For just over three months reports of a man in a jetpack have been reported by multiple pilots in the Los Angeles area. Recently a flight academy instructor captured the first documented proof of a man in a jetpack.
Footage from Sling Pilot Academy
In an Instagram post from Sling Pilot Academy, the caption read “Video taken by Sling Pilot Academy Flight Instructor while flying at approx. 3,000’ near Palos Verdes south of Los Angeles. Catalina Island is in the background. The video appears to show a jet pack, but it could also be a drone or some other object. If it is a ‘guy in a jet pack’ then it remains to be seen whether it is a legal test flight (jet packs are real – there is a manufacturer near Los Angeles) or related to the jet pack sightings near LAX recently that caused disruptions to air traffic.”
Sling Pilot Academy is based out of Torrance California and trains pilots in both Private and Commercial Flight. There wasn’t an official report filed with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from the school. Only this video shared on social media.
First Reports of man in Jetpack
The FBI and FAA had previously announced an investigation into the jetpack sightings. In August, a spotting was reported of a jetpack traveler 3,000 feet off the ground near Los Angeles International Airport. It was reported by two separate airline crews. Another airline crew reported a sighting in mid-October, this time at 6,000 feet. There was no video evidence available before the Sling Academy posts. All of the sightings have been reported in the Los Angeles area.
Jetpacks may have been something that we only saw in movies like The Rocketeer or In Star Wars. But they are very real and they are here. Jet Pack Aviation says that their Jetpacks are ready for commercial production. Jetpack Aviation is developing a network of dealers in the United States with experience selling and servicing the helicopter industry. They will produce and ship jetpack units for rental and purchase. They believe that their Jetpack technology is ideally suited for search, rescue, and extraction of soldiers in danger, live reconnaissance, and even personal transport and recreation.