Jetpacks or rocket belts as they were first known can be traced back to the late 1940's when Thomas Moore  started experiments on this type of flying machine.  Actual flight took place at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama in 1952 when Thomas was lifted into the air for just a few seconds.

It wasn't until June 15th 1961 that a full flight of 20 seconds took place by a pilot by the name of Harold Graham when he flew over a car at the Pentagon, USA to the astonishment of all who watched it.

Below is Harold Graham with his triple cell hydrogen peroxide jetpack.

Jetpacks grip the imagination like nothing else,  when we consider that a person can fly without wings, its an awesome thing to contemplate.  Jetpack flights are guaranteed to amaze and astound audiences and as a result, jetpack flights are often deployed at the start of such events as football games, Olympic ceremonies and air shows.

Even though the jetpack was invented over 50 years ago they are still a very rare sight, this is due to the many pitfalls that such a machine is attributed with.

A terrific amount of thrust is needed to push the pilot into the air, as overcoming gravity is the biggest problem with any type of flight.  The jetpack has twin or triple fuel tanks that are strapped to the pilots back and when mixed with a catalyst to produce a reaction, the expanding gas is forced through twin down thrusters giving lift, its noisy and dangerous and is considered more of a stunt than a practical flying machine.

The pilot controls the upward and forward movement with two twist controls similar to those in a helicopter.  The flight time is very short at around 20 seconds as the fuel gets used up quickly.  The fuel tanks cannot be made any bigger due to the weight x thrust coefficient in that if its too heavy then more fuel will be needed to lift the greater weight and in itself add more weight.

The jetpack cannot be too heavy for another reason and that is the pilot who would have to bear the weight of it whilst standing up.  The jetpack must still be as comfortable to wear as it is to fly with.

The youtube videos below illustrate the jetpack and some of its capabilities.

The last 30 seconds of the video below also show the jetpack in action, its amazing to see this guy flying around with no wings or rotors to keep him up there.

Hydrogen peroxide is the standard fuel to power rocket thrusters such as those on a jetpack.  Hydrogen peroxide itself is a stable compound but when it is mixed with a catalyst such as a silver coated mesh it instantly transforms into superheated steam and oxygen which expands 5000 times its original volume.  This superheated steam is conducted through narrow nozzles that force the vapor downwards thus producing lift.

Jetpacks are still under development even now after their advent some 50 years ago.  The main issues are indeed safety in that the flight duration is short and a pilot could theoretically be 300 feet off the ground when either the fuel suddenly runs out, gets a blockage or there is a technical malfunction, he would fall like a concrete balloon to his death or certain serious injury.

There are no failsafe systems on a jetpack apart from maybe the pilot wearing a parachute, but he would have to be above minimum parachute deployment height before he could use it, and 300 feet for example would not be enough.

The required minimum parachute deployment height set by the United States Parachute Association for a D-License holder is 2000 feet.  Most main parachutes take 600 to 1200 feet to open, whilst the reserve parachute can open in less than 400 feet.  However, the reserve parachute minimum required safety height is stipulated at  700 feet to land without injury.

So now our intrepid jetpack pilot is restricted to flying only several feet off the ground to avoid injury, and this is not good flying practice as these jetpacks can fly at 60mph+ ...watch out for that telegraph pole and its wires !!

Jetpacks are also reportedly very difficult to fly  by those who have done so and the pilot must be very skilled, ie have may hours of flying time which leads us to the expenditure of the fuel.  The price of the hydrogen peroxide is very expensive at around $60.00 per US gallon and would cost  thousands of dollars to get trained up on a jetpack to a required level of safety.

It is said that more people have walked on the moon than have flown in a jetpack.  There is however a company in the USA that manufactures jetpacks and offer training in their use.  At $200,000 for the complete kit though, this would be a hobby reserved only for the very rich or the very reckless rich.

www.jetpackinternational.com

In the Movies

Perhaps the most famous and indeed first time when a jetpack was used in a movie was in the 1965 movie Thunderball, with James Bond.

The full name of this jetpack was the Bell Aerosystems SRLD small rocket lift device and it was flown in the movie by a stuntman double. 

Unfortunately for the movie producers, the real pilots Gordon Yeager and Bill Suitor who actually flew the jetpack  insisted on wearing their helmets and this was after shooting all the static and backdrop scenes of Bond flying the jetpack without a helmet, so Sean Connery had to shoot it all over again...with a helmet !

And on a lighter note, it has been noted that this is the first time that Bond has ever observed health and safety regulations in the correct use of PPE ( personal protective equipment )

The director Terence Young didn't like the sound of the jetpack as it was quite loud in the way it hissed, so the sound was dubbed for the movie, from that of a fire extinguisher.

If you will excuse me when I say the jetpack never really took off and the only time you may be extremely lucky to see one would be at the opening of a show or festival, as it was when it was first invented.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jetlev

 Another much cheaper and safer alternative to the jetpack is a water based booster system called the jetlev.  The jetlev first appeared in January 2009 and was presented more as a recreational pastime like a jetski than a serious method of travel.

Instead of rocket fuel the jetlev uses water under very high pressure to produce lift.  The operator/pilot flies the jetlev whilst over a body of water like a lake or reservoir. A small unmanned floating pod trails behind the pilot that pumps up the water to be released at high pressure from the jetlev pack,  the water pressure is enough to lift the pilot and propel him forwards as the photos depict.

The height in which the jetlev can go is about 28 feet, as it is restricted by the weight of the water going up the hose.  The jetlev can only fly at a maximum speed of 22mph due to the limited pressure of the water, which is already at a maximum for this type of machine. 

Either way though, the jetlev does indeed allow the pilot to take to the air and fly, even if it is restricted flight.  Each and every landing is safe though, as the pilot will just fall into the water, even if there is a malfunction.

Below are some specifications, taken from the jetlev website...link given further down the page.

With 1 hour of flying time, I would say that this has got to be the best hydra-flight ever, its a pity that it can only be flown over water but I am sure that the Navy might be able to put it to some use, or even the air-sea rescue services.

See the youtube video below of this great fun water powered jetpack.

The jetlev does indeed sound like a whole load of fun, imagine...being able to fly with no risk of any real injury, just a big splash !!

 Quite a cool innovation and one that I would be willing to try, because you can only ever fall into water.  Flight has always been a risky business, even as I type there is news of a commercial plane crashing out in the middle east somewhere.

There is that old adage that resounds; that if God had intended us to fly, he would have given us wings, but nowhere does He mention jetlev water packs.

www.jetlev.com