Airline pilots have reported seeing what they think is someone in a jetpack flying around the skies near Los Angeles International Airport. NBC News spoke with a gentleman who makes jetpacks.
Details of the sightings so far are scant — on Aug. 30, pilots from two different airlines saw what one American Airlines employee described as a "guy in a jetpack." This week's sighting was apparently seen by a crew on a China Airlines flight.
Federal authorities are investigating the sightings, but David Mayman, chief executive of the Los Angeles-based Jetpack Aviation, said Thursday that he doesn't believe what the pilots and crew members are seeing are indeed jetpacks.
"There are only a handful of companies working on this type of technology, and none of us have heard about anybody doing something like this," he said.
"The question is," he added, "why the heck would you go fly around LAX? You need to have your head read. That's a catastrophic accident waiting to happen."
Mayman's company, which was established in 2016, has produced five jetpacks, he said, noting that all of them are under "lock and key." Only two people have those keys — Mayman and his chief engineer — and none of the packs have been sold, he said.
I guess airline pilots should have their vision checked.
