To Infinity and Beyond: ‘Fusionman’ Flies Above the Alps

Travel Blog  •  Eva Holland  •  05.29.08 | 2:03 PM ET

No, the video you’re about to see isn’t the trailer for the latest Hollywood comic book adaptation. There’s no CGI here; that really is Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy (aka Fusionman) soaring at 7,000 feet, and reaching speeds of up to 180 m.p.h., with the help of his homemade jet-powered carbon fiber wings. Rossy and his sponsors have been developing the wings for several years, and now that he’s completed his inaugural flight, he’s setting his sights on the English Channel, and eventually the Grand Canyon.

Wired’s Dave Demerjian has the full story, including some technical details that I don’t fully grasp, a couple of great photos, and amusing commentary from Wired readers who clearly know their comic book heroes. Here’s video of Rossy’s flight—be warned, though, that if you’re not a believer in setting milestones in adventure sports to the musical stylings of Elton John, you may want to turn the sound off.

Tags: Air Travel, Tres Loco, News and Briefs

Eva Holland is co-editor of World Hum. She is a former associate editor at Up Here and Up Here Business magazines, and a contributor to Vela. She's based in Canada's Yukon territory.


2 Comments for To Infinity and Beyond: ‘Fusionman’ Flies Above the Alps

Tim Patterson 05.29.08 | 7:22 PM ET

wow.  that’s incredible. here’s an article on human flight pioneers:


http://matadortravel.com/travel-writing/united-states/sport/wingsuit-pioneers-making-human-flight-a-reality

John Hatch 07.07.08 | 7:49 PM ET

Why hasn’t the mainstream press picked up this story?!

Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.