Jetpack

​​Earlier this month, we witnessed the first "civilian" flight of a real-life jetpack made by Jetpack Aviation. Founder and CEO David Mayman also shared his vision of a transportation future centered around jetpacks and other VTOL technology he's working on today.

​Jetpack Aviation reached a major milestone this month when it strapped a regular guy with no training into its JB10 Jetpack. He managed to pilot the thing, if only for an extended hovering session while tethered to a cable strung across a small, cleared section of a California avocado orchard.

Remember when you were a kid playing outside and mom called out that it was time for lunch? You leapt up and fired on all cylinders to get home. Pro skier Filip Flisar recently took this concept to the next level, racing over snowy streets propelled by a jetpack.

Dubai's firefighters have flirted with the idea of firefighting jetpacks before - but now, with Project Dolphin, they're looking at a fleet of jet ski-based quick response units that can fight seaside fires from on top of a 30-foot high waterjet-propelled hoverboard.

Things are developing fairly quickly in the world of Jetpack Aviation. After a bunch of public flights in Europe, the team has announced it's selected its first guinea pig civilian test pilot, who will be trained up and given the chance to fly the extraordinary JB-10 jetpack.

After a series of successful flights in Europe, David Mayman and Jetpack Aviation have announced the JB-10 jetpack is officially on sale "to well qualified buyers." Presumably that doesn't include you or I, but there's also a competition to let anyone fly one of these amazing things.

Over the next few days, Monaco is set to get a glimpse of the future of personal flight. Jetpack jockey David Mayman is preparing to undertake three public flights featuring his updated JB-10 jetpack, marking the first time a jetpack has flown in Europe.

Gizmag got Yves Rossy, a real-life "Jetman" to stay Earthbound long enough to find out more about his journey to create the wings, the importance of having a Plan B and just how it is he manages to steer.

This French inventor's new turbine-powered flying platform goes as high as 10,000 feet and flies for up to 10 minutes at a top speed around 150 km/h. Forget your electromagnetic rubbish, this is what we call a real hoverboard.

As we head into a new year with new possibilities, let's take a look at some of the more imaginative vehicle designs that could have a role to play in shaping the future of transport. ​​

Fires in high-rise buildings can be very problematic. It can be difficult to move around the building, to quickly get equipment to where it needs to be and even to communicate with people inside. Dubai, a place with lots of towers, plans to tackle this by giving Jetpacks to its firefighters.

The dream of personal flight took a great leap forward last week as Jetpack Aviation unveiled its high speed, high altitude, high endurance JB-9 jetpack in spectacular fashion. We talked at length with inventor/pilot David Mayman.