Personal jetpacks get permit for manned test flight

Washington: The New Zealand based developers of personalized jetpack have announced that the aviation regulators have issued the device with a flying permit, allowing for manned test flights. Martin Aircraft chief executive Peter Coker said that it was an important step for them, as now they are coming into a position to commercialize and take forward very quickly. Inventor Glenn Martin, inspired by TV shows like `Thunderbirds` and `Lost in Space,` began working on the jetpack in his Christchurch garage more than 30 years ago. The device features a pair of cylinders containing propulsion fans attached to a free-standing carbon-fibre frame; the pilot backs into the frame, straps himself in and controls the wingless jetpack with two joysticks. Coker said the latest prototype, the P12, incorporated huge design improvements over earlier versions. The New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority announced that the device has been issued with an experimental flight permit for development test flying, which allows someone to pilot the aircraft. They said that the jetpack`s test flights is going to be subject to strict safety requirements, with flights not being allowed higher than 20 feet above the ground or 25 feet above water. Also the testing is to be done over uninhabited land. ANI