He`s flown Fighter Jet`s & Boeing 7-47`s, but that clearly wasn`t enough...Meet the man that has flown across the British Channel with his home designed jet-pack on his back...and almost crossed the Africa/Europe Gibraltar strait, & recently being the first person to fly 360 loops on homemade wings! What actually goes around in the “Top Drawer” of the Rocketman/Fusionman/Jetman? Let`s find out: Q&A with the Jetman.
How are you doing?
Very well, the springtime is back, good weather, perfect day for flying!
What went through your head the first time you jumped out of a helicopter with just a rocket on your back?
(It was out of a plane, not out of a helicopter)
I was very concentrate, but then, once my wing is stabilised, it was such a intense feeling of freedom! It’s awesome! It’s so great to steer myself in the air only thanks to the movements of my body. If I want to go right, I turn my shoulders right, and so on, like a bird!
Are you completely and utterly mad?
Definitively not! It’s a question of live, so security before everything. I was maybe mad to believe in my dream, but it worth it! I was a fighter pilot, a captain on Boeing and Airbus, so for sure I’m not mad. I have always a B and C plan in case of problem, I can drop my wing and land as a parachutist. My wing has also its own parachute.
What are you doing these days?
Working on a new prototype, as usual!
Describe a “normal” day in the life of Yves Rossy?
Wake-up at 7am, good breakfast, and then it’s depending on the weather. In case of bad weather, working on the ground on my wing, going from a workshop to another. If the sky is blue, I fly!
Best time of your life?
My first solo flight on Mirage III (military plane) and my first real flight with my wing in 2006 over the Swiss Alps.
Biggest fuck up?
The crash of my wing. I had to start again from the very beginning.
Favourite food?
Foie gras (goose liver) fried in a pan with raspberry vinegar
Drink?
Water
On the stereo?
Good music!
On screen?
The Jungle Book!
Sports?
Favourite sport: flying
Tattoos?
Very nice when it’s discreet
Groupies?
I’ve no groupies yet! lol
Transport?
My wing of course
Best live concert?
Pink Floyd in Lausanne (Switzerland)
Best rock`n roll memory?
A drums duet during a concert of Genesis
Vice of choice?
Greediness
Who do you respect the most?
My girlfriend
What do you appreciate the most in your friends?
The fact that they are my friends!
What does your friends appreciate the most in you?
You need to ask them
State of the world today?
Not very good, we drive straight into the wall. But I still believe that mankind can do good things. It’s not hopeless!
What will we see & hear of Yves Rossy in 2010?
I will present a new official flight, either over the Grand Canyon in the US or in Switzerland, with my new wing, which is smaller and easier to handle. For more acrobatics and freedom!
Editors note: This interview was done before his newest stunt doing loops around a airballoon! (see the stunning photos/videos)
