Reply to: Jetman

[Diver]

Contractor:

I want one!

But with only 200Lbs of thrust, I'll have to leave my wallet behind

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Permie:

I want one, But:

Do I get a fuel allowance?

[TimberWolf]

How can you not be impressed?

This is brilliant stuff. Have you seen the vids of him?

The tech alone is impressive. Actually doing the flying is amazing.

What tech, the model jet engines or a wing? It is no more than a stunt. The difficult parts, getting up and down, were handled by a plane a parachute respectively.

The physics of flight are fairly well understood and a small wing means he'd have to travel fast to stay up (say around 80 mph at a guess), which makes taking off and landing tricky and dangerous, especially on legs. It would be far easier to do with a larger wing, with a hanglider for instance. With a wing size he used, he'd either need to land in a wind tunnel, take along some roller skates (and hope he doesn't trip), or use a parachute. More impressive would be a take-off and landing, even if the distance travelled in-between were short. There is no reason it can't be done, it just needs someone foolhardy enough to try it, and a computer to control his flying wouldn't hurt either.

[The Lone Gunman]

How can you not be impressed?

This is brilliant stuff. Have you seen the vids of him?

The tech alone is impressive. Actually doing the flying is amazing.

[BoredBloke]

I'd have been impressed if he'd done this from a standing start but all he did was fall + a bit of help from the jets

[eliquant]

That guy is a complete and utter nutter.

I want one !

I bet gordo gives him aviation fuel tax and airport levy when he crosses the channel.

[Board Game Geek]

Definitely amazing and to the naysayers, well, it wasn't you was it ?

I commend the fella for his courage and spirit of adventure.

I hope the technology, having been proven, continues to evolve so that one day any of us could so the same thing.

[DaveB]

Din't think it was all that amazing.

Perhaps the DoD will buy some for the CIA agents... now that would be cool.

Quite probably that was entirely the point of the whole stunt. US DoD loves it's gadgets and they don't get much gadgetier than this.

[bogeyman]

Me neither, it's not as if he was going to hit anything. Where is the danger and what is the accomplishment? Basically a bit of rocketry tomfoolery and a parachute jump, if his pants don't catch on fire. Would a hang-glider pilot have set this record first if he'd lit a bunsen burner for a few seconds before gliding across the channel?

There was someone last year who said he wanted to try and land with his jetpack - on a snow slope I believe. Now would be something, and dangerous/jolly foolhardy too.

Yeah. I expect you do that every day on your commute to the office. ffs

[TimberWolf]

Din't think it was all that amazing.

Me neither, it's not as if he was going to hit anything. Where is the danger and what is the accomplishment? Basically a bit of rocketry tomfoolery and a parachute jump, if his pants don't catch on fire. Would a hang-glider pilot have set this record first if he'd lit a bunsen burner for a few seconds before gliding across the channel?

There was someone last year who said he wanted to try and land with his jetpack - on a snow slope I believe. Now would be something, and dangerous/jolly foolhardy too.

[bogeyman]

Its was quite entertaining watching the live feed after the action had finished.

"Errr.... BBC helicopter to newsdesk. How much longer do you want us to stay on the task? over"

"Umm... news helicopter to newsdesk. Can we go now? over".

"Any chance we can go now? over"

They ended up with the camera in the chopper with the crew gurning and waving before the newsdesk finally woke up and pulled the plug.

[scooterscot]

Anyone working from home watching this? let me know if he dies please...

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/n...-video-ap.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7634927.stm

Din't think it was all that amazing.

Perhaps the DoD will buy some for the CIA agents... now that would be cool.

[bogeyman]

He did it

Fantastic. What a ballsy bastard

[PRC1964]

He did it

[Clippy]

This guy is behind the times.

Michael Crawford was flying about like this in the 80's.

[DaveB]

Live feed on the BBC now