He's launched over the Grand Canyon. He's flown alongside traditional aircraft. He's even attempted to leap across continents. Now "Jetman" and all-around airborne lunatic Yves Rossy is giving us a tour of the beautiful Rio de Janeiro shoreline by way of his carbon fiber jet wing.
On his latest voyage, Rossy lifts off in a helicopter while the iconic Christ the Redeemer watches over him in the background. Once high enough, he backflips out of the chopper high above Rio's Rodrigo de Freitas Lake and takes us on a voyage over some of the Brazilian city's most iconic attractions. He gets closer to Christ the Redeemer by circling around Mount Corcovado; he soars over Sugar Loaf Mountain; and he parachutes his way down to the beach.
Jetman relies upon his trusty carbon fiber wing, which is equipped with four 48 lb (22 kg) thrust jet engines, giving him up to 300 km/h (186 mph) of speed at the push of his handheld throttle controller. The wing gives Rossy a freedom that few other aircraft in the world can - the ability to use body movements to control his flight path.
The 11 1/2 minutes of footage below seamlessly shifts between point-of-view close-ups and at-a-distance shots that make Rossy appear little bigger than a buzzing gnat. While actually flying on a jet-powered lunch tray may require loosening a few mental screws and strengthening heart, will and nerves, enjoying the ensuing footage is as simple as hitting 'play'.
Sources: Breitling, Jetman via Discovery