It seems that pilots don’t only have to worry about other planes in the sky, birds, or drones, but it looks like a new worry can be added to the list in the form of people flying jetpacks. This is because according to a recent report, pilots flying over LAX have reported to have seen someone flying a jetpack near the airport.
According to a statement issued by the FAA, “Two airline flight crews reported seeing what appeared to be someone in a jetpack as they were on their final approaches to LAX around 6:35pm PDT Sunday.” No further details were shared, but given that two separate airline crews reported the incident, it seems unlikely that they could have mistaken it for something else.
What’s particularly interesting and slightly worrying about this incident is the fact that they reported seeing the person in the jetpack around the altitude of the planes as they descended, which were roughly at 3,000 feet. It should be noted that for the most part, the majority of current jetpack designs cannot achieve those kinds of altitudes.
Yves “Jetman” Rossi, a person known for flying jetpacks, does have those capabilities, but he typically conducts his flights under highly controlled environments that also typically require him to launch from a helicopter. At the moment, both the FAA and the FBI are looking into the matter.