A Civilian Pilot

It’s been a long wait but jetpack technology has finally reached new heights. This week, Jetpack Aviation managed to strap a civilian on its JB-10 Jetpack — the first time a pilot with no prior training was able to fly one.

Mischa Pollack, a video blogger from Los Angeles, was selected for what Jetpack Aviation dubbed their “first civilian flight.” With less than 10 hours of training, Pollack managed to successfully fly the JB-10.

The term flying is relative, of course. As you can see in New Atlas’ photos of the event, Pollack was mostly hovering, with the jetpack tethered to a cable, across a section of an avocado orchard in California. Still, this achievement is a major one for the company. Jetpack Aviation has been working hard to bring jetpack technology to the mainstream market.

“This is proving we can train pretty much anybody,” said Jetpack Aviation CEO David Mayman in an interview with New Atlas. “I think this speaks to the stability of the machine and the intuitive nature of flying this thing; it really is like a bike.”