Swiss strap-on jetplane ace flies Channel

Much better video on BBC News!

At http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7637327.stm

So, was he flying?

Or just falling with style?

Jetdangler

Wake me up when someone tries to do this with the aid of a giant cannon.

Seriously though, if you start thinking about it, it does take balls to do something like that, you can't just apply the brakes and get off if it gets too scary.

If I tried it, I would only get so far until I generated enough Poo ballast to make me too heavy to fly and plummet into the water.

carbon footprint?

the size of a diamond elephant

Oh, who cares exactly how he took off or landed?

Not me... I want one.

@Simon

> If I tried it, I would only get so far until I generated enough Poo ballast

> to make me too heavy to fly

Er, no you wouldn't... because your overall weight wouldn't change, no matter what comes out. The aerodynamics might, though.

@James Marten

Damn, next you will be picking holes in the design of my wind turbine powered flying machine...

@Bez

> > "I only have one word, thank you, to all the people who did it with me."

> So who's the stupid knob-end at the BBC who decided to write "thankyou" as two words?

Probably a literate one who KNOWS that "Thank You" is (are?) two words!

But if his native language is French, then "Merci" is just one word. N'est ce pas?

Thank you Bez

In the UK at least, 'thank you' *is* two words ...

> the former Swiss airforce fighter pilot will be sticking to his day job as an airline pilot

Please tell us which airline. I do not want someone who would do that as my pilot, thank you very much.

Thank you all

@Bez (Not Simon)

Damn, can't even copy and paste properly.

I'd agree with the beeb.

http://www.future-perfect.co.uk/grammartips/grammar-tip-thank-you-thankyou.asp

As a verb: Thank you, eg. "Thank you for coming today"

As a noun: Thankyou, eg. "He gave a great big thankyou"

As an adjective: Thankyou, eg. "He gave a thankyou card"

In fact my Firefox spell check (Real English) doesn't even like thankyou.

Mine's the one with the Shortcut Keys crib list in it

@ Tim Bergel

I disagree. He is the man I very much DO want flying the plane I'm in.

Most of the time it really won't matter, but when the engines are falling off and the landing gear won't come down, he'll be the one with the sheer determination to do whatever it takes to get the plane down in one piece.

Thank you for the article, Lewis.

Paris, 'cos she knows how to say thank you properly.

Forget about flying car!

One jet power, carbon fiber fly wing to go please.

@Simon @James Marten

Doesn't matter, I laughed anyway. Glad I didn't have to send you the bill for a new monitor.

What I want to know is: did he have his passport or was he picked up for illegally entering the country?

@ Tim Bergel

Umm Tim, just to avoid any confusion: he does not fly plane or use a jetpack simultaneously - it's one or the other. That wing is a b*tch to fit in the pilot seat..

Stark staring mad :)

Brilliant stunt, though.

@Pete

If you actually *watch* the video you can see that when he jumps out of the plane, he goes straight down for a couple of thousand feet while the wings are extending and the jets fire up. He is probably more like 5-6,000 feet when he heads off - and is still pretty high when he cuts the engines and pops the chute. I'd say the glide path was more like 3,000 feet in 23 miles, or more like 45:1, which is quite respectable, particularly when you look at the wingspan. He is certainly not just gliding - looked like straight and level flight to me.

Last one out please turn out the lights

I know things are getting desperate for the UK now. Just imagine your life being ruined enough to make it worth trying to leave the country by strapping a bomb to your back!

Booby prize - a night out with Paris. Total losers prize - two nights out with Paris.

8000 feet.

The BBCs version is using NuLabour feet. 1000 of their 9000 feet are actually included in the original 8000 feet, but have been re-announced as part of a new extra feet initiative this week.

The real question

Did he remove his shoes, and buy all his drinks on the inside of the security barrier, and prove to a goon with overdeveloped muscles and underdeveloped brain, that "no, I do not intend to hijack this plane"?

Wanna bet this will be introduced as a means to keep the population docile, as soon as they find a way?

But, when all that is behind us, I applaud the daring swissman. It took some courage flying a wing he knew (from the windtunnel test) had a neasty tendency of stalling out, and sending him into a flat spin, as he did. He has my respect for his bravery.

//Svein

We Write English

Baz: "So who's the stupid knob-end at the BBC who decided to write "thankyou" as two words?"

Someone who knows that "thank you" is two words in English. The writer at the BBC is not stupid, a "knob-end" or ignorant of the English language. The Swiss gentleman may be excused this error as it is not his first language.

All that aside, I think this is a great achievement.

And I love the line that goes "I'm not afraid of risk. I manage risk."

Would it be possible..

..to get a radio-controlled version of this twat? The Self-Aggrandiser 2000 - now available in carnage red.

VTO?

So next he wants to build one that can do a vertical take off, instead of having to jump from a plane. Oh yea, I've seen that before, and it didn't work out so well for the coyote!

Mine's the one with the birdseed and numerous receipts from ACME in the pockets.

Slightly pointless...

Why jump out and use this gizmo to fly the rest of the way when he was ALREADY in a plane capable of flying him there? Just showing off, that's all that is... What do you mean 'I'm just jealous 'cos I don't have one'? I'm not jealous. I'll show you jealous. *grumble grumble...*

Re: Earlier flights are more impressive

(I feel like the Roman soldier in Life of Brian) This man you (familiar) have balls (pl.) big (sing.)?

Lose the 's' off tienes and stick it on the end of grande...

Spelling pedantry in foreign FTW!

Swiss-type flyer

After a rather exciting trip from up to down, I wonder if he will celebrate as usual, or whether it will be a single glass of Carver in the back of Land Rover 4x8 plus a polo?

After all that, one wonders if he will ever be able to lead anything approaching a normal life. He may not yet fully realise what he has done. Thrill seakers do not always realise the danger they are in. Stupidity can be a saving grace which can come too late.

Duty Free Allowance?

Where's the an in-flight movie, salty snacks and duty free cart?