizers' channels.

Skydive Algarve (Portugal) — Weather, Coast, and UK/International Organizers

Skydive Algarve, based in Portimão, has grown in recent years into a hub for intermediate-to-advanced wingsuit camps, often organized by British and Scandinavian teams who bring with them a highly structured coaching culture — systematic video debriefs, precise slot assignments, and a low coach-to-student ratio.

The southern Portuguese climate delivers reliable flying windows from May through September, with fewer weather holds than dropzones in central Europe. The downside: flights from Italy almost always involve a connection, which adds cost and logistical complexity compared to Empuriabrava.

Recurring organizers: teams affiliated with Squirrel Europe, the Squirrel AURA program (a structured wingsuit progression curriculum), and independent international organizers use Algarve for level C/D camps (using the FAI/USPA convention as an experience reference, not as Italian regulation). Stated requirements for intermediate-to-advanced camps here tend to place more emphasis on recent wingsuit jumps (within the last 12 months) than on lifetime totals.

Indicative costs: similar to Empuriabrava for the camp fee; jump tickets tend to be slightly more expensive. Factor in the cost of flights and car rental.

Skydive Lillo (Netherlands) — The Northern European Hub

Skydive Lillo is the reference dropzone in the Netherlands for serious wingsuit flying. Geographically it's a less obvious choice for an Italian skydiver, but it has two concrete advantages: it hosts camps run by some of the best load organizers in Europe (including names from the international competitive circuit), and its calendar is less congested than Empuriabrava's — meaning spots can sometimes be found with just a few weeks' notice.

Dutch weather from May to September is workable for flying, but ground-wind holds are more frequent than in southern Europe. Plan for a 5–6 day window rather than 4 to absorb any days lost to weather.

Typical requirements: camps at Lillo tend to be intermediate to advanced; structured entry-level camps are hard to find there. If you have fewer than 150 wingsuit jumps, Lillo is probably not your first choice.

Other Locations to Watch

Skydive Hibaldstow (UK): a traditional destination for camps organized by British teams, with a very solid coaching culture. Post-Brexit, Italian skydivers should check the current documentation requirements for flying in the UK (valid passport, and potentially an Electronic Travel Authorisation — ETA — depending on the period).

Jyväskylä Skydiving Club (Finland): a niche destination but one that hosts advanced-level camps in summer, with the added bonus of the long Nordic days allowing flying sessions until 10 p.m.

Skydive Fano (Italy): for those who want to stay in Italy, Fano has hosted wingsuit camps in recent years with Italian organizers of solid standing. It doesn't offer the same density of options as international dropzones, but it's logistically the simplest choice for anyone who doesn't want to travel abroad.

Skydive Saarlouis (Germany): a German dropzone with an active wingsuit camp calendar, often featuring German and Swiss organizers. A good option for skydivers based in northeastern Italy.

Comparison Table: European Wingsuit Camps 2026 (Indicative)

The table below summarizes the key parameters to help you get your bearings. All figures should be verified on the organizers' official websites — they change every season.

Location | Typical Window | Target Level | Min. WS Jumps (indicative) | Camp Cost (indicative) | Logistics from Italy

Empuriabrava (ES) | May–August | entry/intermediate/advanced | 50–500+ | €400–900 | excellent (5h drive from Turin)

Skydive Algarve (PT) | May–September | intermediate/advanced | 150–500+ | €450–950 | moderate (flight + car)

Skydive Lillo (NL) | June–August | intermediate/advanced | 150–500+ | €400–800 | moderate (flight + car)

Hibaldstow (UK) | May–September | all levels | 50–500+ | £350–800 | complex (ETA + flight)

Skydive Fano (IT) | June–August | entry/intermediate | 50–300 | €300–600 | excellent

Utti (FI) | June–July | advanced | 300+ | €500–1000 | complex (flight)

Costs exclude jumps, meals, and accommodation. Always verify current requirements before registering.

How to Apply: The Real Process

The registration process for a European wingsuit camp is not standardized. There are essentially three models:

1. Direct registration on the organizer's website (the most common model for structured camps such as those run by Squirrel/AURA): you fill out a form with your total jump numbers, wingsuit jumps, disciplines practiced, and self-declared level. The organizer may request a reference video (typically 2–3 minutes of recent in-flight footage). Payment in advance or a deposit is required to confirm your spot.

2. Registration through the host dropzone (the Empuriabrava model for many camps): the dropzone manifest handles registrations on behalf of the organizer. Simpler administratively, with less filtering on skill level.

3. Direct invitation (advanced and proximity camps): you don't apply — you get invited. If you're not already on those organizers' radar, this is not your camp yet.

For licensed Italian skydivers, the practical advice is to have the following ready before starting any registration:

Copy of your ENAC licence with wingsuit CS annotated

Up-to-date logbook (or screenshot of your digital logbook) with recent wingsuit jumps highlighted

Recent reference video (from the last 6–12 months), even if not explicitly required

Proof of third-party liability insurance valid abroad (verify that your coverage is active at European dropzones)

Document Checklist: What to Bring to a Foreign Dropzone

This is the section many people forget about until the day before departure. Arriving at a foreign dropzone with incomplete documentation means, at best, losing half a day sorting out paperwork. At worst, not flying.

Mandatory documents (always):

Valid ENAC skydiving licence with wingsuit CS annotated

Valid ENAC Class 2 medical certificate (issued by an authorized ENAC-certified aviation medical examiner — not your family doctor)

Valid identity document (passport for the UK and non-Schengen countries)

Third-party liability insurance card valid for the destination country

Strongly recommended documents:

Physical or digital logbook, up to date

AeCI membership card (through a local AeCI-affiliated aero club, for competitions or events with FAI recognition)

Equipment data sheet (useful if the wingsuit is rented or if there are customs checks)

For the UK: check the current ETA requirements on the UK government website before departure

For your gear:

Reserve data card (last repack date) — many foreign dropzones check this at the manifest

AAD data card (last service date) — Cypres, Vigil, and M2 have different maintenance cycles; make sure yours isn't due for service right in the middle of your camp

Container conformity certificate if the rig is recent (some dropzones require rigger documentation for new or modified equipment)

One practical detail that's often underestimated: Spanish and Portuguese dropzones are generally more flexible about document checks than northern European ones, which tend to have more rigorous check-in procedures. Don't rely on flexibility — prepare everything.

Entry Requirements: How to Read the Numbers Organizers Publish

Requirements stated by European wingsuit camps almost always use the FAI/USPA convention (total jumps, wingsuit jumps, A/B/C/D licence level) — not ENAC regulations. This sometimes causes confusion for Italian skydivers who hold an ENAC licence but have never formally mapped their experience onto the FAI/USPA scale.

In practice, when an organizer writes "minimum 200 WS jumps, C-license or equivalent," the term "C-license" is an international experience convention (derived from the FAI/USPA standard), not a specific document you need to produce. Your ENAC licence with wingsuit CS and a logbook showing 200+ wingsuit jumps is the documentary equivalent accepted by the vast majority of European organizers.

If an organizer explicitly asks for a "USPA C-license," you can clarify that Italian regulations don't use that classification but that your ENAC documentation is equivalent. In practice, we have never seen a licensed Italian skydiver with a wingsuit CS and a proper logbook turned away for this reason.

A note on recency requirements: many intermediate-to-advanced camps specify not just a lifetime total of wingsuit jumps, but also a minimum number of jumps within the last 12 months (typically 50–100 for intermediate camps). This is the requirement that most often catches people off guard — those with a solid lifetime total but a light recent season. Check the camp's recency requirements section before registering.

Staying Informed: Where to Find Camps Before They Fill Up

There is no official aggregator for the European wingsuit camp calendar. Information is scattered across different channels, and those who monitor them systematically have a real advantage when it comes to registration timing.

Official organizer channels:

Squirrel (squirrel.ws) — publishes its camp calendar on the website well in advance; AURA camps are among the most in-demand and sell out within days of registration opening

Tony Suits (tonysuits.com) — events and camp calendar

Several European manufacturers including Squirrel, Phoenix Fly, and Tony Suits frequently announce camps tied to new size releases

Community groups (check activity levels before relying on them):

Italian wingsuit community Facebook groups ("Wingsuit Italia," "Paracadutismo Italia") — camp announcements and discussions about requirements

Telegram channels run by some Italian dropzones that organize group trips

Forums and threads on Dropzone.com in the Wingsuit section — a valuable archive for comparing experiences from past camps

Directly from the dropzones:

Empuriabrava, Algarve, and Lillo publish their event calendars on their official websites and Facebook pages. Signing up for their newsletters is the most direct way to receive announcements early.

Optimal timing for 2026: start monitoring channels from December 2025, and expect the first registration openings between January and February 2026 for the most sought-after summer camps.

Operational Planning: How to Build Your 2026 Season

A licensed Italian skydiver with a wingsuit CS looking to make the most of the 2026 season can structure their progression like this:

May: open the season in Italy (Fano, Cumiana, Casale) to recalibrate your flying after winter. Goal: 20–30 wingsuit jumps to shake off the rust before your first camp.

June: first structured camp, ideally Empuriabrava for its logistical convenience. If your level is entry or intermediate, look for camps with a coach-to-student ratio of no more than 1:4 and systematic video debriefs. This is the camp that makes the real difference in your progression.

July–August: second camp or free-flying sessions at an international dropzone. August at Empuriabrava is the month with the most organizers present, but also the most chaotic — consider Algarve or Lillo for a more focused experience.

September: end-of-season camp, often with lower prices and smaller crowds. Some dropzones organize specific "end of season" camps with load organizers available for informal coaching sessions.

One final practical consideration: the total budget for a season with two European camps (jumps included, excluding flights and accommodation) works out, as a rough ballpark, to somewhere between €2,000 and €4,000 depending on the dropzones chosen and the number of daily jumps — but it's essential to calculate the real figure based on the current costs of your chosen organizers. It's not a cheap pursuit — but anyone who has reached this level already knows that.