Flying into airspace without proper authorization is a federal crime in the United States. This means that you can’t strap a jetpack on and just set off, especially if this means flying into the flight path of one of the busiest airports in the world, like LAX.
Still, it seems like somebody has been doing it consistently for the past few months. Either that, or three separate somebodies are doing the same thing, using a jetpack to go for strolls into LAX airspace.
The New York Times reports that a third sighting of “the jetpack guy” was reported this week. The previous two were in October and September of 2020, with air control and pilots reporting a “guy in a jetpack” casually flying in the area, at 3,000 feet (914 meters) and then at 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) high.
A pilot flying a Boeing 747 carrying cargo was the first to report the sighting. Air traffic controllers then issued a warning to other pilots, with one of them even joking that “we’re looking for the Iron Man” out there. The sighting occurred at an altitude of 5,000 feet (1,524 meters), 15 miles (24 km) east of the airport, and is now subject to two separate investigations by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the FBI.
Neither the authorities nor the aforementioned media outlet can establish whether this is the same guy seen on the previous two sightings, and for good reason: those cases remain open. At the time, it was believed JetPack Aviation, which is headquartered close to LAX in California, could be somehow involved, since it was also the only company to boast a jetpack that could go as high as 25,000 feet (7,620 meters). JetPack Aviation denied any involvement, though, insisting that all their flights are conducted in restricted areas, under strict supervision.
This is to say, Iron Man is still at large, still causing trouble.
The New York Times reports that a third sighting of “the jetpack guy” was reported this week. The previous two were in October and September of 2020, with air control and pilots reporting a “guy in a jetpack” casually flying in the area, at 3,000 feet (914 meters) and then at 6,000 feet (1,829 meters) high.
A pilot flying a Boeing 747 carrying cargo was the first to report the sighting. Air traffic controllers then issued a warning to other pilots, with one of them even joking that “we’re looking for the Iron Man” out there. The sighting occurred at an altitude of 5,000 feet (1,524 meters), 15 miles (24 km) east of the airport, and is now subject to two separate investigations by the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and the FBI.
Neither the authorities nor the aforementioned media outlet can establish whether this is the same guy seen on the previous two sightings, and for good reason: those cases remain open. At the time, it was believed JetPack Aviation, which is headquartered close to LAX in California, could be somehow involved, since it was also the only company to boast a jetpack that could go as high as 25,000 feet (7,620 meters). JetPack Aviation denied any involvement, though, insisting that all their flights are conducted in restricted areas, under strict supervision.
This is to say, Iron Man is still at large, still causing trouble.