25 Nov, 2009 @ 12:09
1 min read

“Jetman” fails to fly from Africa to Europe

A daredevil Swiss man failed to make the first intercontinental flight powered by just a jet-pack!

Nicknamed “Jetman”, 50-year-old Yves Rossy tried to fly the 37km across the Strait of Gibraltar from Africa to Europe.

The journey between Tangier in Morocco and Tarifa on the Costa de la Luz was expected to take less than 15 minutes to complete but Rossy had to ditch a wing as he landed in the Atlantic ocean.

Rossy jumped out of a plane at almost 2,000m. He was meant to cruise at a speed of around 200km per hour, before parachuting down to the Spanish coast.

Instead his team had to winch him, unharmed, out of the water with a helicopter.

Reports speculate that weather conditions or engine failure could have contributed to his failed attempt.

A year ago the plucky explorer boosted his way into the record books when he used a jet-propelled wing to cross the English Channel from Calais to Dover.

Jon Clarke (Publisher & Editor)

Jon Clarke is a Londoner who worked at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday as an investigative journalist before moving to Spain in 2003 where he helped set up the Olive Press.

After studying Geography at Manchester University he fell in love with Spain during a two-year stint teaching English in Madrid.

On returning to London, he studied journalism and landed his first job at the weekly Informer newspaper in Teddington, covering hundreds of stories in areas including Hounslow, Richmond and Harrow.

This led on to work at the Sunday Telegraph, Sunday Mirror, Standard and even the Sun, before he landed his first full time job at the Daily Mail.

After a year on the Newsdesk he worked as a Showbiz correspondent covering mostly music, including the rise of the Spice Girls, the rivalry between Oasis and Blur and interviewed many famous musicians such as Joe Strummer and Ray Manzarak, as well as Peter Gabriel and Bjorn from Abba on his own private island.

After a year as the News Editor at the UK’s largest-selling magazine Now, he returned to work as an investigative journalist in Features at the Mail on Sunday.

As well as tracking down Jimi Hendrix’ sole living heir in Sweden, while there he also helped lead the initial investigation into Prince Andrew’s seedy links to Jeffrey Epstein during three trips to America.

He had dozens of exclusive stories, while his travel writing took him to Jamaica, Brazil and Belarus.

He is the author of three books; Costa Killer, Dining Secrets of Andalucia and My Search for Madeleine.

Contact jon@theolivepress.es

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