The Rocketeer - Which One of You Scallywags Was It?

[Fasttrack]

I know it must have been someone from the forum, but who??

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pilo...ry?id=72755638

(In case you are leery of clicking on click-bait type links, that's a news story about a couple of commercial flights that reported seeing a man in a jetpack at about 3000' altitude)
Anyone remember that movie about a young pilot who discovers a mysterious contraption that turns out to be a jetpack?

[lynnl]

Reminds me of a case, also at LAX, back in the early part of the new millenium. Commercial pilots reported seeing a guy in a lawn chair suspended from some big balloons in or near the LAX airspace. Don't recall the altitude involved, but it was well above the normal cruising altitude of most lawn chairs.

But I don't remember if that report proved to be bogus or legit.

[Ironbearmarine]

Reminds me of a case, also at LAX, back in the early part of the new millenium. Commercial pilots reported seeing a guy in a lawn chair suspended from some big balloons in or near the LAX airspace. Don't recall the altitude involved, but it was well above the normal cruising altitude of most lawn chairs.

But I don't remember if that report proved to be bogus or legit.

It was quite legit. The “pilot” controlled his descent with a bb gun, judiciously shooting certain balloons to maintain trim and speed. Lived to tell the tale and be arrested.

[jcfx]

I don't think Cliff Secord is active on the forum, but his buddy Peevy might be a lurker

[doctor demo]

This may be the clip, Larry was trying to get to Mojave I believe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7q3MnJBxrw

Steve

[doctor demo]

Referencing post 2 and 3, not the op
Wrong clip, this one is Larry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFFVVo9usFY

Steve

[RB211]

I wish I was so lucky to see this. Best I can say is that I've seen two comets enter the atmosphere with an intense neon green glow, and getting lasered by a green laser a few times.

[danlb]

I wish I was so lucky to see this. Best I can say is that I've seen two comets enter the atmosphere with an intense neon green glow, and getting lasered by a green laser a few times.

I saw one meteor last month that started in the northern sky about 20 degrees above the horizon, and took a couple of seconds to paint a very wide orange neon trail across the sky from left to right. It was much slower than any meteor I've seen before, and much faster than any plane. The trail faded away as quickly as it was painted.

I'd love to see a working jet pack too!

Dan

[Optics Curmudgeon]

Yves Rossy, perhaps? I think he has more sense than to do this, though.

[Randy]

The original lawn chair pilot was Larry Walters in 1982. He was interviewed by David Letterman. When asked what he achieved by this stunt he replied, "Inner peace."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wWds5r4DZs

[Fasttrack]

Yves Rossy, perhaps? I think he has more sense than to do this, though.

Apparently anyone with more money than sense can buy a jetpack these days. Operating it successfully is another thing entirely, though!

https://www.theguardian.com/technolo...pack-next-year

[lugnut]

WOW, my wife made me put a 8 inch altitude limit on my lawn chair. No fun at all.

[J Tiers]

I did not know those jet-packs had that much fuel. It would be the start of the bad part of the day to have a fuel problem when at 3000 ft. Then there is the issue of getting back to base with it, you might stand out a bit walking back with it even if you did get it landed.