Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy soared above the Grand Canyon in his custom-built jet suit, his first such flight in the U.S. In previous flights, he has successfully rocketed over the English Channel and Swiss Alps.
Swiss ‘JetMan’ soared above the Grand Canyon
Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy soared above the Grand Canyon in his custom-built jet suit, his first such flight in the U.S.
Rossy performed the stunt Saturday May 7th, before a small group of team members. He was airborne for about eight minutes, soaring 200 feet above the canyon at speeds of up to 190 mph. The flight came to an end after deploying his parachute and landing on the canyon floor.
Rossy developed and built a system comprising a back pack with semi-rigid aeroplane-type carbon-fiber wings with a span of about 2.4 metres (7.9 ft), powered by four attached jet engines modified from model aircraft engines. His first flight occurred in November 2006
In previous flights, he has successfully rocketed over the English Channel and Swiss Alps.
A 2009 attempt to cross the Strait of Gibraltar came to an end due to strong winds and a bank of clouds enroute. On that attempt, Rossy leapt from a small plane about 6,500 ft above Tangier in Morocco and ditched 3 miles from the Spanish coast.
He is the first person to achieve sustained human flight using a jet-powered fixed wing strapped to his back. This jet pack has led to his being nicknamed Jet Man, Rocket Man and Fusion Man.
Rossy’s jet suit flights are sponsored by the Swiss watchmaker Breitling.
