[b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

Post Reply
Message
Author
PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8243
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

[b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#1 Post by PHXPhlyer » Thu Oct 15, 2020 2:36 am

Jetpacks At LAX

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/an ... s-n1243487

Another jetpack reported thousands of feet above Los Angeles
The sighting is the second in two months in the skies over Los Angeles.

Oct. 14, 2020, 6:38 PM MST
By Tim Stelloh and Andrew Blankstein
Someone in a jetpack was reportedly seen flying high above Los Angeles — again.

The apparent sighting, about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, was noted by a China Airlines crew at an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

The unidentified person was about seven miles northwest of the airport, according to the statement, which added that local law enforcement will investigate the report.

In a separate statement, a spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Los Angeles field office said that there were "multiple reports" of the sighting, but she did not provide additional details.

The sighting was the second in two months. On Aug. 30, two pilots on two different flights reported seeing someone in a jetpack near Los Angeles International Airport.

“Tower, American 1997,” an American Airlines pilot told air traffic controllers, according to an audio log. “We just passed a guy in a jetpack.”

The person was about 300 yards to the left, flying at the same altitude as the plane — about 3,000 feet, the pilot said.

“Only in L.A.,” an unidentified person responded.

A Southwest Airlines pilot also saw the aviator, NBC Los Angeles reported.

Last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation launched an inquiry into the sighting, saying it "takes seriously events that threaten US airspace & investigates alleged violations."


The agency released a map showing where investigators believe the jetpack was seen. The flight path was between two cities in southeastern Los Angeles County — Lynwood and Huntington Park.

The FBI spokeswoman said Wednesday that agents are continuing to investigate the August sighting.

Several commercial jetpacks that can climb several thousand feet are available for purchase, but they carry only a few minutes' worth of fuel, NBC Los Angeles reported, citing the FAA. One company, Jet Pack Aviation, lists speeds topping 120 mph and a maximum altitude of 15,000 feet for a system powered by six jet engines.

The price of the 115-pound pack, which can stay in the air for 10 minutes, is only available upon request, the site says.

The company, which is based in the San Fernando Valley, just north of Los Angeles, did not immediately respond to a message Wednesday about the latest mystery aviator.

PP

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#2 Post by Pontius Navigator » Thu Oct 15, 2020 9:47 am

Maybe Ginge seeking a jet a way from you know who.

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#3 Post by FD2 » Thu Oct 15, 2020 9:29 pm

At least the jetpack man or woman (like the PC?) might be able to zoom out of the way of something large and metallic - unless it was approaching from behind - unlike the balloon man of a few years ago. Soon jetpackers will need strobes, transponders, radios etc etc unless they want to try an engine intake for size, or just get out of controlled airspace. I expect someone will start a 'Jetpackers' Lives Matter' movement next to protect their 'rights', which will bring LAX to a standstill. :))

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8243
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#4 Post by PHXPhlyer » Thu Oct 15, 2020 9:48 pm

While I would love to fly one :-bd , I think it should be open season on them in controlled airspace with a hefty bounty offered. :ymdevil:

PP

Edit:
Maybe armed drones would be an option.
On the other hand, I could envision an arms war; jetpacks vs. drones.

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#5 Post by FD2 » Thu Oct 15, 2020 9:54 pm

I love the idea of armed drones v jetpacker wars! Just imagine the excitement - the fans will be fighting in the streets to support their sides in the modern manner!

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8243
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#6 Post by PHXPhlyer » Thu Oct 15, 2020 10:11 pm

A perfect solution for these pandemic times. :-bd
Socially distanced jetpackers vs. drone operators working remotely.
Only drawback, falling jetpackers and drones. [-X
Maybe a new sport, Aerial Jousting? :-?

PP

User avatar
boing
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 2714
Joined: Thu Aug 27, 2015 6:32 am
Location: Beautful Oregon USA
Gender:
Age: 77

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#7 Post by boing » Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:40 am

Actually wake turbulence would be quite an effective solution unless there is a very good "unusual positions for jet pack operators" course.
the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible.

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8243
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#8 Post by PHXPhlyer » Fri Oct 16, 2020 3:46 am

This jetpacker maker isn't so sure that's what's been spotted over the L.A. skies

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/re ... o-n1243660

This jetpacker maker isn't so sure that's what's been spotted over the L.A. skies
“There are only a handful of companies working on this type of technology and none of us have heard about anybody doing something like this,” he said.
Image: Los Angeles Exteriors And Landmarks - 2020
China Airlines Airbus A350-900 arrives at Los Angeles international Airport on Sept. 15, 2020.AaronP/Bauer-Griffin / GC Images/Getty Images file
Oct. 15, 2020, 7:36 PM MST
By Tim Stelloh
On Wednesday, the second of two recent, unconfirmed jetpack sightings occurred in the skies above Los Angeles.

Details of the sightings so far are scant — on Aug. 30, pilots from two different airlines saw what one American Airlines employee described as a “guy in a jetpack.” This week's sighting was apparently seen by a crew on a China Airlines flight.

Federal authorities are investigating the sightings, but David Mayman, chief executive of the Los Angeles-based Jetpack Aviation, said Thursday that he doesn’t believe what the pilots and crew members are seeing are indeed jetpacks.

“There are only a handful of companies working on this type of technology, and none of us have heard about anybody doing something like this,” he said.

“The question is,” he added, “why the heck would you go fly around LAX? You need to have your head read. That’s a catastrophic accident waiting to happen.”

Mayman’s company, which was established in 2016, has produced five jetpacks, he said, noting that all of them are under "lock and key." Only two people have those keys — Mayman and his chief engineer — and none of the packs have been sold, he said.

For liability reasons, he said the company instead offers two-day sessions where — for $4,950 — trainees can travel to the company’s San Fernando Valley-based facility and learn to fly with the jetpacks.

Mayman said it was extremely unlikely that the company’s latest machines could reach the heights described by the airline crew and pilots while also safely descending.

The August sighting was at 3,000 feet; Wednesday's was at 6,000 feet.

It would take one of the company’s turbine-powered jetpacks as long as seven minutes to reach 6,000 feet, Mayman said. The company’s latest model holds 12 gallons of fuel — or about 10 minutes’ worth.

“To climb and descend — it takes some time to do that,” he said. To fly around and be seen by an airplane — that takes even more time. “You’d just be out of fuel,” he said.

When the jetpack descends, it does so under a large parachute. And no one has perfected a recovery system, as the canopies are known, to be used so high.

“Without a recovery system it would be super scary,” he said. “We would not do it.”

Finally, Mayman said the jet engines that power the systems are extremely loud — a fact that likely would have prompted videos and photos, especially because the first sighting was made in a heavily populated area south of downtown Los Angeles, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the sightings.

The Federal Aviation Administration has said only that the second sighting was roughly seven miles northwest of Los Angeles International Airport.

No such videos have surfaced.

So what does Mayman think the airlines are actually seeing?

A battery-powered electric drone, possibly loaded with an inflatable mannequin, that's being flown remotely. They're far quieter, and the person flying the device could use augmented reality or virtual reality goggles to pilot.

“Any teen could put this together with parts from China,” he said. “You could be talking about a bright high school kid or college kid — they could build something like this really easily.”

An FBI spokeswoman declined to comment.

PP

Pontius Navigator
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 14669
Joined: Fri Jul 07, 2017 8:17 am
Location: Gravity be the clue
Gender:
Age: 80

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#9 Post by Pontius Navigator » Fri Oct 16, 2020 9:14 am

the jet engines that power the systems are extremely loud —
That rules out rear hemisphere aural warning. Doing a rear visual scan might be problematic too. You might need to turn rather than just look.

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#10 Post by FD2 » Fri Oct 16, 2020 10:19 am

I suspect this could be some kids fooling around with a drone. If so it's clever, but in the wrong way and they deserve a big smack. :((

G-CPTN
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 7594
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:22 pm
Location: Tynedale
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#11 Post by G-CPTN » Fri Oct 16, 2020 10:30 am

Probably aliens from Alpha Tauri.

User avatar
Undried Plum
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 7308
Joined: Sun Jul 22, 2018 8:45 pm
Location: 56°N 4°W

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#12 Post by Undried Plum » Fri Oct 16, 2020 10:48 am

Balloon makers enjoy a good jape.

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8243
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#13 Post by PHXPhlyer » Fri Dec 25, 2020 12:28 am

Video Taken By Pilots Of What Could Be The Elusive Los Angeles Jet Pack Guy Emerges

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/3 ... uy-emerges


Video Taken By Pilots Of What Could Be The Elusive Los Angeles Jet Pack Guy Emerges (Updated)
Flight school pilots were on a training flight off the coast when they were surprised to see what appeared to be a guy in a jet pack whizzing by.
BY TYLER ROGOWAY DECEMBER 23, 2020
THE WAR ZONE
SLING PILOT ACADEMY INSTAGRAM
SHARE
TYLER ROGOWAY View Tyler Rogoway's Articles
Aviation_Intel
When it comes to weird stories that keep getting weirder, the elusive "Jet Pack Guy" of Los Angeles pretty much takes the cake. After multiple reported sightings from airline pilots on more than one occasion of a guy in a jet pack flying around at thousands of feet near Los Angeles International Airport—some of the most congested airspace on earth—as well as ongoing FAA and FBI investigations into the matter, we now have credible video of what seems to be the flying object in question.

The footage doesn't come to us from some random Reddit board or YouTube channel, either. It was taken during an instructional flight from Sling Pilot Academy in the training area off Palos Verdes. We reached out to the flight school, which is based out of Zamperini Field, in Torrance, California for additional details.


VFRMAP.COM
The red circled area is roughly where the encounter occurred.

One of the pilots involved in the bizarre incident told The War Zone that they were flying along their route in the practice area between Palos Verdes and Catalina Island when they caught what appeared to at least resemble a guy in a jet pack flying towards them in the opposite direction at about 3,000 feet. The object passed along the right side of their aircraft and kept going until it was out of sight.


There was no communication from the object or about the object on the usually busy radio channel used for the training area. As such, the pilots did report the encounter with the FAA, but because there wasn't really any detail to add, an official report was not filed.

They were able to grab the video seen below (if for some reason it doesn't show up in your browser, you can click here to view it directly on Instagram).


A guy flying out over the ocean in a jet pack at around 3,000 feet, especially one without any lifting surfaces, is a puzzling proposition, to say the least. Jet packs that do exist have very short ranges and are not equipped to be flying in dense airspace, especially thousands of feet in the air.

It is possible that this is some sort of a drone dressed up to look like a guy in a jet pack, as seen in the video below. Then the question becomes why would someone be doing this? What could possibly be worth the risk? Also, it's not like executing such a feat would be a cheap or simple operation. In this case, the craft wasn't even flying over a populated area, it was out to sea where there are far fewer eyes to even recognize it.


Then again, maybe this is something else altogether. But what?

Let us know what you think is going on in the comments below.

Regardless, our investigation into this matter, which includes multiple open FOIAs, continues.

UPDATE:

The FAA contacted us with the following official statement:

"The FAA has not received any recent reports from pilots who believe they may have seen someone in a jetpack in the skies around Los Angeles. The FAA has taken the sighting reports it has received seriously, and has worked closely with the FBI to investigate them. However, the FAA has been unable to validate the reports."

This fits with what the pilot told us, that there wasn't an official report filed.

The War Zone has also learned that the officials are going to contact the flight school directly to investigate this incident further and that they replayed radar tapes from around the time of previous sightings, but did not see anything abnormal. No witnesses on the ground have provided any evidence of someone with a jet pack taking off or landing, either.

PP

G-CPTN
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 7594
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:22 pm
Location: Tynedale
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#14 Post by G-CPTN » Fri Dec 25, 2020 5:25 am

Just the Christmas man.

Nothing to see here - move along.

User avatar
FD2
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 5110
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2015 10:11 pm
Location: New Zealand
Gender:
Age: 76

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#15 Post by FD2 » Sat Dec 26, 2020 5:28 am

It looks very like a man with a jet pack to me, or a very good mock up. Guess he's got a lifejacket and sarbe in case the thing goes 'phut'.

Come to think of it he'd need a parachute as well from any height greater than about 10ft, with an avoid height up to about 1000ft. My money's on some sort of mock up, for a bit of fun in Covid times.

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8243
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#16 Post by PHXPhlyer » Sat Dec 26, 2020 3:45 pm

FD2 wrote:
Sat Dec 26, 2020 5:28 am
It looks very like a man with a jet pack to me, or a very good mock up. Guess he's got a lifejacket and sarbe in case the thing goes 'phut'.

Come to think of it he'd need a parachute as well from any height greater than about 10ft, with an avoid height up to about 1000ft. My money's on some sort of mock up, for a bit of fun in Covid times.
A very good mock up


PP

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8243
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#17 Post by PHXPhlyer » Thu Jul 29, 2021 9:45 pm

Jetpack sighting near LAX, pilot reports: 'Did you see the UFO?'

https://www.foxla.com/news/commercial-p ... ee-the-ufo

LOS ANGELES - Federal officials are investigating another reported sighting of a jetpack man flying near the Los Angeles International Airport.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a Boeing 747 pilot spotted a so-called "jetpack man" at an estimated altitude of 5,000 feet approximately 15 miles east of LAX on Wednesday around 8 p.m.

Los Angeles International Airport, LAX
Jetpack sighting audio recordings
In audio recordings obtained by FOX 11, the pilot could be heard alerting air traffic control about the sighting:

PILOT: "Possible Jetpack man in sight."

ATC TOWER: "Was he off your left or right sir?"

PILOT: "Right wing [inaudible]"

ATC TOWER: "Do you know what altitude?"

PILOT: "About 5,000."

ATC TOWER: "Skywest 3626. Did you see the UFO?"

PILOT: "We were looking but we did not see Iron Man."

Other jetpack sightings near LAX
There have been multiple jetpack sightings dating back to early 2020 leading to investigations by the FAA and FBI.

In December, a Southern California pilot captured video of what appeared to be a person with a jetpack in the skies above the Rancho Palos Verdes coast at an altitude of 3,000 feet.


RELATED:

Mystery jetpack man flying by commercial pilots at LAX may have been a mannequin on a drone
Possible 'Jetpack Guy' sighting? Video suggests mystery person spotted off Palos Verdes
Investigation continues into mysterious jetpack sighting near LAX
Jetpack spotted flying near LAX for second time in weeks
FBI investigating pilot's report of 'guy in jetpack' flying 3,000 feet in air near planes at LAX
Other sightings were also reported on August 31 and October 14 of 2020.

Who is the LA jetpack man?
Authorities have not said that any of the sightings are related, and investigators believe the December sighting may have been a drone made to look like a man in a jetpack. However, a number of similar reports prompted the FBI to get involved. The agency even issued a report saying the sightings were unlikely to involve an actual person with a person.

Based on research, jetpacks can fly that high but it’s pretty uncommon. There's an assumption that people with the technical and financial ability to fly at this extreme height and near an airport would also understand the regulations around flying in LAX's flight path.

"I think it’s some sort of scientist working on a jetpack and popping up in different areas," said Marcus Hollis who spends his mornings watching planes fly in and out of LAX.

PP

PHXPhlyer
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 8243
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2018 2:56 pm
Location: PHX
Gender:
Age: 69

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#18 Post by PHXPhlyer » Tue Nov 02, 2021 1:46 pm

Authorities think they know what's behind those jetpack sightings over Los Angeles
“One working theory is that pilots might have seen balloons,” authorities said.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/of ... s-n1282932

LOS ANGELES — Authorities investigating a series of possible jetpack sightings over Los Angeles believe they may have identified an explanation for the mysterious reports — one that requires no fuel, no engines, and no high-flying technology.

“One working theory is that pilots might have seen balloons,” the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Federal Aviation Administration said in statements after NBC Los Angeles obtained police video and photos that appear to show a human-shaped inflatable toy floating above Beverly Hills.

The theory gained support after images captured by a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter crew last year showed a human-shaped balloon — believed to be a life-sized Jack Skellington, of Tim Burton’s “A Nightmare Before Christmas” — thousands of feet in the air.

The images showed what could have been a single balloon from a Halloween decoration that broke loose and drifted into the sky.

There have been three sightings over Los Angeles International Airport — one on August 30, 2020, another nearly two months later, on Oct. 14, and a third earlier this year, on July 28.


In all three cases, commercial airline pilots said they saw what appeared to be jetpacks flying at altitudes of 3,000 feet; 6,000 feet; and 5,000 feet.

Officials said Monday that after more than a year of investigation federal agents had been unable to find additional witnesses who saw, or recorded video, of any of the flying objects reported by the pilots either in flight or falling to the ground.

“The FAA has worked closely with the FBI to investigate every reported jetpack sighting,” the FAA said. “So far, none of these sightings have been verified.”

Retired airline pilot and aviation consultant Ross Aimer said Monday the balloon images seem to fit with what the jet pilots reported.

“This now explains that this could possibly be what they saw,” Aimer said.

He said that he believed pilots had made honest reports to air traffic controllers, but at the high relative speed of a jetliner on approach, the flight crews may have only caught a glimpse of the objects.

“There’s a very good possibility the previous ones were also balloons and pilots mistook them as jetpacks,” Aimer said. “This is a better explanation to me and to the aviation community.”

Both the FAA and FBI have said the jetpack inquiry remains an open investigation.

David Mayman, the chief executive of Los Angeles-based Jetpack Aviation, said last year that jetpacks weren’t a plausible explanation. The machines produced by his company — none of which had been sold — only hold a dozen gallons of fuel, or about 10 minutes worth, and couldn’t have reached the altitudes described by the pilots.

“To climb and descend — it takes some time to do that,” he said, adding: “You’d just be out of fuel.”

Mayman’s theory? A battery-powered drone, loaded with an inflatable mannequin and flown remotely.

“Any teen could put this together with parts from China,” he said. “You could be talking about a bright high school kid or college kid — they could build something like this really easily.”

G-CPTN
Chief Pilot
Chief Pilot
Posts: 7594
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2018 11:22 pm
Location: Tynedale
Gender:
Age: 79

Re: [b]Jetpacks At LAX[/b]

#19 Post by G-CPTN » Tue Nov 02, 2021 2:29 pm

The old 'weather-balloon' explanation for UFO sighting.

Post Reply