Woketman

My Feedback: (6)

OK, we have all seen the Jetman videos. You know, the dude with four JetCats and himself slung under the Breitling wing. In this latest video where he is flying in formation with some black jets, he is seen launching off of the side of a heli. It appears that the turbines are already running, or at least there is smoke. In the past, I believe I have also seen videos of him leaving from the cabin of a plane, like a skydiving plane. So how does he start the turbines?

I have never owned a Jetcat, but have owned several other brands, some full auto-start. I find it difficult to believe that you could reliably autostart 4 turbines in the windy (downright hurricane) environment on the outside of a heli or fixed wing plane in flight.

So that leads you to believe he is doing it inside the cabin prior to climbing out. What pilot is going to allow someone to sart four kerosene flame throwers INSIDE the aircraft in flight??? That would be NUTS!

So how does this guy do it??? Anyone know?

SpaceCowboy

My Feedback: (2)

Jetcats have auto start like most turbines today. So I believe that is how he starts them.

If I was him I would not be jumping off a heli until they have all started up.

InboundLZ

My Feedback: (10)

I've got good money says you would not be jumping regardless.....

FILE IFR

I've read somewhere that he starts them inside the aircraft with his wing set slightly hanging outside. His assistant aboard the aircraft makes sure all the engines are running before he 'falls out'.

... I'll try to find where I read that.

dubd

Now that is funny!

trioval00

My Feedback: (17)

http://www.jetman.com/?page_id=24

watch the video clip. takes off in a heli as he is standing on the landing gear, pre starts the turbines then falls backwards out of the heli, only to fly formation with a few L-39's.


great footage..............

SinCityJets

He uses propane start turbines and they are started before he jumps. I know this because when he flew over the grand canyon, I got to meet his team as they made an emergency trip to my house to pick up a trigger valve. Their European adapter wouldn't work with our gas canisters.

Very grateful group of guys!

Chad

frema

i think he has made a kind of a servo tester with a switch , so he dont have to use a reciever and transmitter to start

frema

and yes , he starts the engines inside.
there are a lot videos on youtube to see that.

Woketman

My Feedback: (6)

Frema and Chad are contradictory. Who is correct???

marc s

Starting the engines before he jumps and starting the engines inside is pretty much the same thing surely?

I would suspect he does the starting with the turbines pointing outside the aircraft or heli, then reverses out like a diver on drops into thin air

I have heard he plans to try to 'self launch' at some point, maybe on some sort of dolly - that would be the clincher then when he is totally self propelled from take off to landing - might need in flight re-fueling............ enter a second crazy stunt

marcs

frema

there was a whole documentary on discovery channel, didnt you see it?
There he shows everything

Woketman

My Feedback: (6)

So does he start inside the cabin, exhaust pointed out (still sounds like it would be quite windy and very difficult for 4 reliable starts)? Or does he start on the outside (I cannot see how this is possible)???

frema

why not , the gas ignites in the turbine , not outside

KC36330

when he did his flight over the Grand Canyon he was on the outside of the heli the entire time so he started outside the cabin, did a smoke test and then dropped off.

Woketman

My Feedback: (6)

Huh? Why not what???

The problem with trying to start these turbines on the outside of his carrier aircraft is the severe wind. How are you gonna get four turbines to light up reliably???

Woketman

My Feedback: (6)

So are you saying that you know for certain that he initiated the auto-starting of FOUR turbines, on the outside of an in-flight helicopter, and he was able to get all four to start???

If so, that is incredible!

KC36330

watch for yourself.

http://youtu.be/WgdIE2t8QkM

Woketman

My Feedback: (6)

Nice video, but it still does not answer the question about when they are started! There is no audio except the music, so you cannot tell if they are running when the heli lifts off. Later, you can tell by his airshow smoke that they are running (he briefly turns it on & off).

So when/where does he start them???

KC36330

if you watch the video, in flight the ball cam mounted to the heli is directly on the turbines, they are not running, there is no heat at all out of them nor do you see the red / green lights on the IO boards.

pic 1 is at lift off, no heat, no IO board lights
pic 2 is just as he's ready to jump, note the IO board

sieze2

I saw the documentary others are talking about. I can confirm he starts them in the plane (with the door open). Then they check each one is running fine (I saw them plug a display in), and off he goes.

KC36330

this video actually shows them starting them up, he's half out the airplane during the start. at the 1:10 time you can see his assistance shooting the PowerMax to them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wB-P6lTsPvU

Woketman

My Feedback: (6)

OK, finally a video that shows something. Thanks KC. So it looks like he starts them in flight with the exhaust pointed out. But I still do not see how he can get 4 to reliably light on the side of that heli with all of the wind.

FILE IFR

Here's a vid when he jumped from a hot air balloon.

With a stationary(ish) filming platform, you can see just how impressive the jet wing can climb... he does his first loop in this vid.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5J3z5CK9H0&feature=related[/youtube]

KC36330

The answer is simple!!! They are JetCat's!!!!