WATCH: Apparently Winged Jet Packs Are A Thing Now
Earlier this morning, my buddy Glenn Woods over at Wake Up Wyoming posted a story about pilots reporting a flying man with a jet pack over restricted air space near LAX. During the audio recording, you can clearly tell that the pilot seemed a little iffy about reporting what he had seen. After all, most people wouldn't believe it. Matter of fact, the air traffic controller that responded didn't really sound like he believed him either, at first.
Fast forward a few hours, Twitter account Zero Gravity Media posts a video of two people wearing winged jet packs.
I was not even aware jet packs were real. I didn't think they would be considered safe,but I have been wrong before. These two pilots (is that what you call a man with a jet pack?), are able to perform some pretty cool aerial stunts, which include some synchronized flying and hovering in one spot.
I grew up watching G.I. Joe and other battle-type cartoons (plus reading comic books), so it doesn't really surprise me that the technology is out there. I had seen the winged jump suits used for specialty parachuting, but never anything with an actual jet engine attached. Apparently this isn't a new thing either. They been around since at least early 2010. They're not cheap though. If you want one, it's going to run you around $285,000.
Still, if your an airplane pilot, I'm betting that's not something you expect to see out of your cockpit window.