I don't think there's any question the pilots would describe it as "a guy in a jetpack" if they weren't sure that's what they were looking at. Spotting traffic around the plane is part of pilot training. With that being said, if it zipped by the plane very quickly, there's the possibility it was maybe a very large RC plane shaped like a guy in a jetpack, which I think could be a bit more plausible.
Airline pilots landing at LAX report “a guy in jetpack” flying alongside them
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Re: Airline pilots landing at LAX report “a guy in jetpack” flying alongside them
#22You know it’s true because it’s 2020. Remember that whole alien thing back in April? Me neither because about 10 years worth of events has happened in the past four and a half months.
The first one was hilarious, and I struggle to believe that was only in April.
Re: Airline pilots landing at LAX report “a guy in jetpack” flying alongside them
#23Not sure they go high enough though.
Re: Airline pilots landing at LAX report “a guy in jetpack” flying alongside them
#24Re: Airline pilots landing at LAX report “a guy in jetpack” flying alongside them
#25I'm surprised that there's not a single picture of this from any of the passengers on the landing flight and that ATC didn't seem to confirm it via radar, either.
Re: Airline pilots landing at LAX report “a guy in jetpack” flying alongside them
#26"Look! Is it a stockbroker? Is it a quantity surveyor? Is it a church warden? NO! It's Bicycle Repair Man!"
Re: Airline pilots landing at LAX report “a guy in jetpack” flying alongside them
#27>> They are also very high-profile in nature and require a mothership to launch from, such as a helicopter, or at least a very high point to leap from. No. Yves "Jetman" Rossi's design can now launch from a standing position on the ground. It is able to launch, hover, transition to forward flight and zoom-climb to several thousand feet. Other than the landing, which is currently still via parachute ... ironman.
Even if it's not Rossi, whose design has been years in the making, I think a copycat is most likely here. Rossi's wing operates at 4000+ feet and 189mph, which is comparable to jets slowing down on long final. Those hobby jet engines are very expensive but off the shelf, and anyone can build a wing in their garage. The FAA would classify it as an aircraft (already has), and would like to talk to this operator. I thin…
(FYI those hobby jets are one option, but there are considerably more capable small jets available, mostly used for cruise missiles and heavy drones.)
Re: Airline pilots landing at LAX report “a guy in jetpack” flying alongside them
#28You know it’s true because it’s 2020. Remember that whole alien thing back in April? Me neither because about 10 years worth of events has happened in the past four and a half months.
Most of that alien stuff was miscalculating velocities by not taking into account field of view (zoom in/out) changes in the camera.
Or is it a different case?
Re: Airline pilots landing at LAX report “a guy in jetpack” flying alongside them
#29Re: Airline pilots landing at LAX report “a guy in jetpack” flying alongside them
#30I've always been of the belief that a jetpack could never exist until flame-proof pants/trousers were made first.