Death of Vince Reffet at 36: the French flying man lost...

It’s a terrible disappearance for the world of extreme sports. This Tuesday, November 17, Vince Reffet died at the age of 36. Known by the nickname of “the flying man”, the 36-year-old athlete was killed during training in Dubai. Renowned for its wingsuit or jetman flights (equipped with mini-jets), he was the victim of an accident, the circumstances of which have not yet been disclosed. It was a spokesperson for Jetman Dubai who broke the terrible news. “It is with unimaginable sadness that we announce the passing of Jetman pilot Vincent (Vince) Reffet, who passed away this morning, November 17, during training in Dubai, announced Abdallah ben Habtour à l’AFP. Vince was a talented athlete, and a much loved and respected member of our team. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and all who knew and worked with him. “ During his career, Vince Reffet has multiplied the exploits.

In 2017, he entered a plane in mid-flight. It was also he who had jumped from the top of the tallest tower in the world, the Burj Khalifa (828 meters), which flew alongside an A380 and even the famous Patrouille de France. The crash that claimed the life of the 36-year-old athlete, which occurred at the Jetman base in the desert on the outskirts of town, is currently under investigation, said Abdallah ben Habtour. Former member of the French skydiving team and member of the Jetman Dubai team, he made the buzz a few months ago by soaring at an altitude of 1,800 meters. A world first that he achieved thanks to a carbon fiber wing propelled by four mini jet engines. With his sidekick Fred Fugen, he crossed the famous Gate of Heaven at the end of 2019 – an opening 130 m high and 30 m wide, in the mountainous park of Mount Tianmen, located in the province of Hunan, in the south of the China.

Vince Reffet: “We try to prepare as much as possible”

On the Soul Flyers website, Vince Reffet’s CV is impressive. At 36, he had 17,000 parachute jumps, 1,400 base jumps, had been wingsuiting for 18 years but was also a skydiving instructor, a jetman pilot, had a pilot’s license and was one of the pioneers of speed riding. In an interview with Vice, he confided in his report to the dangerousness of his sports. “It is sure that it is a committed activity, but it is especially certain athletes who gave this image of ‘trompe-la-mort’. We don’t see ourselves like that, there are sports that are much more committed than what we do, explained Vince Reffet. We are not immune to an accident, but we try to prepare as much as possible before the action. “

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