Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a jet!
No, it's Fusion Man!
Really: "Fusion Man" flies. He's Yves Rossy, who can fly, thanks to strap-on wings, four jet engines, and a lot of training.
"Rocket man flies into record books at 180mph"
The Guardian (May 15, 2008)
"A Swiss rocket man has become the first person to fly with nothing but a wing and a jet engine strapped to his back, hurtling above the Alps at 300km/h.
"Adrenalin junkie Yves Rossy, a former military pilot and current Airbus commander for Swiss International Air Lines, was dropped from a plane at 2,438 metres (8,000ft). After unfolding his wing, Rossy soared through the Alps at 180mph (300km/h), putting on an aerobatic display for fans who had made the trip."
The Guardian has a video with that article.
"Fusion Man" has a website, too, with more videos: Fusion Man. That site seems to be rather demanding of browsers and computers.
I think that this strap-on jet pack is great, although I doubt that I'd try it. Or, be allowed to.
"Fusion Man" is supposed to be going for an English Channel crossing: and will probably set a speed record.
Some people don't seem quite as impressed with "Fusion Man:"
"Your last chance to become a super hero?"
Reuters Oddly Enough (May 14, 2008)
"Just what we need, another frickin' super hero. This one’s 'Fusion Man,' and check out the slideshow. I guess he has an okay act, if you’re impressed by a macho hunk soaring majestically over the Alps in a rocket suit, nothing below him but miles of blue sky. But I worry that all the good super personas have been taken, leaving nothing for guys like me."
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