The Jetpacks Are Coming, The Future Is Finally Here

For decades, jetpacks have been one of the biggest indicators of future advancements that techies and sci-fi nerds have had in their heads. Seeing people flying in the sky thanks to booster jets strapped to their backs in movies and TV shows have been tickling the imaginations of both children and adults. Thanks to a company called Jetpack Aviation, this dream might finally see the light of day.

Called the JB-10, the jetpack looks every bit the futuristic means of travel (or having fun) that geeks have been dreaming about. Many other types of jetpacks have been proven to work in the past in varying forms, but all of them were either too bulky or didn’t work for that long. Jetpack Aviation addresses those problems with a product that’s more compact and has better range than what’s available in the market, Independent Online reports.

This latest version of the jetpack is reportedly 7 percent more powerful than its predecessor, features 2 engine for propulsion that can launch users up to 305 meters into the air. As for how long the ride lasts, it’s got an impressive 5 to 10 minutes of fuel life, which is actually a lot better than what many other jetpacks managed to achieve in a compact form.

As for how it is used, it’s all fairly elementary. To move forward, the pilot only needs to lean forward. To stop or reverse, they would need to lean back. To ascend, they would need to accelerate the propulsion while aiming towards the sky.

It would be better not to get too excited about this development, however, as the product is only available to certain buyers. In order to make sure that the jetpack is not given to any customers who might be reckless with its use, any buyer who wants a JB-10 needs to have certain qualifications, Futurism reports. In fact, only the company’s CEO David Mayman has ever flown it.