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Martin Jetpack Climbs 5000 Feet Above Sea Level

Posted by timothy on from the flying-for-dummies dept.

rh2600 writes "For years the Martin Jetpack has stayed just a few feet off the ground, invoking frequent suspicion about its true abilities. Well, today that all changed [video] with the first climb test in New Zealand (with weighted crash-test dummy) reaching over 5,000 feet above sea level. The emergency parachute test was also a success. Kiwis can indeed fly."

2 of 178 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Endurance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Not quite. That was an test of the new parachute system that is designed for catastrophic situations, something any sane test pilot is going to want before climbing on board and soaring more than a couple feet off the ground. Not sure they discussed flight duration, but soaring to 3000 feet and back to the ground under it's own power is certainly a minimum flight time.

  2. Re:Not really a jetpack by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Look at your smart-phone. Did it *start* that size?