We already have enough depressing examples that we’re living in the future. Planet on fire. Deadly plagues Increasing corporate control of everything. Robot uprisings. Video games literally called Cyberpunk. But what about the cool stuff? One of the most powerful visual shorthands for living in the future is the personal jetpack. A now a Dubai pilot’s new world record flight from this past Valentine’s Day gives us hope that perhaps personal flying machines are possible within our lifetimes.
As reported by Engadget, this video shows pilot Vince Reffett testing the limits of the jetpack constructed by his sponsor Jetman Dubai. Standards are still being set in the burgeoning world of commercial jetpacks. But this three-minute flight breaks new ground in a variety of areas. In 30 seconds, Reffett flies 6,000 feet up standing straight off the ground instead of using a special elevated platform. His top speed is 150MPH. And although he uses a parachute to safely descend, the eventual goal is to eliminate that step as well.
“We are so happy we achieved this incredible flight,” Reffett said in a statement. “It’s the result of extremely thorough teamwork, where each small step generated huge results.”
Of course, don’t expect to buy a jetpack of your own anytime soon. It took 50 test flights with 100 practice takeoffs and landings to even achieve these impressive but limited results. Still, that’s definitely a dude just flying around the sky in his little mechanical wingsuit. That’s definitely something.
For more on jetpacks, here’s some news on the world’s first jetpack racing league, 3D-printed underwater jetpacks, and DARPA jetpacks to help soldiers run faster.
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