'Jetman' wins historic first high-speed duel

Jetman Dubai pilot Yves Rossy has soared to new heights after winning his first live race in a high-speed, head-to-head battle across the Dubai desert.

In a battle of the high road versus the low road, Rossy, a Swiss military-trained pilot, took to the sky in a race against a Jaguar XJR driven by former Formula One driver Martin Brundle.

Launching from a helicopter, Rossy soared across the sky at 762m and reached speeds of 280km/h as Brundle, matching the speed but not the height, powered along a two kilometre stretch of road.

And as the finish line quickly came into sight, it was the high-flying Rossy who claimed a historic first victory.

However, Brundle, a former McLaren and Jordan driver, was quick to organise a rematch.

"Really? Let's make it best of three then," Brundle said after crossing the finish line.