Would you strap four engines and wings to your back and blast off into the skies? Jetman would

Not everyone would be mad brave enough to strap four rockets and some wings to their back in the pursuit of soaring through the skies like a bird, but this is exactly what Yves Rossy, also known as Jetman for obvious reasons, will be doing later on today.

Rossy is a Swiss pilot and inventor who has been working away on his Jetman suit in preparation for its first public outing in the US later on today.

The suit is made of carbon-Kevlar and has four engines capable of propelling him through the air at speeds of up to 190mph and at heights of up to 12,000 feet. Rossy says in the video below that in order to test out new wing formations, he simply uses the suit as a glider without engines altogether.

With or without engines, he generally launches most flights by jumping out of a helicopter or a hot air balloon. He then controls the engines using a throttle in his hand, and lands using a parachute.

His maiden US flight will take place later today at the AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the US and he’ll also be making appearances at the National Air Races in Reno September.

While it will be his first flight in public in the US, Rossy has been jetting through the air largely unnoticed since 2008. In that time he has crossed the English Channel and flown over Rio de Janeiro.

You can check out Rossy flying in formation with his Swiss sponsor’s (Breitling) wing walking team below.