This is a May 14, 2008 file photo of Yves Rossy as he is seen flying over the Alps in Bex, Switzerland. Photo by: AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File
This is a May 14, 2008 file photo of Yves Rossy as he is seen flying over the Alps in Bex, Switzerland. Photo by: AP Photo/Anja Niedringhaus, File
GRAND CANYON WEST, Ariz. – Yves Rossy stood on the rim of the Grand Canyon near Guano Point, overlooking the Colorado River.
But instead of giving a pre-flight briefing of how he planned to soar with the jet-powered wing he developed strapped to his back, he delivered a gigantic apology.
Rossy, known as “JetMan,” who said he only received clearance to fly from federal aviation authorities Friday morning, told the crowd that had gathered at the Hualapai Indian Tribe’s tourism enterprise that he simply wasn’t ready. He said he had hoped to have an opportunity to practice before making a flight in front of journalists from around the world that had gathered on a warm, sunny morning perfect for flying.
Instead, he said he was sorry to disappoint everybody there: about 50 credentialed media members, dozens of employees with his sponsor, Breitling, the luxury watch company, and about 50 members of the tribe.
Rossy’s certification problem stemmed from the type of aircraft he was flying. The aviator said his jet-powered wing isn’t classified under any Federal Aviation Administration aircraft categories, but the closest fit is as an experimental craft.
What wasn’t explained was how a flight that had been scheduled and marketed for weeks and was first conceived after two years of talks with the tribe didn’t have final regulatory approval until the day of the event.
Rossy explained that flying in the Grand Canyon would be extremely challenging considering the potential for updrafts, downdrafts and sudden wind gusts. He also was concerned about his landing. Rossy was expected to be dropped from an aircraft, fly with the wing around the rim and then land with a parachute at the bottom of the canyon.
He said he was concerned about the rocky terrain and the cactus on the canyon floor and the limited number of landing spots. That’s one of the reasons why he wanted to have training runs before the flight.
“Last night, I was thinking about the flight and it was like a ping pong game in my head,” said the 51-year-old Rossy, who has flown his craft over Lake Geneva and the English Channel. “I was thinking about all these things, but I wasn’t nervous. But when you have all these things bouncing around in your head, you just know you’re not ready and that’s when it becomes unsafe. I would not be respectful to my team if I tried to fly when I’m not ready.”
Rossy said he was disappointed with the outcome because “I had a great opportunity to share this kind of flying with all of you.”
Robert Bravo Jr., CEO of the Grand Canyon Resort Corp., which operates the 9,000-acre tourist attraction 120 miles east of Las Vegas, and Frank Mapatis, a spiritual adviser for the tribe, consoled Rossy after he delivered his apology to the crowd.
The Swiss flier said he isn’t certain whether he would attempt to fly in the area at a later date.
A spokeswoman for Breitling said it was too early to determine whether it would support another attempt on another day. She said she did not know how much Breitling had invested in logistical and promotional efforts for the flight.
After the flight was scrubbed, tribal officials took advantage of having the large media contingent there and gave reporters and camera operators a tour of the Skywalk, a horseshoe-shaped glass-bottomed walkway that extends from the rim 4,000 feet above the canyon floor.
The tribe normally bans cameras from the walkway, which recently was refurbished with new glass, but media members were allowed to photograph and video the attraction that has generated millions of dollars in revenue to the tribe since it opened in March 2007.