They promised us all jetpacks — these guys got them and took them to one of the world’s most remarkable locales. And you get to ride along if you dare.
The latest eye-popping (and possibly stomach-churning) video from Yves Rossy (aka the Jetman) shows the Swiss daredevil inventor and his new sidekick soaring in formation over desert sands and Dubai’s awesome skyline with nothing but jetpacks and a total lack of fear.
Rossy has flown over the Grand Canyon, Japan’s Mount Fuji and other amazing locations, but this might be his most astonishing video yet.
The 12-minute jetpack video, titled Young Feathers, serves as a breathtaking introduction to Rossy’s new partnership with 31-year-old skydiving champion Vince Reffet. The two plan to perform more tandem aerial flights in the future to show off the amazing capabilities of Rossy’s invention.
“Skydiving is my heart. I come from this world,” Reffet told Khaleej Times. “But unfortunately in skydiving there is the free fall; it lasts seconds. But with the jet wing, I can fly for 10 minutes and go wherever I want. It’s so beautiful.”
The jetpacks worn by the pair are powered by four tiny jet engines that leave beautiful contrails swirling around Dubai’s stunning architecture. Weighing 120 pounds and with a 6.5-foot wingspan, the flying contraptions strap on like something The Falcon might wear. The jetpacks carry Rossy and Reffet at 110 miles per hour on ascent and over 180 mph on descent, according to Rossy’s website.
The new Dubai video was shot from a helicopter and with a helmet cam. The beautiful footage gives you an incredibly visceral feel for what it might be like to strap on a jetpack of your own.
“When you fly alone you see only the picture from the inside of your head,” Rossy said. “But when you fly in formation, you see the picture also from the outside, because the guy flying with you is exactly the same. You see both inside and outside. It’s another dimension.”
It’s thrilling beyond belief. Watch it at full-screen mode in 4K on a Retina machine if you can.
Via: The Verge
