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Franky Zapata demonstrating his Flyboard Air

An evening pause: Hat tip t-dub, who wrote that the Flyboard Air “is a real product developed by Franky Zapata. It’s a jet powered board that reminds me of what the Green Goblin used in Spiderman. This video was done in Monaco during the Formula 1 race this year. His company is called Zapata Racing and he has developed a jet pack, water hover board, and those fire hose things people use over water which is a hydraulic Flyboard I believe. If they only had this stuff back in the 70’s when I was growing up.” T-dub also added, “The Flyboard can go up to 10,000 feet, fly at 98 MPH, and has a duration of almost ten minutes depending on use. They have also set a Guinness record with the device.”

My thought: Once again, life imitates art.

Genesis cover

On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.

 
The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.


The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
 

"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News

4 comments

  • t-dub

    I just want to add that the performance claims of the Flyboard Air are from an article I read where the inventor was interviewed. I think its interesting to note that the fuel for this device, I think they said it was high grade kerosene, sits in a bladder on the operators back. This leaves room for a parachute only on the front of the operators body. This makes me think that its practical use will be like what we saw in the video so that unnecessary risk of injury or death is mitigated.

  • Ted

    I remember the Bell Jet-Pack used at football games, James Bond movies etc. Very short duration time, noisy. This Flyboard is amazing.

  • Cotour

    Other more recent versions of the concept using differing technology that have been reviewed in the past:

    1. JB-9 https://youtu.be/QhnXxJs0GpE

    2. Martin Jetpack https://youtu.be/rvmuDQjxKxg

    3. Jet Man https://youtu.be/kSgrzMQv2Mc

    I believe that the Martin Jetpack includes a ballistic parachute that is specd at being effective at 200 plus feet. Below that your on your own.

  • vicki stone

    how are these steered and stopped??

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