Jet-powered wing propels solo flight

A veteran pilot of fighter jets and commercial aircraft, Yves Rossy doesn't actually have to be in a plane to go flying. On Wednesday, the Swiss aerial adventurer stepped out of this small propeller-driven plane at an altitude of 8,000 feet and launched himself with a pair of jet-powered wings strapped to his body.



Rossy departed the Pilatus Porter airplane in freefall, then, after a brief glide, switched on the four engines on his 8-foot wing structure. According to an Associated Press story, he accelerated to 186 miles per hour, rising as much as 2,600 feet during his maneuvers above the Swiss Alps.



Like a skydiver, Rossy steered through the air using only his body, making figure eights and at one point doing a 360-degree barrel roll. The only instruments at his disposal during the 5-minute flight were a throttle and an audible altimeter. "Physically, it's absolutely no stress," Rossy said, according to the AP. "It's like being on a motorbike."

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