Video: ‘Jetman’ flies high in winged backpack at Mount Fuji

Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy adds Japanese landmark to list of flying feats

For Yves Rossy, a swiss ex-pilot aka Jetman, there is no better way to view Japan's iconic Mount Fuji than from the air with only a jet-pack on one's back. With peak speeds of 300 kilometres per hour, the kevlar wing system is simply uplifting.

Swiss adventurer Yves 'Jetman' Rossy has added Japan's iconic Mount Fuji to his list of flying feats.

The 53-year-old ex-pilot flew around the Japanese landmark in his custom-built carbon-Kevlar 2 metre-wide jetwing with four engines .

He soared up to 3.5km high during the short flight before safely parachuting to land. He can fly at an average 200km per hour with peak speeds of 300km in a dive.

“That’s a fantastic privilege to be a little mosquito flying in front of that big mountain,” he said today after releasing footage of his flights .

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The video of the flights released today shows him diving out of a helicopter with his jetwing on and falling before soaring. He flies up through the clouds and using his body to steer him goes alongside the iconic snow-capped mountain with a stream of white smoke behind him.

Mr Rossy flew around mountain nine times between October 28th and November 3rd. His wings only allow a flight time of between 6 and 13 minutes.

“I came from behind the clouds so Mount Fuji was hidden. When I came out [from behind them] it was like, wow, a window had opened and I was here,” he said afterwards.

“You feel that you have pressure everywhere, and that’s the magic moment. Because full trust like that, you have aerodynamic and it’s like a big hand on your hand and Yes! It holds. And you fly,” he said.

A post with photographs of the event on his Facebook page today reads "Yves 'Jetman' Rossy's latest feat - Flying in front of Mount Fuji in Japan! "

In 2006 Mr Rossy became the first person to fly with a jet-propelledd wing. He took his first flight over the Swiss alps in 2008. In the same year flew over the English channel . He has also flown over the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Mr Rossy is a trained military pilot and has worked as a captain with Swiss International Air Lines.

At over 3.7km, Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan and is an active volcano. The UNESCO World Heritage site has featued in much Japanese art.

Genevieve Carbery

Genevieve Carbery

Genevieve Carbery is Deputy Head of Audience at The Irish Times