A Working, Winged Jetpack from Switzerland

serutan writes "A Swiss airline pilot and self-described adrenaline junkie named Yves Rossy has developed a working jet-pack and flown it more than 30 times. Actually, it's a pair of rigid carbon fiber wings strapped to his back, with two small kerosene-powered jet engines on each wing — essentially a small jet airplane using the pilot's body as the fuselage. His flights have lasted up to 6-1/2 minutes at speeds over 100mph. Rossy's website and YouTube have some pretty cool videos of him flying around over the mountains like Buzz Lightyear. He is working toward ground takeoffs and landings, but currently he jumps out of an airplane, unfolds the wings and flies until he runs out of fuel, then parachutes to the ground."

hmmp

[Anonymous Coward]

That's not flying, it's falling with style.

It isn't the flying that's the hard part

[Eudial]

It isn't the flying that's the hard part, it's landing with the bones in your body intact.

Swiss Ingenuity

[hedgemage]

The biggest engineering obstacle he had to overcome was how to fit in the corkscrew.

Re:Cliffs in California

[creysoft]

Don't exactly remember how he landed, though.

Painfully.

Flying is easy ...

[Anonymous Coward]

... Just throw yourself at the ground and miss.

Dear Santa

[sbaker]

Dear Santa,

If it's not too late, I would like to add a jetpack to my Xmas list. You can cross off the PS3 if that helps.

Thanks!

I am surprised this works ...

[HairyCanary]

I wouldn't think he'd be aerydynamic enough with a sack that large hanging underneath..

Re:Nausicaa

[Adriax]

"Oh father who art in heaven..."?

sure flyin is fun and all until one of those

[bxbaser]

engines grenade 2 feet from his groin

Re:Wright brothers did invent the airplane

[Anonymous Coward]

BTW why do they speak French in the movie?

Because it's faster than writing it on cards and holding it up so you can read it?

It's one of the four official languages of Switzerland.

Dont they learn English in school in Switzerland?

Probably, but English isn't one of their official languages. They don't even border an English-speaking country. Why would they speak English?

Besides, it is a funny kind of French, is the inventor French Canadian or what?

It's pretty clear he's Swiss. (They speak everything funny. Listen to them try to speak German sometime.)