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Man Flies Over Alps with Backpack Jet

by Tim Stevens on May 15, 2008 at 10:15 AM

Remember yesterday's tantalizing pictures of a backpack-worn jet-powered wing? Today we've got one better: Video of a man wearing a similar device and flying through the air. This is earlier test footage of Yves Rossy, who yesterday jumped out of a small plane with his custom wing strapped to his back, then throttled up and flew over the Swiss Alps.

Rossy was able to top 186 miles-per-hour, which enabled him to maintain altitude and even fly. His wing is powered by two jet engines of the type used to power large model aircraft and has no movable controls, meaning he steers it entirely by moving his body. He has been revising the design of the wing for years, but yesterday's flight was its first public demonstration (the video above is from an earlier, private test).

Despite some similarities, this is not the same as the EXO-Wing shown yesterday, and with this demonstration, we're not so sure the EXO's "world's smallest human-piloted jet" designation still applies. [Source: AOL News]

Tags: breaking news, BreakingNews, jet, yves rossy, YvesRossy

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