Only in California - A Guy in a Jet Pack

[Ronald_55]

 

Airline pilots report seeing ‘guy in jetpack’ flying near LAX during approach

https://www.foxnews.com/us/los-angeles-american-airlines-pilot-jetpack-near-lax

 

An American Airlines pilot in California reported seeing a “guy in a jetpack” flying roughly 3,000 feet above-ground as he was nearing Los Angeles International Airport, according to a recent report.

The American flight 1997 pilot was roughly 10 miles away from LAX on Sunday evening -- while it was still light out -- when he spotted the unusual sight and notified authorities, local affiliate FOX 11 Los Angeles reported.

“Tower, American 1997, we just passed a guy in a jetpack,” the pilot can be heard saying in radio transmissions obtained by the news station. When the air traffic controller asks whether the pilot said the person was on the right or left side of the plane, he responds: “Off the left side, maybe 300 yards or so, about our altitude.”

The Federal Aviation Authority told Fox News the sighting happened shortly after 6:30 p.m. local time.

A second pilot then piped in, according to the report, telling air-traffic control: “We just saw the guy passing by us in the jetpack.”

It's not clear what happened to the jetpack-traveler, who had not been located as of Monday night.

An FAA spokesperson told Fox News said the agency "alerted local law enforcement to the reports, and is looking into these reports."

The LAPD did not immediately respond to Fox News’ requests for comment.

[Garufa]

Reckon it was James Bond?

[FUJIMO]

24 minutes ago, Garufa said:

Reckon it was James Bond?

Colt Seavers

[The Big Guy]

Probably an engineer enjoying the fruits of his labor lol. 

[Ronald_55]

4 minutes ago, crake said:

Probably an engineer enjoying the fruits of his labor lol. 

I would hope not his maiden voyage at 1/2 a mile high. Long way to fall.  

[TomInMN]

So then does he have the right of way if he's over a crosswalk?

[The Big Guy]

2 hours ago, Ronald_55 said:

I would hope not his maiden voyage at 1/2 a mile high. Long way to fall.  

Was it his first flight though? I would guess it wouldn't be. 

Edit: Maybe he's a mad-scientist and not an engineer lol.

Edited September 1, 2020 by crake

[DaveTN]

Wonder what the wake turbulence was like at 300 yards?? 

[Erik88]

I'm guessing there are all sorts of FAA regulations for something like this? Common sense would say that 300 yards is too close to another plane. 

[Chucktshoes]

[The Big Guy]

Was it this guy?

 

[MP5_Rizzo]

 

Edited September 1, 2020 by MP5_Rizzo

[No_0ne]

4 hours ago, DaveTN said:

Wonder what the wake turbulence was like at 300 yards?? 

At the same altitude, negligible.  Wakes tend to travel back, and down from the wings ...

[No_0ne]

3 hours ago, Erik88 said:

I'm guessing there are all sorts of FAA regulations for something like this? Common sense would say that 300 yards is too close to another plane. 

Yes, it violates both separation regulations and common sense.  I doubt he has the capability of moving out of the way as fast as the jet flies on approach, and he obviously wasn't sporting a transponder or other means of identification, so contact with other airplanes was a natural outcome of being where he was.  I don't have a LAX Terminal Area Chart available, but I also doubt he was in one of the VFR corridors that don't require a bravo clearance, so once he gets tracked down he's liable to have a number of violations charged against him.  He should have gone well outside the bravo airspace around LAX to make his Darwin Award attempt ...

[Garufa]

I’m not rocket scientist but what kind of “jet pack” will propel one to 3000 feet?  Doesn’t that take a decent amount of thrust and fuel, like more than a backpack jet or those arms things will provide?

Edited September 1, 2020 by Garufa

[xsubsailor]

17 minutes ago, Garufa said:

I’m not rocket scientist but what kind of “jet pack” will propel one to 3000 feet?  Doesn’t that take a decent amount of thrust and fuel, like more than a backpack jet or those arms things will provide?

It's California, maybe it's solar powered  

[No_0ne]

7 hours ago, Garufa said:

I’m not rocket scientist but what kind of “jet pack” will propel one to 3000 feet?  Doesn’t that take a decent amount of thrust and fuel, like more than a backpack jet or those arms things will provide?

Thrust has to be more than the weight of the engine, fuel, etc. plus the pilot and any other hardware onboard.  As for fuel, that depends on the weight, type of engine, type of fuel and several other factors.  If this contraption has no lifting surfaces, i.e. wings, then yes it takes a lot of fuel to lift you that high ...

[DaveTN]

My guess is investigators end up here....

https://jetpackaviation.com/jetpack-training-lp/

 

[gary_boom]

Messing with the FFA has some pretty stiff penalties. Years ago a drunk shot an airplane approaching Tri Cities and got 5 or 7 years federal time if I remember correctly