Watch a jetpack pilot fly around Smithsonian 'future' festival


It's a bird. It's a plane. It's marketing for an energy drink! Video screenshot by Eric Mack/CNET

While it's not quite the "Rocketeer" just yet, a human-piloted jetpack still managed to wow the crowd at the Smithsonian's "Future is Here" gathering in Washington, D.C., by flying around the grand atrium of the Ronald Reagan building on a combination of nitrogen and hydrogen peroxide fuel.

Created by Jet Pack International, this particular technology has actually been making appearances around the world at gatherings like these for several years now. The nitrogen pushes the hydrogen peroxide through the motor, which converts it to super-heated steam.

This model of rocket belt from the company has a maximum flight time of just 25 seconds and a total range of 1,320 feet with a maximum height of 196 feet and a top speed of 80 miles per hour. Piloting the pack is not nearly as easy as it looks, requiring over 100 hours of training.

For a few years now, the company has been planning to release a consumer jetpack dubbed "Falcon" with a much longer range that will cost over $200,000, but the project has fallen behind schedule.

Meanwhile, behold this brief slice of the future that also promotes an energy drink at the same time.

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