Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Jetman Dubai's latest aeronautical achievement in a jet-powered wingsuit. The team says it's reached a major milestone with its Iron Man-like jet suit, flying nearly 6,000 feet in altitude from a standing start a...
We’ve talked about Swiss daredevil Yves Rossy several times since he began making flights using a wing powered by jet engines strapped to his back. In the past he’s flown his backpack wing in formation with a fighter jet, jumped from a hot air balloon and completed a loop wearing his backpack wing.
Rossy recently completed another flight when he flew over the Japanese landmark of Mount Fuji.
This was his first flight in Asia. He used his carbon-Kevlar jet wing mounted to his back and flew around the mountain to celebrate its designation as a world heritage site.
The backpack wing Rossy uses can reach speeds of up to 190 mph. The flight speed is controlled by a hand held throttle. The wingsuit can fly to an altitude of 12,000 feet and travel 9.3 miles before running out of fuel. He then returns to the ground using a parachute when he runs out of fuel.
Why would you want to leap out of a perfectly good aircraft? To fly a winged jetpack over the city of Rio de Janeiro, of course. It sounds nuts, but it's just a day in the life for Yves Rossy, the self proclaimed "Jetman" who flew over the Grand Canyon last year. Since soaring over the Rio Grande, Rossy has pitted his carbon-fiber wings against a rally car on Top Gear, taken to the skies over Abu Dhabi and, most recently, buzzed Brazil's famous Christ the Redeemer statue. Jetman rocketed past the monument on an 11 minute flight earlier this week, beginning his journey by dropping out of a helicopter over Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Rossy pulled his Rocketeer trick and eventually parachuted to safety on Copacabana beach. Sound fun? Head past the break to see the man in action. Us? We'll keep our feet planted on terra firma, thanks.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's Jetman Dubai's latest aeronautical achievement in a jet-powered wingsuit. The team says it's reached a major milestone with its Iron Man-like jet suit, flying nearly 6,000 feet in altitude from a standing start a...
