Photo: Jet-Man.com

From as far back as I can remember, the idea of scooting along through the air at a leisurely pace, powered by nothing more than a small jet pack ala The Jetsons has been a fantasy of mine. Then came The Rocketeer! Remember that movie? It was all about…well, who cares what it was all about!…there was a dude with freakin rockets attached to his back screaming through the sky at breakneck speeds! Talk about giving my childhood fantasy an upgrade! Of course, I’d long ago given up on those packs actually becoming a reality in my lifetime, but after reading Tasha’s new series on Wing Suits I decided to do a little research!

Turns out that a man, Yves Rossy, has been working with Jet Packs for some years now. And not just the piddly 30 mph jobbies…we’re talking 180 mph scream machines!

He came up with a design that incorporates a rigid wing design that is over 7 feet wide and has 4 kerosene powered jet engines attached to it! He exits an aircraft with the suit, turns up the power while free-falling and off he goes! His first powered flight was back in 2004 and he has been flying ever since. He successfully crossed the English Channel in 9 minutes, 7 seconds, reaching a speed of 187 mph! He attempted to cross the Straight of Gibraltar last month, but failed due to high winds. His next stunt? Crossing the Grand Canyon!

I for one will be paying very close attention to Yves for the foreseeable future.

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