Famed Swiss pilot Yves Rossy, aka “Jetman,” once again grabbed the attention of aviation enthusiasts and daredevil admirers alike last week when he used his jet-powered wing to fly alongside a 1940’s DC-3 over the heartland of Switzerland.
Passengers aboard the much-revered vintage aircraft got a front-row seat view of the feat as they watched the 51-year-old former Air Force pilot fly in close formation beside them at 4,500 feet.
After launching from an Eagle AS 350 helicopter at 6,000 feet, Rossy powered up his 4 Jet-Cat P200 engines and achieved speeds above 125 mph, while using his body to steer the wing into formation with the DC-3.
Onlookers got to watch the flight for a total of 7 minutes before Rossy pulled his chute and glided back to Earth.
The feat was not the first formation flight for Jetman, who has also joined up in the air with the Breitling Jet Team and the Breitling Wingwalkers. Rossy’s list of aviation feats also includes flying over the Grand Canyon, the English Channel and the picturesque city of Rio de Janeiro.
Rossy’s jet-powered wing is the result of a lifelong interested in unrestrained forms of flight. He first achieved level flight with his wing, then powered by only two turbine engines, in 2005. The addition of two more turbines allowed him to take his free-form flying to the next level with the achievement of upward vertical movement in 2006.
He continues to optimize the wing and is currently working on a smaller prototype that would allow him to take-off directly from the ground.
