Jetman Flies Across Grand Canyon After Jumping From Helicopter

You might recall back on November of 2010 I mentioned a daredevil named Yves Rossy. Rossy is also known as Jetman to his fans. He gets the nickname from the wing with jet nozzles underneath that he straps to his back. Jetman launches his wing backpack by jumping off a helicopter or other stabile platform in the air and then firing up those jets for powered flight. Previously Rossy has performed loops and other stunts.

Rossy came to the US and decided that he was going to go all Evel Knievel with a flight across the Grand Canyon wearing the wing. Before Jetman could pull off this stunt, he had to get an FAA certification to fly inside the US. Rossi had intended to fly his wing last Friday, but that was scrubbed after the FAA was unsure how to certify the wing. The FAA finally figured out the certification and the flight was conducted yesterday.

Rossy took a helicopter to a height of 8000 feet above the canyon floor and jumped. He fired up the jets on is wing and flew across the canyon at speeds up to 190 mph. Once he reached his goal destination, he turned off the jet engines and used a parachute to float to the ground. Rossy's design looks like something SEALS would wear to sneak into a country undetected.

[via PopSci]