These 5 Real Life Jetpacks Are Bringing The Rocketeer A Bit Closer To Reality

The ability to fly independently is a dream for many, and it's why superheroes like Superman are so popular. Science fiction has been teasing the world with jetpacks for nearly a century, beginning in the pages of newspapers via "Buck Rogers" comic strips. Few sci-fi anthologies or magazines didn't feature paintings of people zipping about the skies with rockets strapped to their backs.

Jetpacks have also appeared in movies, including 1991's "The Rocketeer," which detailed a plan by the Nazis to overpower its enemies in the leadup to World War II. While that kind of jetpack remains the stuff of fiction, we are getting closer to actually having jetpacks that work. Granted, you're not going to fly about with a seemingly endless supply of fuel, and there are limitations. After all, jetpack technology is only beginning to come into focus in the 21st century, but it does show promise.

The sad truth of modern jetpacks revolves around the cost of owning and operating them. They're ridiculously expensive, but that doesn't make them any less enticing. Who wouldn't want to strap on a personal flying device and soar through the skies? It's a dream many have had throughout their lives, and thanks to some impressive engineering, it's no longer a fantasy. These five jetpacks are examples of what's out there, and for those with the means to fly them, movies like "The Rocketeer" are one step closer to reality.

There are many different types of jetpacks, though one of the first successful designs came from Swiss pilot and aviation enthusiast Yves Rossy. The media dubbed him "Jetman" for his invention: a wingsuit consisting of semi-rigid wings spreading nearly eight feet. The system is powered by four Jetcat P400 engines, which gives it incredible power. Rossi formed Jetman Dubai to continue refining his technology, which has been in active development since the mid-2000s.

Jetman Dubai's Jetwing can fly a maximum distance of 31 miles at a top speed of 253 mph. Jetman Dubai's website lists its minimum speed at hover, its highest altitude at 20,000 feet, and its total flight duration at 13 minutes. That places the Jetman Dubai Jetwing as one of the most advanced jetpacks out there, but it didn't attain that level of sophistication easily. In November 2020, Jetman Pilot Vincent Reffet died while attempting an 800-foot hover, having lost control and failing to release the attached pyro-rocket emergency parachute.

While the accident was tragic, it's a rare example of the technology failing due to pilot inaction. Still, don't be fooled by videos of people flying these things — they require a great deal of training to use, and they aren't available for public use just yet. The Jetman Dubai Jetwing is tantamount to strapping a jet aircraft to your back and going for a ride. It's a fantastic example of the nascent technology, but it's also an example of one of the hardest jetpacks to fly and ultimately master.

Nearly every sci-fi depiction of a jetpack consists of a backpack jet, but the folks at Gravity Industries altered this conceptual design to make it more akin to Iron Man. The Daedalus Flight Pack was invented by Richard Browning, though the name has since been changed. The flight pack's prototype was created in 2016 and has gone through several upgrades in the years since. It's incredibly powerful with military, commercial, and industrial capabilities.

Browning founded Gravity Industries for his jetsuit, which is commercially available. The system is powered by five micro-gas turbine engines — four on the arms for steering and one on the back. Combined, they produce 10,508 hp, giving the wearer ten minutes of flight time at a speed of 80 mph and altitude of 12,000 feet, according to some estimates. Despite this capability, the design is intended to be flown much lower, at only ten to 13 feet above the ground at 55 mph.

Gravity Industries hopes to see its jetsuit used in numerous applications, including search and rescue, military reconnaissance, and personal entertainment. These jetsuits can be custom-made at the cost of around $500,000, or anyone can fly them, with packages beginning at $3,500. You'll have to head to Chichester, which is about an hour from London, England, where you'll receive basic training and a chance to fly. Operating these requires considerable physical arm strength, so there are some limitations, though people can physically prepare themselves to operate them.

Inventor David Mayman got into the jetpack game in the mid-aughts, having founded Jetpack Aviation in California to realize his dream of taking to the skies. Mayman's design revolved around a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL), ideally matching the public's expectation of jetpacks from sci-fi. The company achieved that goal with its first jetpack, the JB-9. The company unveiled this design in November 2015 with a publicity flight around the Statue of Liberty. Since then, the jetpack has improved significantly with subsequent models.

Jetpack Aviation has since released three models: JB-10, JB-11, and JB-12. Each subsequent design is an improvement on the capabilities of the last. The company has already sold two JB-12s to an unnamed Southeast Asian country's military. The total cost for both units was $800,000 and could be used for emergency medical response in locations where a helicopter wouldn't be practical. Jetpack Aviation also contracted to train pilots to operate their JB-12s, so the company is fully involved.

While Jetpack Aviation doesn't list the specifications for its latest design, it does detail the JB-11's stats. The JB-11 has an empty weight of 115 lbs., a maximum speed of 120+ mph, endurance of ten minutes, and an operational ceiling of 15,000 feet. Additionally, The JB-11 uses Jet A-1, JP8, kerosene, or diesel for fuel. Additionally, the JB-11 features six turbojet engines, which is four more than its predecessor. The latest models also feature auto-stabilization software, making it easier to learn how to operate.

Glenn Martin began working on a jetpack in the 1980s, and he spent decades making the technology work. Unlike other jetpacks, the Martin Jetpack isn't what you'd expect, as it didn't include any jets in its design. Instead, it consisted of two large ducted fans that provided lift. This was something of an issue, as the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) classified the Martin Jetpack as an "experimental ultralight aircraft." This meant that it couldn't be flown in populated areas.

The Martin Jetpack had a 3,000-foot ceiling, a 30-minute range, and could fly up to 46 mph with 12 gallons of fuel. Those stats made it quite different from other jetpacks, which is due to the different technology involved in providing elevation and thrust. The two ducted fans were powered by a 200 hp engine, and the fuel was standard gasoline with two-stroke oil mixed in.

This made it possible for someone to fly the Martin Jetpack and stop to refuel at a standard gas station. The Martin Jetpack eyed a $150,000 price tag, depending on the device's configuration, but it was never made commercially available. The plan for Martin Aircraft was to get the device reclassified as a class one microlight, but Martin left the company in 2015, and the company ceased operation in 2019. Despite this, the technology was proven and could have been refined into something more.

One of the most unusual types of personal flying devices is the Flyboard Air, invented by Franky Zapata. The Flyboard Air isn't something you strap onto your back — you strap it onto your feet. If you thought the hoverboards in the "Back to the Future" franchise were impressive, the Flyboard Air is next-level. Zapata's company, Z-AIR, describes its device as "The smallest redundant manned aircraft ever built." The operator steps into the device, which is attached at the feet, making it the world's first true hoverboard.

The Flyboard Air can operate for ten minutes, hit a top speed of 146 mph, reach a maximum altitude of 9,843 feet, and carry up to 265 lbs. It's powered by five turbojet engines and incorporates an onboard stabilization system to ensure operator stability. The Flyboard Air is also capable of VTOL and uses kerosene for fuel. 

Z-AIR provided a test platform, the Fly-EZ, to the U.S. Army, but the technology isn't practical for military use just yet. The Flyboard Air is still a developing technology, and flying it does have a learning curve. Zapata himself splashed into the English Channel while demonstrating his device in 2019. A second attempt was successful, but his initial failure demonstrated issues operating the hoverboard. If Zapata continues to refine the design and improve its capabilities, we all may one day zip around the skies like Marty McFly, sans time machine, of course.