One giant leap for a jet-pack trailblazer

(Breitling/Barcroft )

Pictures were released yesterday of the Swiss thrill-seeker known as the JetMan showing his nickname is well deserved by flying across the Grand Canyon.

Yves Rossy jumped from a helicopter at a height of 8,000ft on Saturday, relying solely on his custom-made jet suit with four engines and a small pair of wings.

The 51-year-old reached a speed of 190mph as he roared to 200ft above the rim of the canyon near Guano Point on the Hualapai Indian Reservation in Arizona. He eventually landed at the bottom of the canyon with his parachute.

An earlier flight planned for Friday had to be cancelled after Mr Rossy, who has already flown over the English Channel and the Swiss Alps using his jet suit, decided that it would be too risky without first making practice runs.