Published online Midwest Flyer Magazine – February/March 2021
Frenchman Vince Reffet, part of the “Jetman” team which has performed groundbreaking stunts above Dubai using jetpacks and carbon-fibre wings, was killed in a training accident on November 17, 2020.
The Jetmen have pulled off a series of dramatic flights over the Gulf city, soaring in tandem above the worlds tallest building, Burj Khalifa, and alongside an Emirates Airbus A380, the worlds largest commercial airliner. Stunts elsewhere in the world, including swooping into an airplane through a small door in mid-flight, and flying through Chinas famed “Heavens Gate” archway in the mountains of Hunan Province, drew huge audiences on social media.
The accident occurred at the 36-year-olds base in the desert outside the city of Dubai.
The Jetman team also includes fellow Frenchman, Fred Fugen, and Emirati pilot, Ahmed Alshehhi.