Is Human Flight Here? The Jet Propelled Wearable Wing.

VIDEO & PHOTOS

We look at Yves Rossy the Jetman and ask the question we have all dreamed of since we were a child. Is human flight possible? Simple answer yes. Will you be able to fly yourself anytime soon? That’s a bit more complicated.

by: Zach Settewongse (there may be spelling errors, get over it)

I’ve rode sportbikes since I was fifteen and from the first day I wanted to go faster, to push the envelope further. As I rode through the canyons I felt as if I was flying through them. I dove into the turns on more than one occasion pretending I was a jet pilot. I thought nothing could be better. Then in 2006 I saw Yves Rossy and his first prototype jet wing fly through the air. At the time I thought it was the coolest thing I had ever seen. How much longer till those wings are available to the public? Will that even happen? Will I be able to get one? Those were the questions I was asking and still am asking today.

Because of those questions I have been following Yves Rossy closely as he develops the jet wing. To date Yves has designed several prototypes variations of the jet wing. The jet wing constantly is improving, however there have been risk. Yves has had to deploy his parachute over twenty times during test. Test in which he lost control or became disoriented. Despite all the risk the wing is improving. Yves can now not only maintain level flight but climb during flight. In 2010 he stunned the world again by completing the first loop during flight.

There have been over fifteen variations of the jet wing prototype to date and Yves has gained several corporate sponsorships to help fund the development of the wing. With each prototype the wing improves and the dream of a jet wing for the rest of us looks at least possible. Best case is that there is a variation of the wing available for purchase in a few years. If not at least those of us that dream to can learn from Yves wing and emulate it by studying his design and attempt to build one ourselves. Of course even if one could purchase a wing the training to get to the level of attempting to fly it would be intense. While I think a wing for those highly trained individuals is only a few years off a wing that just anyone could operate is decades away. A wing for everyone would almost have to fly itself and have multiple computer aided safeguards built into it. For me I’d rather have the wing that requires serious training with the risk of death being very real.

Yves Rossy was born on August 27th, 1959 in Switzerland and started his career as a Swiss Jet Pilot. Later Yves worked as a commercial airline pilot and started spending his spare time working on his human wing. The first variation of the wing was a flexible inflatable wing. Yves then built a rigid prototype with two jet engines from a model airplane. With that wing he was able to maintain level flight. Then he added two more engines to the wing and was finally able to climb like a bird and achieve his dream. It took him 10 years and 15 prototypes to do it but he did. Yves can soar through the air for 10 minutes at a time and uses his body to steer the wing. He has an altimeter and throttle control in his hand and a parachute on his back. The most current prototype is carbon fiber and has been developed in a wind tunnel.

Yeves Rossy Achievements:

2002 Crossed the Lake of Geneva with an inflatable wing.

2006 First sustained level human flight of over 5 minutes with the first rigid wing.

2008 First official flight for the press in which he flew over 5 minutes and climbed in altitude.

2008 First flight over the English Channel.

2009 First attempted intercontinental flight.

2010 First human flight aerial loop.

2011 First flight over the grand Canyon.

You can learn more about Yves Rossy by visiting his website or by simply searching YouTube and watching the videos of his flights. Hopefully they will inspire you to realize that anything is possible if you just put everything you have into it. I know he has inspired me and for that I thank Yves Rossy for his achievements.

Jetman.com

VIDEO

Flight Over Grand Canyon

First Aerial Loop

First Flight in 2006