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Jet-pack versus Passenger Jet.....because: LA in 2020.

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by ETC(SS), Sep 2, 2020.

  1. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    A man flying a jetpack was reported by pilots above Los Angeles - CNN

    Despite the source, this isn't 'fake news' and it was reported by an AAL pilot at 3000'

    My thoughts:

    It's almost certainly either a publicity stunt, or the American Airlines pilot saw something other than a jetpack....perhaps inspired by a bottle-to-throttle rule violation.

    Maybe a free-range Mylar Iron-man birthday balloon?

    If it WAS a jetpack, it's a helluva good one, since several sources put the object at around 3000' AGL.

    I'm not a pilot, and I don't play one on TV...BUT...a wide-body on final at 3000' hasn't put the gear down yet or thrown the boards out - so they're "probably" knocking down 200-300 mph.
    THIS means if the object in question WAS human guided, then somebody needs to be charged, fined, and fitted out for an ankle monitor.
     
    #1 ETC(SS), Sep 2, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2020
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  2. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Met a man that once had access to Tyvek suits, helium, and aluminized Mylar at work. Supposedly, a helicopter with a sharp shooter was sent out from the nearby airport to deal with the result.
     
    #2 Trollbait, Sep 6, 2020
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  3. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    Jetpack at about 3000 feet? That means after the two Jets spotted him, he likely went down in flames as these units carry fuel that's typically enough to get up a few hundred feet and then quickly come down. That 3,000' sortie is going to require a really really big spatula cleanup.
    .
     
    #3 hill, Sep 6, 2020
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  4. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    It was reported by more than one air crew.
    That is my best hope.
    Flight durations seem to be increasing. A related device was used to cross the English Channel last year, though it did require a mid-trip refueling on a support boat:

    Franky Zapata: Flyboarding Frenchman crosses English Channel
     
    #4 fuzzy1, Sep 6, 2020
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  5. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    A crossing is a crossing.
    I'm thinking that jet-packs and flying cars will be a 'thing' someday.....
     
    #5 ETC(SS), Sep 7, 2020
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  6. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    Didn't they say that in the 60's . . . . :p
     
    #6 Mark57, Sep 7, 2020
  7. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    They'll probably say it in the 60's again.....

    BUT HOWEVER COMMA.....
    Progress is being made in both.
     
    #7 ETC(SS), Sep 7, 2020
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  8. hill

    hill High Fiber Member

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    yep .... & warp drive

    .
     
    #8 hill, Sep 7, 2020
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  9. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    FTL?

    That's probably a few more years after jet packs and flying cars.....
     
    #9 ETC(SS), Sep 8, 2020
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  10. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    #10 fuzzy1, Oct 15, 2020
  11. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    Must think he's the Green Goblin or just a hover board called the Flyboard Air. It can go up to 93 mph and fly 10,000 feet.

    Cool but crazy to do in active airspace. The video is from 2018 so it may be a lot better by now.



    More info:
    max altitude 9,800 ft,
    top speed 93 mph,
    10 minute endurance @ 225 lbs.

    zapata's flyboard air claims to be the safest, most maneuverable personal aviation system

    the flyboard air has been designed to be piloted with little training — having good body balance is what helps control it. in terms of safety, if a turbine fails, one can still keep you flying. if both of them break, the device is able to achieve a controlled descent while the pilot is able to access information on altitude, speed and autonomy levels on his helmet.
     
    #11 Mark57, Oct 15, 2020
    Last edited: Oct 15, 2020
  12. kenmce

    kenmce High Voltage Member

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    That he keeps showing up right by LAX suggests that you don't need to be particularly bright to fly it. About that hover board thing, your center of lift is below your center of mass. If it starts to tip over for any reason it will naturally want to flip over.
     
    #12 kenmce, Nov 3, 2020
  13. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    That's what active control systems are for. Drone's automatic station keeping, Segways, hoverboards, and those single-wheel transporters right out of the Johnny Hart's 'BC' comic strip, wouldn't work without them.
     
    #13 fuzzy1, Nov 3, 2020
  14. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Today's sighting was captured on video.
     
    #14 fuzzy1, Dec 24, 2020
  15. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Followup:

    Images suggest LA jetpack sightings may have been balloons

    "The police helicopter photos and video obtained by KNBC were recorded in early November 2020 as the human-size object floated above the Holmby Hills and Beverly Hills areas. The object strongly resembled the Jack Skellington character from the 1993 Tim Burton movie “A Nightmare Before Christmas.”"
     
    #15 fuzzy1, Nov 2, 2021
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