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The World's First Commercially Available Jetpack
ElectricSteve writes "It's been a long time coming. While Arthur C. Clarke's geosync satellites have taken to space, and James Bond's futuristic mobile technology has become commonplace, still the dream of sustained personal flight has eluded us — until now. At $86,000, the Martin Aircraft jetpack costs about as much as a high-end car, achieves a 30-minute flight time, and is fueled by regular gasoline. A 10% deposit buys you a production slot for 12 months hence." Here's a video of some indoor test flights. This isn't Buck Rogers's jetpack — it's about 5 by 5 feet and weighs more than the average human. You won't be able to commute with it (the FAA has not certified this class of device) so it's recreational only for now.
Also, teenagers.
GP is very naive in saying that people self-regulate with safety. NORMAL people do. Some people want to know exactly how far they come before they hit that point of no return, and jetpacks are a little more dangerous to play with than skateboards, motorcycles, ATVs, or whatever else.
They're also VERY likely to try landing places where they absolutely (by law or by sanity) shouldn't. If these things were readily available, expect to see people landing places that do not YET have security (cameras, locked doors, etc) but will soon. And god help us ALL if Homeland Security catches wind of the idea. Good LORD.