Man flies around Statue of Liberty in jetpack

Man_flies_around_Statue_of_Liberty_in_jetpackAustralian entrepreneur David Mayman was the first person to fly around New York’s Statue of Liberty in a jetpack, a recent video shows.

Mayman’s JetPack Aviation, which claims to have invented the world’s only true jetpack, released a video on YouTube showing him flying around the New York landmark.

According to its website the JB-10 can reach altitudes of up to 10,000 feet (3,048 meters) and speeds of 100 mph (160 kmh) while staying airborne for up to 10 minutes at a time, depending on the pilot’s weight.

It is capable of vertical takeoff and landing, powered by its jet turbine-powered backpack, making it the only “true” jetpack according to the developers. Other jetpacks to date, the company says, are powered by rocket fuel, too large in size to be called “jetpack”, or either require its pilot to jump from high altitudes.

The JB-10 is fueled by kerosene of diesel, and the current version requires no license to fly.

The company says it has been working on the JB-10 for the past 10 years, and their efforts are documented by Emmy-award-winning producers of Firelight Productions and Paper Bark Films.

The film is titled “Rocket Compulsion” and is scheduled to get released in mid 2016.