JETLEV R200: Water-Propelled Jetpack

Getting tired of being stuck in a two-dimensional world while fooling around on the water? Ever wished you could fly out to your boat on its mooring, rather than simply floating out in some boring old dinghy? Fear not, fun-lovers… your prayers have been answered. The new JetLev R200 jetpack is now available for purchase. For a mere $99,500, you too can be propelled through the air at the end of dual-nozzled firehose.

As you can see in the photos, and in this video here, flying in a JetLev is a distinctly soggy experience. But it does look like a lot of fun.

The pack has two major components: a little boat with a pump and a four-stroke 250 hp engine…

…and the jet-pack itself, which is worn by the user and is connected to the little boat by 33 feet of hose.

The JetLev can carry a 150-pound pilot to a height of 28 feet at speeds of a little over 20 mph. The mother-boat has a fuel capacity of 26 gallons and can keep a pilot aloft for one hour at full throttle or two to three hours at "cruising speed."

I urge you to check out the manufacturer's website, particularly the safety section, which includes this interesting tidbit:

In the rare event of the pilot falling on the boat unit, the lack of impalement hazards and gradual absorption of energy by the boat’s buoyancy will greatly reduce the risks and severity of injuries.

And:

The saddle provides protection for lower body orifices against injuries from water impact.

No doubt creative persons everywhere will come up with all sorts of uses for this intriguing device.

It should, for example, prove very helpful in controlling crowds of uppity minority types.