Jetmen buzz an Emirates A380 over Dubai
I haven’t quite decided if I think this is brave or stupid. One thing is for sure, its most definitely the stuff of daredevils and that is precisely what Yves Rossy (aka Jetman) and his protegé Vince Reffet are.This is not the first such stunt the pair have undertaken. They have used their jet propelled carbon fiber jet wing over Rio and now above Dubai. The luxury airline Emirates lent the aircraft for the stunt. Whilst the stunt looks very in the moment, one can only assume that the jet propelled acrobatics around an aircraft weighing 1.3 million pounds was highly choreographed for safety. It would not look good in a promotional piece for one of the flyers to be sucked into the engine that produces 70,000 pounds of thrust.
Most pilots are tested for their ability to deal with stress and make decisions under adverse conditions but for the pilot of the A380, it must have been like having flies ‘divebomb’ him on a warm day. The only thing is, he’s not able to swat them away, not even with a 280 foot wingspan.
Source: Watch two ‘Jetmen’ fly alongside an A380 superjumbo