As long as we've been human, we've wanted to fly. We've dreamed about it, attempted it, failed at it. I'm not talking about flying in airplanes. I'm talking about one man, flying. There's a game on Facebook called "Jetman". Stay within the floor and the ceiling, avoid the middle barriers for as long as possible, and get a higher score than Lee. That's how the game works.
It's not a game anymore. Yves Rossy has become the Jet man. As I flipped through the channels tonight, I stumbled on Flight of the Jet Man on National Geographic. It quickly became the coolest thing I'd seen all day. Rossy built a carbon fiber wing equipped with four kerosene powered jet engines. He controls throttle, and the rest is up to his own body movements. Watch the video and see for yourself. It's incredible. I'm so jealous. On Natgeo, he flew across the English Channel in fifteen minutes! They also call him Fusion Man- man fused with a jet. I think that name sounds way more badass than Jetman (maybe because Jetman makes me think of the dumb little game). Take a moment to let this sink in. Sure, it's a huge accomplishment for him personally. But it's also a HUGE accomplishment for humankind! We've all seen the goofy old videos of the crazy contraptions people have built to try to fly. They all end the same way: the pilot does a faceplant in the dirt while years of his hard work caves in on itself like a toothpick bridge. This guy actually did it. Too bad we can't elect HIM president! Fusion Man '08! What's that? He needs to be at a debate in Nashville next week? No problem, he'll fly there... by himself!
Fly Fusion Man, fly!
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