Icarus famously said that 'all limits are self-imposed'. But for Yves Rossy, the sky is the only limit with his Jet Man contraption (Stephanie Thomet/Reuters)
Posted on 12/30/2006 6:06:00 AM PST by aculeus
For those who are bored with hang-gliding or find skydiving just too dull, a Swiss airline captain has devised the ultimate aerial thrill: flying like a bird.
Thanks to high technology and nerve, Yves Rossy has come closer than anyone to realising the ancient dream of soaring free, flitting through the sky, guided only by the body. As well as a crash helmet he wears a small pair of wings and four tiny jet engines.
As he skims the Alps at up to 187mph (300km/h), the only thing that the former fighter pilot has come up against so far is the Swiss law.
“They were totally confused,” said the birdman, whose flying suit gives him a passing resemblance to Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story. “The authorities said that I was an unregistered aircraft and to fly, you need a licence. I told them, ‘No. To fly, you need wings’.”
The 47-year-old pioneer does not live up to the image of the stolid Swiss captain. Boyish and brimming with enthusiasm, he is a hero in the world of those extreme sportsmen — or borderline nutters — who are devoted to the quest of human flight.
After millennia of fatal experiments, the skills of Icarus and Superman remained a fantasy until the recent advent of powered flight, hang-gliding and skydiving. In the past two decades, free-fall enthusiasts have developed webbed “wing-suits” that allow them to glide and even perform aerial ballet. But the direction is always downwards, followed by a parachute landing.
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Icarus famously said that 'all limits are self-imposed'. But for Yves Rossy, the sky is the only limit with his Jet Man contraption (Stephanie Thomet/Reuters)
--I would venture a guess that this guy's life expectancy is about the same as the time to his next flight---
It needs some missiles.
There is a rule of thumb in the boating world. You shouldn't venture out onto the waters if you can't swim.
Why does this not apply to flight?
I'm proud to obey the laws of gravity :)!!!
I suspect this will turn out to be a hoax. Where the heck is his landing gear, for starters?
Hey now. That's not fair. He's got his helmet on. I'll bet safety is a top priority.
Think John Denver or John Kennedy, Jr. here.
He lands by parachute.
LOL.. or some twin .50's hahahaha...
OH sure, there it is attached to his backside. I'm sure he uses it for rudder and elevator, too.
Interesting photo. How was it taken, you think? Helicopter and telefoto lens?
Nah . . . think big. LASERS!
Former hang glider pilot bump. I guess I am just jealous.
More like Photoshop, I think.
Right there on the ends of his legs :)
-it looks like fun and I'd probably try it if the opportunity arose, but the history of manned flight of this type , starting with Icarus, isn't encouraging---
hahahaha.. I guess I like 'the classics'...
'Ma Duece' to the rescue.
That's what I'm suggesting . . . but I'm wondering how a photographer would do it in the absence of computer software.
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