Fred Fugen, Vincent Cotte and Aurelien Chatard dropped from a helicopter over the 4,810 metre peak of one of Europe’s highest mountains. Photo: Soul Flyers
Fred Fugen, Vincent Cotte and Aurelien Chatard dropped from a helicopter over the 4,810 metre peak of one of Europe’s highest mountains. Photo: Soul Flyers
Fred Fugen, Vincent Cotte and Aurelien Chatard dropped from a helicopter over the 4,810 metre peak of one of Europe’s highest mountains. Photo: Soul Flyers
Fred Fugen, Vincent Cotte and Aurelien Chatard dropped from a helicopter over the 4,810 metre peak of one of Europe’s highest mountains. Photo: Soul Flyers

XDubai's Jetman completes high-speed descent over Mont Blanc


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

A Dubai daredevil has claimed the record for the longest wing-suit flight after completing an eight kilometre flight across the snowy peaks of Mont Blanc.

Fred Fugen, 43, is part of the XDubai Jetman team that performs aerial acrobatics and base jumps using parachutes, wing suits and jet-propelled fixed wings.

Alongside French compatriots Vincent Cotte and Aurelien Chatard, the trio ― known as Soul Flyers ― dropped from a helicopter over the 4,810-metre peak of one of Europe’s highest mountains.

A video of the three-minute-20-second flight shows the team going close to the snow-capped slopes of Mont Blanc as they descend at speeds approaching 210 kilometres an hour.

It is said to be the longest recorded flight by wing suit, which is a webbed jumpsuit that opens like a wing to enable the user to manoeuvre and glide at high speed.

The video shows Fugen directing his colleagues throughout the descent into crevasses and over jagged ridges, and leading acrobatic manoeuvres such as rolling across each other and turning upside down.

.
.

The three opened their chutes and landed safely deep in the Chamonix valley. Afterwards Fugen said: “The ultimate fun, congrats guys ― the light was crazy. I’m gonna give you a hug; it was so nice.”

The former skydiving champion from Annecy, in the French Alps, is renowned as a world leader in the extreme sport.

Advances in technology allow wing-suit pilots to climb and glide covering three times the distance of a vertical fall.

The team came terrifyingly close to the snow-capped slopes of Mont Blanc as they descended at speeds approaching 210kph. Photo: Soul Flyers / Facebook
The team came terrifyingly close to the snow-capped slopes of Mont Blanc as they descended at speeds approaching 210kph. Photo: Soul Flyers / Facebook

Spectacular videos show Fugen flying over the Taj Mahal in India, the Giza Pyramids of Egypt, Norwegian fjords and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

It is two years since Vince Reffet, his skydiving partner at XDubai and co-founder of the Soul Flyers team, died when he lost control of his jetpack in the Dubai desert during a training exercise.

Jetman Dubai gives out tickets for Museum of the Future - in pictures

Chef Nobu's advice for eating sushi

“One mistake people always make is adding extra wasabi. There is no need for this, because it should already be there between the rice and the fish.
“When eating nigiri, you must dip the fish – not the rice – in soy sauce, otherwise the rice will collapse. Also, don’t use too much soy sauce or it will make you thirsty. For sushi rolls, dip a little of the rice-covered roll lightly in soy sauce and eat in one bite.
“Chopsticks are acceptable, but really, I recommend using your fingers for sushi. Do use chopsticks for sashimi, though.
“The ginger should be eaten separately as a palette cleanser and used to clear the mouth when switching between different pieces of fish.”

%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Nag%20Ashwin%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EPrabhas%2C%20Saswata%20Chatterjee%2C%20Deepika%20Padukone%2C%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%2C%20Shobhana%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%E2%98%85%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Fighter profiles

Gabrieli Pessanha (Brazil)

Reigning Abu Dhabi World Pro champion in the 95kg division, virtually unbeatable in her weight class. Known for her pressure game but also dangerous with her back on the mat.

Nathiely de Jesus, 23, (Brazil)

Two-time World Pro champion renowned for her aggressive game. She is tall and most feared by her opponents for both her triangles and arm-bar attacks.

Thamara Ferreira, 24, (Brazil)

Since her brown belt days, Ferreira has been dominating the 70kg, in both the World Pro and the Grand Slams. With a very aggressive game.

Samantha Cook, 32, (Britain)

One of the biggest talents coming out of Europe in recent times. She is known for a highly technical game and bringing her A game to the table as always.

Kendall Reusing, 22, (USA)

Another young gun ready to explode in the big leagues. The Californian resident is a powerhouse in the -95kg division. Her duels with Pessanha have been highlights in the Grand Slams.

Martina Gramenius, 32, (Sweden)

Already a two-time Grand Slam champion in the current season. Gramenius won golds in the 70kg, in both in Moscow and Tokyo, to earn a spot in the inaugural Queen of Mats.

 

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

MATCH INFO

Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:

Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2

Second leg:

Monday, Azizi Stadium, Tehran. Kick off 7pm

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

The bio

Studied up to grade 12 in Vatanappally, a village in India’s southern Thrissur district

Was a middle distance state athletics champion in school

Enjoys driving to Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah with family

His dream is to continue working as a social worker and help people

Has seven diaries in which he has jotted down notes about his work and money he earned

Keeps the diaries in his car to remember his journey in the Emirates

What are the main cyber security threats?

Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.

Januzaj's club record

Manchester United 50 appearances, 5 goals

Borussia Dortmund (loan) 6 appearances, 0 goals

Sunderland (loan) 25 appearances, 0 goals

Updated: November 09, 2022, 12:02 PM`