Yves Rossy is the first person in history to attach jet engines to his back and fly without support. A pilot and engineer by training, he has developed a wing light enough to wear and sufficiently stable to fly. Yves describes the sensation of soaring above Rio – and flying in formation with other aircraft.
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Swiss fighter pilot, Yves Rossy, is the first person in history to attach jet engines to his back and fly without support.
An engineer by training, Yves has spent much time in his quest to develop a wing both stable enough to fly and light enough to be worn on his back. He has trialled an inflatable wing that took him 12km over Lake Geneva and, in 2003, he tested his first jet engine at altitude. After several set-backs, Yves made his first flight in 2006, remaining airborne for 5 minutes and 40 seconds.
Since then Yves has tinkered with the wing, constantly looking for innovation in the design and optimisation. He was the first man to fly across the English Channel, has raced a rally car on Top Gear, flown in formation with other aircraft, and spent twelve minutes soaring above Rio de Janeiro, eventually landing on Copacabana beach.
Yves flew a supersonic jet for many years, piloting historic aircraft in his spare time. He has flown some of the most iconic aircraft, including the Hunter and Venom jets. He is currently on sabbatical from his day job as a commercial pilot with Swissair.