eBay Takes Jetpack Tourism to Space...Kind Of
posted Sunday Sep 20, 2009 by Jon Wurm
If conventional traveling methods are so last MacWorld to you then this article should brighten up your day. Have you ever wanted to go somewhere but you're you don't have a car, friend, bus pass or any qualifications to operate a vehicle? Then there is good news for you, assuming you have computer access and at least $30,000 you can be traveling in style. Glenn Martin has developed the "Martin Jetpack" prototype. The machine is very bulky and oddly shaped like something from a 80s Sci-Fi movie but don't let that fool you. Martin's company has performed over 5,000 test flights and estimates that it is capable of reaching altitudes of 8,000 feet and traveling 30 miles at 63 miles per hours.
That seems kind of dangerous especially if you don't know what your're doing but you don't have to worry about that, the jetpack takes care of all. The test pilot program is tailored around the users experience level and will limit the jetpacks performance based on that criteria in an effort to keep pilots safe. The reason for all the safety and training measures is that Martin wants to take New Zealand's tourism industry to the sky with these things but before you get too carried away (no pun intended) and drop 30k make sure that you are over 18 years old, have a driver's license and weigh 198 pounds or less.
The thought of hovering around a beautiful place like New Zealand is exciting to me and it would be nice to know that Martin's Jetpacks got my back but it also scares me to imagine the wrong person behind the controls of this since any idiot can get a driver's license the only real limiting factor is the money and people with money are not necessarily smart.
How much would you be willing to pay for an experience like this? Is this too dangerous to let most people use? Penny for your thoughts.
