Swiss do it again: flying without a plane

[richsc]

Ultimate geek project: jet powered flight with no airplane!

Jet-Man

[mcbishop]

Ultimate geek project: jet powered flight with no airplane!

Jet-Man

There's a Stephen Fry quote somewhere that defines the difference between 'clever' and 'intelligent'; this is very clever, but in an age of concern over emissions from jet engines, and in an area where huge amounts of lift are to be had for free for glider and hang-glider pilots (even powered aircraft can soar on wave: a P38 once did it over the Sierra Nevada), it is not very intelligent. Hey ho, you've got to admire the man's guts... before he splats them all over the mountainside attempting an outside loop in his next aerobatic version.

Just goes to show how mankind continues to ruin perfectly good flying machines by sticking engines on them.

Mike Bishop

[Matthew Amt]

Well, it would beat the heck out of taking the bus to work! Though I'm not sure a 5-minute endurance would quite get me there. Luckily the helipad is right next to the base entrance, though, so the gate guards could still check my ID when I land, ha!

Too much fun!

Matthew

[Ron Andrea]

Interesting, Luxembourg accomplished a similar feat twenty years ago. They acquired an Air Force without buying airplanes. When NATO bought E-3 airborne warning and command system (AWACS) aircraft late in The Cold War, the planes were registered with Luxembourg to avoid a squabble for national markings. Since the AWACS were based at the nearby field in Geilenkirchen, GE, they probably overflew Luxembourg regularly. :wink: