Mr. Rossy, who’s known as FusionMan or Jet Man, jumped out of a plane at 8,200 feet above Calais, France, extended his wings and jetted across the English Channel at 125 miles per hour. He took 13 minutes to complete the 22-mile crossing, and parachuted to a landing on English soil not far from the famous white cliffs of Dover.He is the first person to cross the English Channel in such a way.

• Rossy, a pilot who normally flies an Airbus airliner, crossed the 22 miles between Calais and Dover at speeds of up to 120 mph in 13 minutes .
• When the white cliffs of Dover came into view, he opened a blue and yellow parachute and drifted down in light winds to land in a British field where he was mobbed by well-wishers.
• "Everything was perfect," he said afterwards. "I showed that it is possible to fly a little bit like a bird."
• Rossy traced the route of French aviator Louis Bleriot, who became the first person to fly across the Channel in an aircraft in 1909.
• The Swiss pilot was propelled by four kerosene-burning jet turbines attached to a wing on his back. He ignited the jets inside a plane before jumping out more than 8,000 feet above ground.
• After a period of free fall he opened the wing and soared across the water. With no steering controls, the only way to change direction was like a bird, moving his head and back.
• The 49-year-old Rossy, who calls himself "Fusion Man," told - the most tense moment was when I jumped from the aircraft "because I did have many problems during exits before".
• Rossy usually flies a Swiss International A320 Airbus between Zurich and Heathrow and he develop the jet-propelled device himself.
• The wing, which spans eight feet, is made of lightweight carbon composite and weighs about 54 kg (120 lb) including fuel.
• He postponed the flight twice this week due to poor weather and wore a flameproof suit to help him withstand the jet exhaust around his legs.
• His future plans included flying over the Grand Canyon, taking off from a standing position on the ground and performing acrobatics.

Failure No Option

Failure was not an option, as the Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, and Rossy’s jet wing is not designed for landing on water. Speaking earlier this week, NASA aeronautical engineer Tom Benson said, "He will be wearing a fireproof flight suit [and] 120 pounds [54 kilograms] of wings, fuel, engines, and parachutes, so staying afloat for any length of time could be difficult."

Markus Zipperer, an engineer with the German company JetCat, which helped build the machine, said, "The biggest challenge for him is to get into a stable flying configuration once he has left the plane."

Like many other aviation enthusiasts before him, Rossy—also known as Fusion Man—wanted to find a way for people to get as close as possible to flying like birds. He started working on the project about 15 years ago, building prototypes in his garage. He first created an inflatable wing that enabled him to glide, but Rossy was really after powered flight. With the help of JetCat and Swiss firm ACT Composites, Rossy built a prototype and began improving upon his jet-wing design.

Rossy is both the first person to build, and the first person successfully to fly, a jet engine-powered wing strapped to the back. His first flight occurred in November 2006, lasting nearly six minutes.

How the Jet Wing Is Made

In the version of the craft Rossy will use for the Channel crossing, the wing’s jet engines are linked by digital processing equipment. "If one engine fails, the digital signal ensures that its opposite pair is shut down in half a millisecond," JetCat’s Zipperer said. "Otherwise his wing would go into a flat spin."

At 5 inches (13 centimeters) across, Jet Man’s turbines are much smaller than conventional jet engines, although the mini-turbines use the same type of fuel. "We use very fast motors and have developed special parts to ensure that the jet fuel is vaporized and burned completely," Zipperer said.

The craft is constructed from three main materials: carbon fiber to provide a lightweight but strong wing, glass fiber to mold it into an aerodynamic shape, and Kevlar to protect Rossy, should an engine explode.

"The turbines run at a very high revolution per minute. If there was a fracture, there is a danger that metal parts would leave the engine and hit Rossy," Zipperer said. "The Kevlar encases the engines and acts like a bulletproof vest.

In flight, Rossy uses his shoulders, head, and arms to steer the wing. To land, he has to deploy a series of parachutes while at a height of at least 1,800 feet (550 meters). The first parachute is a small one that reduces Jet Man’s speed. The next is a large one that stops him from going forward and enables him and his wing to float safely to the ground. This dual parachute system prevents a sudden halt.