The video features the aforementioned plane first, which is quickly joined by Yves Rossy and Vince Reffet of Jetman Dubai. The two fly in formation with the plane, something that wasn’t easy to plan, according to a behind-the-scenes video.
“When we first heard about it, it was madness.” said Gareth Lloyd Evans, manager of flight operations at Emirates. But eventually, a lot of discussion led to ideas on how the stunt could be pulled off safely.
Just like a dance, the entire sequence had to be choreographed to eliminate any and all risk of accidents. On the Jetman Dubai side of things, Reffet said in the video that he and Rossy trained and prepared as much as possible, but there was still a fear of the unknown. The jetpacks could only function at that velocity and precision level for 10 minutes at a time, so Emirates had to maximize every filming opportunity.
Jetman Dubai has already made headlines with its numerous daring stunts across the world. In May 2015, it released a video shot from a chase plane and two GoPro cameras as Rossy and Reffet flew across and around Dubai, including the extra-tall Burj Khalifa building.
In May 2012, Rossy flew solo over Rio de Janeiro, including a flyby of the Christ the Redeemer statue.
