A French stuntman, Vincent Reffet, a part of the company Jetman Dubai has been killed in a training accident in Dubai. He was famous for airborne feats using jetpacks and carbon-fibre wing packs. The 36-year-old went viral for flights over the Gulf city’s waterfront and the Alps. A statement said Reffet died “during training in Dubai” but did not give any further details. An investigation into the death is now under way.
Reffet had performed numerous stunts throughout his career including BASE-jumping off the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. He was the child of skydivers. He became well known for his flights with Jetman Dubai, created by the Swiss pilot Yves Rossy – himself known as “Jetman”. Rossy’s equipment allows the group’s pilots to fly at speeds of up to 250mph (402km/h). His exploits often went viral on social media, including one occasion when he jumped from a mountain into a moving plane with colleague and fellow Frenchman Fred Fugen. The Jetmen have pulled off a series of dramatic flights over the Gulf city, soaring in tandem above the world’s tallest building Burj Khalifa and alongside an Emirates Airbus A380, the world’s largest commercial airliner. Another video went viral earlier this year, with video of him taking off from the ground and climbing to 1,800 meters over Dubai’s waterfront, in a feat reminiscent of Marvel’s “Iron Man.” The Jetmen had previously launched themselves into the air by jumping down from high platforms.
