Yves Rossy and Vince Reffet set a record recently when they used winged jetpacks to fly in formation above some of the world's tallest buildings in Dubai.
Rossy, a former fighter pilot and inventor of the winged jetpack, told
Forbes magazine that he moved to Dubai to focus on training more people to fly in his updated creation. His jetpack features a seven-foot wing span that is fixed to the back with a harness and mounted with four kerosene-powered jets.
Reffet, a former BASE jumper, joined Rossy to form Jetman Dubai. A YouTube video of them in flight has received more than two million views since Sunday.
"The intensity ramps way up halfway through the video as the duo fly through the skies of Dubai," wrote Sean O'Kane of
The Verge.com. "We see them perform heart-stopping maneuvers over the city's famous Palm Islands and fly in formations so close it would make the Blue Angels sweat. And then comes the ultimate moment – Rossy and Reffet buzz the Burj Khalifa with a pass so close it is legitimately hard to watch."
Forbes reported the pair already is moving toward the next generation of winged jetpacks that could change the face of aviation.
"Establishing our headquarters in Dubai gives us access to world-class facilities, including Skydive Dubai which will enable us to take Jetman Dubai and the development of our new wing to its next stage," Rossy told Forbes. "Jetman is the culmination of over 20 years of innovation and has resulted in achieving my personal dream to fly free, soaring through the sky.
"This move to Dubai has opened the doors to the next chapter of Jetman Dubai and with the support of Xdubai, Skydive Dubai, and the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority. I look forward to sharing my knowledge with Vince Reffet. It is a privilege to have a talented athlete like Vince fly besides me high in the sky and I believe that together we will make great advances as we move towards our next big milestone."
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