Jet Power Piloting a wingsuit was just not enough for Swiss aviator, Yves Rossy. He wanted a more exciting sense of fl ight. To achieve it, he needed more liſt as well as thrust, the force needed to move forward. T at way he could fl y instead of just glide. He started tinkering with the idea of strapping a wing-like structure to his back and adding four tiny jet engines to provide that all important thrust. Ten years later, amazed observers say Rossy


s ™ and carbon fi ber—two very light but trong materials. His invention gives him a


two-meter wingspan, about that of a golden eagle. T e wing, its four jet engines, and fuel only weigh 55 kilograms. Even so, man and wing are too big to get inside the small plane that takes him up. Rossy stands on a platform in the back of the plane and holds on. When he’s a couple thousand meters or so above Earth’s surface, he starts the engines, lets go, and falls backward into the open sky. Once his engines start, Rossy has about 10


minutes of fl ying time before his fuel runs out. First, he turns over and dives straight down, keeping his body straight. Like a bird, he uses his body to steer the wing. To stop his dive, he raises his head and arches his back, which shiſt s the airfl ow over his wing. T e air moves faster over the top of the wing, which reduces the air pressure, and allows the wing to move upward using the force of liſt . Now he’s fl ying horizontally and can relax his back to move straight and level. If he wants to turn or roll, he twists his shoulders. Only one other fl yer, Rossy’s partner, Vince Reff et, has been taught to pilot this invention. Besides the wing, Rossy carries only two


pieces of equipment—a timer to measure his fl ight time and an altitude meter to show how high he is. Both are critical to a safe landing. With about 15 seconds of fuel remaining, he cuts the engines and opens his parachute. In an emergency, he can cut loose his wing, but it isn’t lost. T e wing has its own parachute.


14 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXTREME EXPLORER


fl ies with the grace of an eagle and maneuvers with the skill of a hawk. His wing is made from Kevlar


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