ABU DHABI // It’s official – the Jetman now has a sidekick.
Yves Rossy, 55, a former fighter jet and commercial pilot, will be be joined by French adventure sportsman Vince Reffet, 30.
Together they will delight crowds with their aerial acrobatics in winged jetpacks equipped with mini engines.
“It’s a dream, for sure,” said Reffet from the 112th floor of the Burj Khalifa, where the two daredevils made their announcement in a theatrical manner.
Also there was Ismaeil Al Hashmi, managing director of local extreme sport promoter XDubai, which is backing the Jetman Dubai project.
The project began when Rossy moved to the emirate with his wife late last year.
A video played at the event showed what was described as the first “twin human formation flight” in the history of aviation.
Reffet, the son of a skydiver, said he had been jumping out of planes since he was 15 and learnt about Rossy’s dream while reading magazines. “He was a pioneer in so many things.”
Five years ago, as his mentor was developing the technology behind Jetman, Reffet said he was asked if he would like to give it a try.
“He asked me if I wanted to try the wing. That’s it. We became friends,” he said. “He’s a great person.”
The addition of a new Jetman nearly 25 years younger than Rossy appears to fulfil the elder’s goal of keeping momentum for the project.
But Reffet said age was not holding his mentor back. “You can be older but still have a young mind.”
Reffet is no stranger to performing adrenalin-pumping feats in the UAE.
Last year, along with fellow Frenchman Fred Fugen, he broke the Guinness World Record for the highest jump from a building, after leaping off the Burj Khalifa from a platform at the top of the 828-metre tower.
Rossy said he had complete confidence in him. “Vince is my friend, a fantastic guy, very talented, very good in his head, sane and healthy. We have the same passion.
“He’s also someone who puts safety in first place, despite what he did from the pinnacle of the Burj Khalifa. It’s very gratifying for me to have a partner to play in the air, and gratifying for him to discover a new dimension.”
Mr Al Hashmi praised the two jetmen for their aviation feats.
“At XDubai, our ambassadors are constantly redefining their limits and setting the bar higher for action sports in Dubai, and I would like to congratulate Yves Rossy and Vince Reffet for their new record,” he said.
“Jetman Dubai does not only put these two inspiring individuals on the international aviation map, but also begins a new phase for the emirate of Dubai as it becomes home to two world-class action sport athletes.”
esamoglou@thenational.ae
Video: The jetman in action. Courtesy: XDubai
