GUANO POINT, Arizona: A Swiss adventurer dubbed “JetMan” canceled an attempt Friday to make an acrobatic flight over the Grand Canyon, saying he had not been able to train enough for the exploit. Yves Rossy also said his energy had been sapped by wrangling to obtain authorization for his winged jetpack from the US Federal Aviation Authority, who only approved it 30 minutes before the planned take-off. “I was so focused on getting the authorization, I thought I would be able to fly anyway. And I ended up forgetting that I should put my energy into the flight and not on trying to get the authorization,” he said. “I never had the opportunity to train seriously,” said Rossy, whose previous exploits have included flying across the English Channel between France and Britain, and soaring over the Swiss Alps. Rossy, 51, was to have been dropped from a helicopter high above the world-famous US landmark and make a series of loops, powered only by a winged jet-pack, before landing on the floor of the immense geological fissure. The Hualapai, a Native American tribe which manages the area, had planned to dance and pray before Rossy's take-off. But rather than being dropped from 1,300 meters (4,200 feet) above Guano Point, a spectacular outcrop on the western side of the Grand Canyon, he had to explain his decision to cancel to reporters. “Flying here is very challenging,” he said, adding it would have been dangerous to fly without enough training. “You do things when you know how to do them well.”
