[Nords]

This video was e-mailed to me by a shipmate who's tied into the military old-fart aviator's network. These guys are mad that we don't have personal jet cars yet (who wouldn't be mad?!?) so they're keeping an eye out for anything close to it.

This website has a few challenges. First, it's in French but Google has a translator. Second, the "video" is run by Flash and it can be balky. I didn't get a smooth run until the third try. Finally, it's very light on the technical details.

Essentially an old-fart aviator has found a way to strap a wing to his back, hang four JATO bottles from it, and soar around the sky for five minutes. He has to jump out of an airplane to get his starting velocity and he has to land with a parachute (on his knees, ouch), but for five minutes he's an aerodynamic lifting body flyin' machine.

I'd still like to know how he jumps into the slipstream without whacking his wing on the airplane's fuselage. And I wonder what happens if the JATOs fail on one side. Otherwise it looks like a fantasy come true!

http://jet-man.com/actuel.html