Swiss Rocket Man Flies Over English Channel On Jet Wing

DOVER, England - A Swiss daredevil crossed the English Channel strapped to a homemade jet-propelled wing Friday, parachuting into a field near the white cliffs of Dover after a 10-minute solo flight.

Yves Rossy leapt from a plane at more than 8,800 feet, fired up his jets and made the 22-mile trip from Calais in France. Rossy passed over a thin strip of land in front of South Foreland lighthouse, looped over onlookers and opened his parachute, his wings still strapped to his back.

"It was perfect. Blue sky, sunny, no clouds, perfect conditions," he said. "We prepared everything and it was great."

The trip across the Channel is meant to trace the route of French aviator Louis Bleriot, the first person to cross in an airplane 99 years ago.

The lighthouse was the site of Guglielmo Marconi's experiments with radio telegraphy in 1898. Bleriot used the white building as a target during his pioneering flight, the building's manager, Simon Ovenden, said.

Several hundred spectators rushed to greet the pilot, trying to take photographs with cameras and cell phones.

"It's a remarkable achievement, we saw the climax of his attempt as he came down to earth with his parachute. It's been an exciting afternoon," said Geoff Clark, a 54-year-old onlooker from Chatham, in Kent.

The carbon composite-wing weighs about 121 pounds when loaded with fuel, and carried four kerosene-burning jet turbines that kept him aloft. The wing had no steering devices — Rossy moved his body to control its movements.

He wore a heat-resistant suit similar to that worn by firefighters and racing drivers to protect him from the heat of the turbines. The cooling effect of the wind and high altitude also prevented him from getting too hot.

Mark Dale, the senior technical officer for the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association, described Rossy's flight as a "fabulous stunt."

Source:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26901489

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Rocket
• Man
• Flies
• Over
• English
• Channel

[applesweeter]

Dear All,

I have some questions about psychology:

(1) Why do we love flying?

(2) Why do many of us want to fly high into the sky only with our body?

(3) Why do we like to fly high with a pair of wings and some jet engines at our back, similar to superman?

(4) Why do we like to fly like a bird while we have aeroplanes?

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE for your creative dieas and brainstorm!!! :)

[vettacossx]

@applesweeter

1) your adorable

2) human nature to desire to do ANYTHING we cant even at our own downfall (please google LHC PARTICLE ACCELERATOR for example)

3)do you know another way to fly without rockets engines and wings or at least 1 of three thats as efficiant and effective? prey tell!

4)bird ever flew into a major building killing tons of ppl in a act of terror quite possibly with the origin of there own governing nation to blame? NOPE BIRDS DONT HAVE THAT PROBLEM BUT PLANES DO!

[Wonkerloop]

shes a turd,

hes not a daredevil hes a fucking genius, recognise him for it

its not a rocket like she says either its jet propulsion, a little invention that keeps the world moving u fucking retarded american whore wankstain cunt nugget

[vettacossx]

@Wonkerloop hahahahaha awesome comment bro!

[vettacossx]

@Wonkerloop

while thatsw a SEMI valid comment being this is INNOVATIVE not DARING your a "TURD" im sure your mom is really proud to have raised such a respectful TWIT (see his last 7 words spat so very 3 year old esue as he crys because he cant respond to this comment and everyone laughs at him...How that grab ya patna! lmao

[kingbleah]

yes commentry is spoken in a rather childish manner is it for the yanks? lol!!!

[vettacossx]

yeah genious theres alot of them in the UK BTW the south has MUCH WORSE educational systems and requirements do you even know what a regents diploma is? LMAO your funny get an education or dont comment on my vids thanks you backwards ass judemental dikweed how does it feel to be genralized son...you enjoy that? aight then wwtf you doin it....

[Croga15]

bad reporter is bad

[JixMa]

The female news reader is reallllllllly fucking annoying.

[Nautical1994]

Rockets use jet propulsion apparently.

[fordham237]

@vettacossx iv see a bird fly into a building dont think it was trying to terrorise any one or sent buy it own government n nobody died even the bird got up but birds do have some problems with flying into buildings

[ThundertonTV]

@applesweeter because its something our body can't do.

[TalulahsDaddy]

There's someone on the wing! Some THING!

[moffig1]

This stuff is so extremly expansive and you have to Be very experienced with normal parachute Jumping and you have to Know the very basics of this Sport perfectly!!!

[coolturtledude]

So this is the new form of illegal immigration

[BewareIamTheDon]

@vettacossx mad bro?

[reluctable]

Hey guys! Your = belonging to you. You're = you are.

Don't mention it.

[1979jondam]

I cant believe he made that him self, You still can build good stuff in your shed lool.

[laserindie]

@LegoHaloTube87 im joking i from iowa