Startup Says Anyone New Jetpack Is So Simple That Anyone Can Fly It

It’s designed for workers to fly around construction sites. 

Just Add Jets

Engineers in England say they've developed a jetpack so simple that anyone can safely fly it with minimal training. 

Maverick Aviation says the jetpack can travel up to 30mph, according to a statement obtained by Construction Global. It's designed come with an easy learning curve, and even has an auto-pilot system installed.

"What is unique about what we’re doing is the computer-controlled autopilot system that makes flying effortless and easy to control with precision," co-founder Antony Quinn said in the statement. "That’s how we have changed jetpacks from exciting to useful."

Whether any of that'll hold up in the real world is far from clear. The company said that it doesn't plan to test fly its jetpack with a human next summer.

Construction Flight

Quinn says the jetpack was designed specifically with construction and engineering workers in mind. Its ease-of-use will mean a lower cost of training, he said, "so you’re going to have all sorts of professionals suddenly able to work in the most inaccessible environments quickly and safely."

"I realized that the growing onshore and offshore wind industry really needed a solution like this,” he said. "Their engineers climb up ladders inside these structures for hours each day and, in an emergency situation, it’s almost impossible to get down quickly. Drones can be useful for inspections, but in many circumstances, you need to get an engineer up there."

Liability Issue

Of course, jetpacks in construction and engineering sites raise a whole host of questions about safety and liability. Jetpacks are notoriously unsafe, which has sandbagged any shot at mainstream adoption for decades.

For one, just because it’s easy-to-use doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe. You would also hope that workers undergo rigorous training in order to use them. That’s also especially important when you consider the fact that people have died flying jet packs before (granted, those jet packs were designed for stunt flying). 

And, again, the company may be circulating a pompous press release, but the fact is that it hasn't even tested this thing in the real world yet.

READ MORE: Maverick Aviation unveils jetpack for use in construction [Construction Global]

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