Jarno Smeets designs wings he can flap with motor assistance to fly like a bird. (Photo: Human birdwings)

Who hasn’t dreamed at some point of having the ability to fly like a bird? While many may share this dream, few have taken it upon themselves to do anything about it.

Some daredevils have opted for wingsuit jumping — diving off the top of a high precipice and gliding through the air in a specially designed suit — but this arguably could be considered glorified falling. Taking off from the ground and rising upward is a much more challenging situation, but a mechanical engineer from the Netherlands has created DIY wings to do it.

(Related: Wingsuit stuntman flies through narrow cave opening in China)

Jarno Smeets, in his second and latest test run, flew for 100 meters using his man-made wings. The press release announcing Smeets’ liftoff boasts that this is the first time in human history a man has flown flapping wings like a bird.

Smeets suiting up. (Photo: Human Birdwings)