Swiss “JetMan” Yves Rossy canceled his first U.S. flight in a jet-propelled wing suit at the last minute Friday, saying he didn’t have enough time to train.
Rossy had planned to jump from a helicopter, then soar above Arizona’s scenic Grand Canyon.
The Federal Aviation Administration gave him the go-ahead less about an hour before the 51-year-old adventurer was scheduled to take off. But with spectators and reporters gathered to watch the event, Rossy called it off.
“If I do a mistake and half of U.S. television , it’s really bad for you, for me, for everybody,” Rossy told The Associated Press from the Hualapai Reservation lookout point where onlookers had planned to watch him take off.
The daredevil said he would still like to do the flight, but he has not yet rescheduled it.
Rossy, who calls himself the JetMan, has talked about soaring over the Grand Canyon for years.
The FAA sent him a letter late last week outlining what he needed to do to make his flight happen and to ensure that safety standards had been met. Approval came shortly before the scheduled flight.
Rossy had planned to jump from a helicopter on the Hualapai Reservation near Eagle Point — a rock formation that resembles the bird. He then was going to fly westward along the rim of the canyon, using only his body to steer and his eyes to navigate. The flights typically range from six to 13 minutes before he runs out of fuel and opens up a parachute.
Rossy told the AP in an interview Thursday that he started planning for the stunt two years ago, through talks with the tribe, mapping out landing sites in Google Earth and by visiting Guano Point on the reservation, where spectators watched him soar through the air.
Windsocks helped him determine the direction of the wind so he could plan a landing at the bottom of the canyon, he said.
“Grand Canyon is something exciting for me,” Rossy said. “Mother Nature did such great work here, and it’s a privilege to have the opportunity to play with these fantastic elements.”
The FAA said it never has been asked to evaluate anything similar to Rossy’s jet suit, nor does it fit neatly into any category. In the April 28 letter to Rossy, the FAA said it became aware of his plans through public reports.
The aviation world has kept a close watch on Rossy, a former fighter pilot who has flown over the Swiss Alps and the English Channel. While jetpacks and hang gliders have taken to the skies, “this one is a bit unusual,” said Dick Knapinski, spokesman for the Experimental Aircraft Association.
“It’s such a unique design and a unique pursuit that it doesn’t fall in the usual categories,” he said.
The Hualapai Reservation is known for the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a glass bridge that extends 70 feet from the canyon’s rim and gives visitors a view of the river. The reservation lies west of Grand Canyon National Park.
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