Gizmodo: yves rossy

Jet Pack Guy Crosses English Channel

Mark Wilson — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:00:00 EDT

I don't expect you mere wingless mortals to truly appreciate the accomplishment of a pilot who just crossed the 22-mile English Channel with a jetpack—that'd be like someone who can't read claiming to love the study of Cuneiform—but from one rocket man to another, I salute you, Yves Rossy.

Actually, what's that I see? A parachute? You mean he didn't die? Oh, then I don't need to be polite about this at all. [CNN -Thanks Geoff!]

Fusion Man Jets Above Alps, Probably Looking for Jacuzzi Party

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 15 May 2008 07:17:00 EDT

Godspeed, Yves Rossy, Godspeed! All 180 miles per hour of it, flying over the Alps with your four jets, guiding your carbon fiber and kevlar wings using just your body, and landing with your parachute on some boozetastic jacuzzi party on top of Mont Blanc. Then get drunk like a Japanese astronomer and fly away to the stars. We envy and admire you, Mr. Fusion Man, so here's a song just for you.

[CNN]

Jet-Man Is So Cool It Hurts

Haroon Malik — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:06:00 EDT

Yves Rossy is an absolute lunatic, but we love him for it. He has been involved in human jet-powered flight since 2001, back in April he survived a potentially life threatening incident when his jet wings encountered problems mid flight. Since then he has been working on repairing and improving the system, he has been so busy with the repairs process he has not been giving any interviews whatsoever.

What we do know is this; he has completed thirty motorized flights with nothing but himself strapped to a set of carbon foldable wings, which provide the power source for his flights in a manner that is not fully disclosed. What is disclosed is how freaking awesome Yves Rossy is. If you do not believe us check out the gallery, we dare you. Warning: You may wet yourself in excitement. [Jet-Man via Gadget Venue].

Swiss FusionMan Flies With Kevlar, Fiberglass Wings and Probably a High Dose of Cheese and Wine

www.gizmodo.com — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 10:25:16 EDT

Let's hear it for the Swiss, who are probably seen as the most boring of Europeans. Remember Orson Welles' character, Harry Lime, in The Third Man? "In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

Add Yves Rossy to the list of cuckoos (although it scares me stiff, secretly I would thrill to be gazooming around doing what he does—well, at least once.) This 50-something former military and commercial pilot has spent the past seven years developing and testing Kevlar and fiberglass wings with Jetcat engines that enable him to soar in the sky at speeds of up to 120 mph. Swiss watchmakers Hublot have now sponsored him and Fusionman, as he is now known, will be seen in the skies above the Austrian and Swiss football stadiums during Euro 2008. An amazing video after the jump.

– Ad Dugdale

FusionMan [FusionMan]