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“The Jetpack Guy Is Back” Flying Into LAX Flight Path, FBI Is Investigating

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.
JetPack Aviation offers a jetpack that can go as high as  25,000 feet (7,620 meters) but isn't flying it over LAX 7 photos
Photo: JetPack Aviation
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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.

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Editor's note: Gallery shows the Royal Navy trying out Gravity Industries' jetpack.

About the author: Elena Gorgan
Elena Gorgan profile photo

Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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