After canceling his scheduled May 6 overflight of the Grand Canyon because of a lack of time to train, Yves Rossy, known as Jetman, made the flight later that weekend, according to a press release from sponsor Breitling.
“Flying his jet-propelled wing attached to his back, and steering only by movement of his body, Rossy launched from a helicopter at 8,000 feet into the breathtaking blue of the Grand Canyon sky,” the release said. “Skimming the rockscape at speeds of up to 190 mph, Jetman sustained flight for more than eight minutes, 200 feet above the rim of Grand Canyon West. To end the flawless precision flight, Rossy deployed his parachute and gracefully descended to the canyon floor.”
Jetman’s plans to overfly the canyon near the Grand Canyon West Skywalk had been reported in the media, but an FAA official said that the agency was not contacted about the flight by Jetman’s team. The agency reached out the Jetman in an April 28 letter that outlined all of the requirements he would need to comply with in order to complete the flight. The FAA said it worked with the Experimental Aircraft Association and Jetman’s representatives to provide the needed approval the morning of the first planned flight.
AOPA ePublishing staff
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