Yves Rossy, aka Jet Man, set a new record today with his successful flight across the English Channel – strapped to a jet-powered wing. I knew you could do it Jet Man. The 22-mile trip lasted less than 13 minutes, but with cruising speeds of 125 mph and several hundred spectators in attendance, it must have been exhilerating.
Rossy, a former military pilot, recently made a successful test flight over Switzerland to ensure he could fly the full 22-mile stretch across the Channel. Today’s flight had been scheduled for Wednesday but was twice postponed due to bad weather.
The trip followed the path of French aviator Louis Bleriot who was the first person to cross the Channel in a plane 99 years ago. Rossy, who calls himself FusionMan, began the flight at 1207 GMT by jumping from an aircraft 8,800 feet above Calais, France. He touched down at the white cliffs of Dover, England after performing a few loops for the onlookers.
Rossy wore a heat-resistant suit during the flight to protect him from the hot-turbines, but apart from that, all he had for safety equipment were his parachutes and helmet. Quite daunting when you consider that the Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
Congratulations, Jet Man!
Sources:
CNN and National Geographic