It's not intended to turn a dude into an airplane. Instead, it's purpose is to transport a high-altitude parachutist about 100 miles from the drop point.
The idea is you strap this baby on, jump from around 30,000 feet (with an oxygen tank and a set of Helly Hansen long johns), crack open the microjets, steer yourself in the direction you want to go, and "fall with style", as Sheriff Woody would say. Once you get to 5,000 feet or so, you drop the wing to the end of a tether, and pop your chute.
Anyone who's read a bit of Andy McNab knows Special Forces types already have the jumping from 30,000 feet thing knocked. Today, they either skydive to low altitude (High Altitude Low Opening, aka HALO) or they pop chute right away (High Altitude High Opening, or HAHO) and steer a glider-like rig to where they want to go. The limitation of HAHO is, obviously, wind direction. The Gryphon permits the jumper to go in any direction he/she wants.
For the record, there is not enough money in the world to induce me to test drive one of these things.
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