Jetman has added Mount Fuji to the list of the world’s scenic wonders overflown with a wing strapped to his back. Breitling and Yves Rossy announced completion of the flight Nov. 6, noting the iconic mountain, a venerated symbol in Japan, was added this year to the United Nations’ World Heritage List. Rossy’s press team announced the flight was partly a celebration of that distinction, and also celebrated 150 years of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Japan.
“Flying here for me is a dream,” Rossy said in a news release. “It is hard to describe the emotions and feeling of having an opportunity like this, it’s spiritual, it is immense. I am the lucky guy who gets to do this, but I hope I can motivate the next generation of forward thinkers to do something different, to strive and achieve their goals… even if it seems impossible.”
Able to achieve 185 mph powered by four Jetcat engines attached to a carbon-Kevlar wing, Rossy controls pitch, yaw, and roll by contorting his body. He uses a parachute to land safely at the end of each flight, and has flown for cameras at a growing list of scenic and significant locations, including the Grand Canyon, the English Channel, and Rio de Janeiro. Rossy, who is training another pilot to follow his lead, gave a detailed account of his long journey to becoming Jetman at EAA AirVenture 2013 in Oshkosh, Wis.
The flight over Mount Fuji was Rossy's first in Asia.
