Could the Martin jetpack really be a glimpse of the future? Video of the latest prototype shows a noisy machine that looks like a souped-up Flymo, although the project has come a long way in the five years since its launch, with test flights now reaching 3,500ft and the New Zealand-based Martin Aircraft Company set to list on the Australian stock exchange.
The firm promises that its safety features make it one of the safest light aircraft around, “light” being an important qualification. The aspiration to build the “motorbike of the skies” is a reminder that small light aircraft do not share the credentials of large passenger aircraft as statistically the safest form of travel.
Steve Yianni, chief executive of the British technology innovation centre Transport Systems Catapult, said: “With any new mobility solution, the factors in its success start with how safe is it – sometimes there is a difference between the public’s perceived safety and the evidence. There would be some work to do to demonstrate that.
“There’s also the cost-effectiveness, environmental factors and the regulations around people flying at low altitude and driving themselves – that’s not a trivial issue.
“There would need to be controls to keep the system flowing if everyone was on a jetpack. Then, how do the convenience and comfort compare?”
New Zealand’s aviation authorities licensed the prototype in the same category as a microlight, another personal aircraft that has been used by commuters in rare instances but more often as an expensive hobby. Even if the jetpack can be honed to something nearer the comic-book dream, it may fill a similar niche.
The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority doesn’t yet have a position on jetpacks. A spokesman said: “Our initial concern would be the impact on other aviation users, which would just mean following the rules of the air – keeping away from other users.”
The rules also demand at least a 500ft clearance of any other vehicle, person or building, and a minimum altitude of 1,000ft in populated areas, except for during takeoff and landing.
Like the Segway, a pioneering technology that its inventors hoped would transform urban mobility, the jetpack’s advance may prove less revolutionary than sci-fi once thought.
The appeal to recreational users and emergency services – Martin’s first target customers – seems more straightforward.
Despite the firm’s claim that it could be a potential form of commuter transport, a bus pass looks a better long-term bet for most.