“Fusion man” takes flight
Swiss pilot Yves Rossy, strapped with a jet-powered wing, jumps from a plane at 7,500 feet above the Alps in Bex, Switzerland. The 48-year-old designed the 8-foot wing fitted with four jet turbines. (Laurent Gillieron /Associated Press)
Rossy, known as “Jetman,” spent five years building and training for his flight above the Alps, which lasted five minutes because of the jets’ fuel capacity. He reached a speed of 186 mph, 65 mph faster than a falling skydiver, and used his body weight to steer, turning, diving, soaring and making figure eights. (Nicholas Cronin / EPA)
Rossy is a professional pilot and flies an Airbus for a Swiss airline. The wing he built is made of carbon and combined with his flight suit weighs about 120 pounds. The jet turbines are fueled by kerosene. (Fabrice Coffrine / AFP/Getty Images)
Admiring crowds below gasped and cheered as Rossy flew around for five minutes. After one last wave to the crowd, he executed a perfect 360-degree roll. Later he said: That was to impress the girls. (Fabrice Coffrine / AFP/Getty Images)
This flight was absolutely excellent, said Yves Rossy, who has served as a fighter pilot and is an extreme sports enthusiast, after deploying a parachute to land at an airfield near the eastern shore of Lake Geneva. (AFP/Getty Images)
Rossy, who calls himself “Fusion Man,” finds media awaiting him on landing. He said he now wants to try crossing the English Channel this year; he plans to practice for the 22-mile trip by flying between two hot-air balloons. (Fabrice Coffrine / AFP/Getty Images)
Yves Rossy is all smiles after completing his flight. I still haven’t used the full potential, he said, telling the Associated Press that one day he hopes to fly through the Grand Canyon. (Fabrice Coffrine / AFP/Getty Images)
