The Future Now: Jetpacks to Go on Sale Late This Year-- Fox News

The Future Now: Jetpacks to Go on Sale Late This Year

By Jeremy A. Kaplan

 - FOXNews.com

Flying cars and robot maids may still be far from reality, but one Jetsons-era vision of the future is very real: Later this year, you'll be able to buy your own jetpack.

 

Flying cars and robot maids may still be far from reality, but one Jetsons-era vision of the future is very real: the jetpack.

After nearly 30 years in development, New Zealand's Martin Aircraft Company is finally gearing up to sell its jetpack: two rockets driven by a 2-liter, 200-horsepower engine that can theoretically take you as high as 8,000 feet.

The company is currently taking commercial orders, but Martin expects it will be selling the devices to individuals late this year. 

With a range of 31 miles and a maximum speed of 63 miles per hour, you'll be able to jaunt to the store at will, or to the gas station for a fill-up. That's right, Martin's jetpack uses ordinary gasoline, not jet or rocket fuel.

The future is now, though it'll cost you around $100,000. So why buy a jetpack rather than, say, a midsize sailboat or a high-performance motorcycle?

Well, for one thing, boats require a license. The Martin jetpack, on the other hand, was designed to meet the Federal Aviation Administration's Part 103 regulations, which govern "ultralight" vehicles that don't require a pilot's license (though the company does require you to enroll in its training class prior to flying).  

But the FAA isn't even certain that jetpacks will fall under its regulations. A spokeswoman from the FAA's communications office wavered on whether jetpacks would be covered by Part 103, telling us at one point "we do not  regulate jetpacks." 

Ultimately, she decided that jetpacks would be covered ... probably. "As long as they meet the definition of an ultralight, they are not required to have an aircraft certification, pilot license or register the aircraft," she said.

Assuming you fit Martin Aircraft's description of the ideal flyer -- meaning you weigh between 140 and 240 pounds -- will you be able to strap yourself in and fly to the corner store for a half-gallon of milk and some chips? 

Maybe. The FAA dictates that you won't be able to fly at night -- jetpacks are allowed only from dawn to dusk. But that's OK: The Martin jetpack doesn't have any operating lights.

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