Swiss adventurer Yves Rossy, also known as “Jetman,” successfully completed a flight above the Grand Canyon on Saturday with his custom-designed jetpack, according to the watchmaker Breitling, which sponsored the event.
Rossy was originally scheduled to take flight on Friday in front of the media and members of the Hualapai, a Native American tribe which manages the area flew over. However, Rossy canceled his originally scheduled flight, citing a lack of training due to a lengthy authorization process from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Since the flight was authorized for both Friday and Saturday, Rossy attempted to complete his flight in front of few observers outside of his support team. Launched from a helicopter 8,000 feet above the Grand Canyon, Rossy soared at speeds reaching up to 190 miles per hour for an eight-minute flight before deploying his parachute for a safe landing.
This was Rossy’s first flight in the United States; however, he has successfully completed a trip in his jetpack across the English Channel as well as several stunts. Not all of his journeys have gone according to plan, however. In 2009, Rossy crashed into the sea off Morocco after trying to cross the Strait of Gibraltar.
source : http://news.discovery.com/tech/jetman-grand-canyon-jetpack-110511.html