Forget that 10k run in your local park – how about this for an insanely ambitious challenge: flying across the North Atlantic Ocean strapped to a jetwing. Yes, I did say a jetwing, and no, I’m guessing there’s no in-flight entertainment.

Admittedly, the aeronaut who’s making the flight (Yves Rossy) is a Jetwing veteran and has a team of choppers, planes, search and rescue specialists and doubtless hordes of media pundits to catch him if he falls (the flight is the brainchild of Webtel.mobi, who are sponsoring the event), but a walk in the park it ain’t.

It promises to be a spectacular, if a little insane, challenge – and one for the history books regardless of how it ends. But how does flying between continents strapped to a sheet of carbon fibre stack up in terms of stupidity against the history of human flight? Luckily for you, we have some prime examples all lined up…

11 – The cross-channel jet-wing flight

The precursor to this month’s Webtel.mobi Intercontinental Challenge. To warm up for flying between Morocco and Spain, the jet-wing was used to cross the English Channel. This was dangerous for two main reasons – 1) it was the first time that anything like this had ever been attempted, and 2) Rossy planned to land in Dover, where there was every likelihood he’d end up getting bludgeoned to death by the locals because they’d mistaken him for a witch. This time around you can follow the progress of the challenge on Twitter at @the_challenge09.

10 – The Olympic rocketman

Back in 1984, it looked as though jetpacks were going to revolutionise the way in which human beings moved around. It’s now 25 years later, and what have we got? The Nissan Micra. Screw you, technology.

9 – Joe Kittenger

The definition of the word lunacy. Joe Kittenger is best known as the man who, in the name of science, once flew a hot air balloon 102,800 ft into the sky and then jumped out. On the way down, in -70C temperatures, Kittenger hit a speed of 614mph. And to think, we feel a bit queasy climbing up a ladder. In recent years, Boards Of Canada used footage of the freefall for their video to Dayvan Cowboy. Beautiful. But incredibly stupid.

8 – The annual Bognor Regis birdman competition

Maybe not as cool as Joe Kittenger, but just as stupid and more ridiculous-looking. Natural selection was invented to weed people like this out.

7 – Yogic Flying

Yes, that’s right, world peace will be achieved by sitting on a crashpad with your legs crossed and then sort of flapping around aimlessly for a bit. So thanks for that.

6 – Johnny Knoxville’s big red rocket

You may remember that Johnny Knoxville tried to ride a big red rocket over a lake in Jackass 2. You may remember that the rocket exploded with such force that Johnny Knoxville is lucky to be alive. You may remember that even this stunt wasn’t quite as stupid as when Chris Pontius drank the horse sperm.

5 – St Joseph Of Cupertino

From Wikipedia:

On October 4, 1630, the town of Cupertino held a procession on the feast day of Saint Francis of Assisi. Joseph was assisting in the procession when he suddenly soared into the sky, where he remained hovering over the crowd. When he descended and realised what had happened, he became so embarrassed that he fled to his mother’s house and hid. This was the first of many flights, which soon earned him the nickname “The Flying Saint.” On hearing the names of Jesus or Mary or the singing of hymns, he would go into dazed state and soar into the air. Joseph gave off a sweet smell because he was pure.

True story.

4 – Visa Parviainen

An important stepping stone between Joe Kittenger and this month’s intercontinental challenge. In 2005, Parviainen jumped out of a hot air balloon over Finland and then shot off with rockets in his boots. Humanity is great because of people like Visa Parviainen. Either great or stupid. We haven’t quite decided yet.

3 – Ermes Zamperla

“But what about the role that the human cannonball has played in the history of human flight?” You’re asking. What about it, reader? What about it indeed.

2 – Bear Grylls flying over Everest

To be fair, it only looks like Bear Grylls had journeyed over Mount Everest in a paramotor. But, you know Bear Grylls is famous for faking stuff, so we’re yet to be convinced that he didn’t just trampoline over a teacup or whatever.

1 – Icarus

The man who started it all. But only briefly. Seriously, what sort of divvy builds wings out of wax? Moron.