It must be exciting to pilot a fighter jet, but imagine strapping a jet-powered wing onto your back and flying alongside the sleek and speedy aircraft.
Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy accomplished this last week above the Swiss Alps, having joined two Albatross fighter jets, in formation, for a brief flight before parachuting with his custom-built wing suit to the ground.
The suit the former Swiss fighter pilot designed weighs about 120 pounds and has a span of about six feet. It's controlled via hand-throttle and can reach speeds in excess of 130 mph. He joined the fighter jets after jumping with his wing from a helicopter.
Rossy, 51, is nicknamed "Jetman" and is the only man to have flown with a jet-powered wing. He first accomplished this in 2006. He first flew over the Swiss Alps in May of 2008. He later flew across the English Channel and last May he soared over the Grand Canyon.
After his brief flights -- they generally last about 10 minutes -- he parachutes with the wing to the ground.
He hopes eventually to be able to achieve the ability to take off and land from the ground.
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