Airline pilots landing at LAX report "a guy in jetpack" flying alongside them WTF?!?

[MNL Contraband]

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36096/airline-pilots-landing-at-lax-report-a-guy-in-jetpack-flying-alongside-them-on

"As if 2020 couldn't get any weirder, airline pilots landing at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Sunday, August 30th, reported seeing "a guy in a jetpack" flying about 300 yards off their wing while on final approach to the bustling airport. What makes the reports even stranger is that, like a scene out of The Rocketeer, the airliners were descending through 3,000 feet when jetpack guy showed up next to them."

​Just parse the URL, I'm still not allowed to post links.

https://www.foxla.com/news/airline-pilot-reports-seeing-guy-in-jetpack-near-aircraft-while-approaching-lax-runway

[Airbubba]

Nothing new at LAX. :)

On July 2, 1982, Larry Walters (April 19, 1949 – October 6, 1993) made a 45-minute flight in a homemade airship made of an ordinary patio chair and 45 helium (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helium)-filled weather balloons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_balloons). The aircraft rose to an altitude of over 15,000 feet (4,600 m) and floated from the point of takeoff in San Pedro, California (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro,_Los_Angeles,_California), into and violating controlled airspace (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_airspace) near Los Angeles International Airport (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_International_Airport). During the landing, the aircraft became entangled in power lines, but Walters was able to safely climb down. The flight attracted worldwide media attention and inspired a later movie and imitators.

Regional safety inspector Neal Savoy was reported to have said, "We know he broke some part of the Federal Aviation Act, and as soon as we decide which part it is, some type of charge will be filed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawnchair_Larry_flight

[pattern_is_full]

Maybe airbubba can get us the ATC capture. Be interesting to know how far out from which runway.

Report here says it was alpha-alpha one-niner-niner-seven at maybe? about six-and-a-half papa-mike local: https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/airline-pilot-reports-seeing-guy-in-jetpack-near-aircraft-while-approaching-lax-runway

[0ttoL]

I'm imagining something like this:
https://youtu.be/7MWtyPva07s

[Meester proach]

I’d be so busy constantly winding down the next altitude, and speeding up, slowing down, speeding up with ATC there that I don’t think I’d notice

[sangiovese.]

Bet his VNAV is better than the 787 on an LAX arrival

[daved123]

Perhaps he was practicing giving the L/G an up-close eyeball, eliminating any requirement for a low-level tower fly-by....

[FlightDetent]

Flying spanners is what we need!

Hope they still breed them the same:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgSl7D_vtEE&feature=youtu.be&t=6611

https://youtu.be/lgSl7D_vtEE

[ORAC]

https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/36096/airline-pilots-landing-at-lax-report-a-guy-in-jetpack-flying-alongside-them-on

Fox 11 broke the story and has the air traffic control audio clips which you can listen to here (https://www.foxla.com/news/airline-pilot-reports-seeing-guy-in-jetpack-near-aircraft-while-approaching-lax-runway). The exchanges went like this according to their report: (https://www.foxla.com/news/airline-pilot-reports-seeing-guy-in-jetpack-near-aircraft-while-approaching-lax-runway?fbclid=IwAR3BmNxShBGIjc0VuMrLX0MssTMdpX19fJNPeKLhCoK-7SY0moTrNGTzF3Y)

American Flight 1997: "Tower, American 1997, we just passed a guy in a jetpack."

Tower: "American 1997, OK, thank you. Were they off to your left or right side?"

American Flight 1997: "Off the left side, maybe 300 yards or so, about our altitude."

Fox 11 reports a Skywest pilot confirmed the sighting:

Skywest Flight: "We just saw the guy passing by us in the jetpack."

Then the tower alerted an incoming Jet Blue flight to the reported hazard:

Tower: "Jet Blue 23, use caution, a person in a jetpack reported 300 yards south of the LA final at about 3,000 feet, 10 mile final."

Jet Blue 23: "Jet Blue 23, we heard and we are definitely looking."

Another pilot chimed in: "Only in LA."

[WHBM]

Tower: "Jet Blue 23, use caution, a person in a jetpack reported 300 yards south of the LA final at about 3,000 feet, 10 mile final."
Gatwick had a (suspected only) drone near the airport, and was disorganised/closed for days.

LAX has someone jetpacking around the approach and ... issues a caution.

[OldLurker]

I guess the difference might be that a guy in a jetpack is likely to have a basic sense of self-preservation and to avoid actual collision; whereas someone with a drone could easily fly it into the path of an aircraft without danger to himself.

[Meester proach]

Major difference is UK authorities had no idea what to do, whereas LA probably had some stinger missiles ready to sort the issue

[Euclideanplane]

The newer generations of engines might have to be tested certified to endure ingestion of more than just frozen chickens.

[dixi188]

Then there's the story of Pink Floyd's flying pig near Heathrow in the '70s.

[Mike Park]

Do you think it could be a drone disguised as someone in a jet pack?

[mnttech]

This showed up today on the Far Side Web page....
In clouds (https://www.thefarside.com/2020/09/01/2)

[568]

MNL Contraband

At least the jet pack pilot was practicing social distancing.
Joking apart this could have been a nasty situation.

[Airbubba]

Maybe airbubba can get us the ATC capture. Be interesting to know how far out from which runway.

According to the attached ATC clip about ten miles out on final for 25L at 3000 feet.

Edited LiveATC audio .zip file that will open on most computers but not most tablets or smartphones.

[WillowRun 6-3]

An all too literal illustration of how people in LA often are said to be "on a journey".

[Sawbones62]

You mean like this?
​​​​​​https://youtu.be/TgACwfl6FBI

[tdracer]

I guess the difference might be that a guy in a jetpack is likely to have a basic sense of self-preservation and to avoid actual collision; whereas someone with a drone could easily fly it into the path of an aircraft without danger to himself.

Not sure I'd put much faith in the self-preservation instincts of someone who intentionally flies a jetpack to withing a few hundred yards of the LAX approach path...

[Jetscream 32]

You mean like this?
​​​​​​https://youtu.be/TgACwfl6FBI (https://youtu.be/TgACwfl6FBI)

OMG... that made me laugh..... probably exactly what is was...

[RealUlli]

Joking aside, what about this?

https://gravity.co/

Those guys do make a jet pack, they claim it can fly a person for 5-10 minutes. The question is, how quickly can it climb to 3000 ft?

[DaveReidUK]

Only if you have a death wish.

[infrequentflyer789]

Or if you are already dying - air ambulance units are already testing these things for mountain rescue, see https://www.greatnorthairambulance.co.uk/our-work/news/the-jet-suit-paramedic/

I'm not sure how it will compare with a chopper on speed of response, but it'll certainly be a lot quicker than walking up, and probably a lot cheaper than the chopper so you could have more of them available. Early days yet, but looks like there may well be niches where this technology will deliver and thrive.

[DaveReidUK]

Yes, and you can be sure that they won't be flying higher than a height AGL that (hopefully) won't kill you if your means of staying aloft fails, unlike our LAX friend.

[nevillestyke]

.......who could have had a parachute.

[Retired DC9 driver]

This is how the Mountain Rescue in Austria are evacuating injured backcountry skiers. Even at the resorts, I saw injured skiers being longlined out in St Anton ski area.
Looks like a much faster way to get an injured person evacuated than this "Jet Pack". Of course you need good weather too.
Really amazing flying , by the helicopter pilot in some wind.
https://vimeo.com/320591203

[towrope]

He's baaaaack......

LA Times Article Oct 14 (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-14/another-sighting-of-person-wearing-jet-pack-near-lax-prompts-new-investigation)

Personally I think it's an RC airplane like in the video Sawbones62 posted earlier.

[tartare]

Regardless of being real, or just an R/C aircraft, whoever is at the controls is a flaming eejit...

[Stuka Child]

If the crews said they saw a person wearing a jetpack, that's probably exactly what they saw.

These things have been around for a while. I can't post links yet, but look up JB-9 JetPack Flight on YouTube, amazing flight around the Statue of Liberty.

[CodyBlade]

endurance is less then 10mins right?

[Loose rivets]

I wonder how it handles with an engine out on one side.

[ATC Watcher]

On this type ,probably the start of some interesting aerobatics,a good photo/video op for sure :E
But there are much better types around , a French guy has currently the lead , :https://www.zapata.com/en/#intro

[Background Noise]

I wonder how it handles with an engine out on one side.

Like this...

https://youtu.be/XPeQKrmMyJk?t=38

[j31]

There is the reason they fly low over water!

[derjodel]

Supposedly caught on camera: https://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/jmsxhc/the_guy_who_has_been_reported_flying_near_lax/

Could be fake. The size just doesn't make sense. Whatever it is, it would be huge to appear so big that far in the distance

[DaveReidUK]

Looks real enough to me.

[Smilin_Ed]

The only way to make a judgement as to the size of the flying object, whatever it was, is to accurately know the focal length of the lens and the size of the camera's image on the sensor of the camera. We don't know either of those things nor do we know the distance.

[Machdiamond]

The camera is focused on the aircraft taking off and not making any attempt to follow the incredible sight just above it. A dead giveaway that it is fake.

Plus the jetpack significantly decelerates before pivoting, instead of the other way around. So the person who set that up did not even take this seriously.

[jimjim1]

It's certainly LAX. Probably a decent camera.

Google Street View LAX - https://goo.gl/maps/xF89fLJ3Jc8HPyTL8
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1174x1080/jetpack_lax_location3_4a212c915597ada71cc3e49ab6ea934857ff16 b5.png


Frame from video:
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/1174x1080/jetpack_lax_video_still_266021b7603a797d4330d0dcab5d1550a048 2749.png
The curved roof buildings may be here.
https://goo.gl/maps/9Wt2NoSioNWH5EYNA

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune.org-vbulletin/402x416/jetpack_lax_curved_roof_122b648544fa3590f23e6ea60cb87ee244fe d49b.png

[derjodel]

The only way to make a judgement as to the size of the flying object, whatever it was, is to accurately know the focal length of the lens and the size of the camera's image on the sensor of the camera. We don't know either of those things nor do we know the distance.

That's actually a myth. Telephoto lens does nothing but crop. You can take a wide angle lens, crop it, and you will get exactly the same image (minus the resolution) you would get with a telephoto lens. You can easily try it out yourself.

Besides, you can compare the height of that "person" to Vstab. The person lands behind the buildings far away from the taxying plane, yet it's the same size as the stab? Dead giveaway that it's fake.

[BDAttitude]

Well, what you say is indeed a myth. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_distortion_(photography))

[DaveReidUK]

The camera is focused on the aircraft taking off and not making any attempt to follow the incredible sight just above it. A dead giveaway that it is fake.

Interesting logic ...

[ATC Watcher]

Well first why do this above an airport where the chances' to hurt yourself are pretty high, not to mention getting caught, and secondly if it was a true event far more people would have reported it and probably filmed it with their phones I would say ..

[The Bartender]

Interesting logic ...

Someone landing a jetpack in the middle of LAX in broad daylight, and the only evidence and report of it is a single low quality video shot from outside the fence?

[derjodel]

Well, what you say is indeed a myth. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective_distortion_(photography))

Lol, that's COMPLETELY unrelated. Specially in this case, where clearly there's photo lens being used, and the "guy in jetpack" is not even at the corner for the lens to kick in.

Source: I've been a hobby photographer since forever, including large-frame photography, which has movements to counteract some of the perspective distorsions

[Chu Chu]

Take a picture with one person 6 feet from the camera and one person 12 feet from the camera. The closer person will look twice as big (assuming they're actually the same size).

Now walk away 1000 feet and take another picture. The person 1006 feet away will look (almost) the same size as the person 1012 feet away. That would be true even if you used the same lens for both shots (assuming you could otherwise make that work).

[DaveReidUK]

Quite so.

The focal length of the lens has little or no relevance if you simply want to calculate the relative sizes (in real life) of two objects in a photo.

Given that we can be reasonably confident (see post #41) of where the photographer was filming from, we can use the known location (and size) of the CES 777 rolling on 24L in order to approximate the size of the airborne "object" - the only unknown is how far away it is, but it looks to be around 1500-1800 m from the camera.

I'll leave the math/maths for the interested reader, as the saying goes. :O

[Piper_Driver]

Check out the video in this article. Perhaps this is what is flying near LAX.
LAX jet pack article (https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/38403/video-taken-by-pilots-of-what-could-be-the-elusive-los-angeles-jet-pack-guy-emerges)

[Piper_Driver]

Google news article (https://news.google.com/articles/CAIiEFpYe8D0osCcDn1EBfGtbOcqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowvIaCCzDnxf4CMN2F 8gU?hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen)

Latest theory is that it was a human shaped balloon after another one was spotted close up by a police helicopter.

[DownWest]

When I started reading this, first thought...."We have been waiting for you, Mr Bond"

[Chipzilla]

Looks like jetpack man (or the balloon?) may be back

https://abc7.com/lax-jetpack-pilot-drone/11991998/Friday, June 24, 2022 7:57AM

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- It's happened again. A pilot preparing to land at Los Angeles International Airport alerted the control tower about an apparent person flying a jet pack in one of the world's busiest landing zones.

The incident was reported at about 2:45 p.m. some 15 miles east of LAX, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

A jet pack sighting has been reported by pilots landing at LAX a number times before, sparking many theories about jet packs, drones and balloons.

It's illegal to fly any type of drone near an airport.

The FAA is looking into the latest jet pack sighting at LAX.