Jetpack Pilot Soars Over NYC's Hudson River, Salutes Lady Liberty A man wearing a jetpack soared across the Hudson River in New York City on Tuesday (Nov. 3), looping around the Statue of Liberty before landing safely on the deck of a boat. The jetpack-wearing joyrider was David Mayman, an Australian entrepreneur who has spent the past 10 years designing and building prototypes of the wearable flying device. He's been helped in this effort by Nelson Tyler, a Hollywood-based inventor best known for developing helicopter camera systems and other movie-ready technologies, three of which have earned him Academy Awards. Mayman and Nelson's lightweight pack, dubbed the JB-9, is small enough to fit in the trunk of a car, but it's powerful enough to rocket its wearer 10,000 feet (3,050 meters) above the ground and can hit speeds of 63 mph (102 km/h). [Hyperloop, Jetpacks & More: 9 Futuristic Transit Ideas] A pilot can fly with the jet turbine-powered backpack for about 10 minutes before the device needs to be refueled.

This meant Mayman had plenty of time to pull off a few cool maneuvers during the JB-9's first-ever public flight. "There were a few different flight maneuvers that I tested [during the flight] — abrupt stops and turns," Mayman told Live Science. laptop backpack snugg"Also, I saluted the Statue of Liberty."wampa backpack Overall, the jetpack performed very well during its inaugural flight, Mayman said, noting that the machine provided "awesome thrust, good speed, great acceleration and great stability."sarma backpack The JB-9 pack works just fine, but Mayman and Nelson (along with the other team members at their company, Jetpack Aviation) have already developed a new model of the jetpack, the JB-10. thule backpack 965

The new flying machine will function similarly to the JB-9, but it will also be quite a bit faster, zooming its pilot across the sky at a breakneck speed of 100 mph (160 km/h). This increase in speed will be coupled with added safety features, Mayman said. corvus laptop backpackJetpack Aviation is working on automated systems that can deploy balloons or parachutes if the pilot loses elevation. jansport laptop backpack tilly'sRight now, the only pilot who may benefit from these systems is Mayman himself, because he's the only one who knows how to fly the company's jetpacks. xit backpackBut that may soon change; Jetpack Aviation is also developing a flight simulator that will help teach new pilots how to use the JB-9. Still, it's not yet clear who these new pilots will be, but Mayman speculated that the people most likely to benefit from having a jetpack are those who "need speed."

The device's small size (remember, it fits in the back of a car) also makes it convenient to use from anywhere. For example, the military may want to use jetpacks to deploy troops into remote areas, Mayman said. And more than one person in Hollywood has already noted that this futuristic technology could be a star on the silver screen, he added. Of course, the average person won't be able to go out and buy one of Jetpack Aviation's wearable flying devices anytime soon. (However, another jetpack manufacturer did recently announce that its packs will be available for purchase next year.) But one day, the company might design an automated, self-stabilizing pack that doesn't require any special training to use, Mayman said. When that day comes, expect to see more than one high-flying jetpacker saluting the Statue of Liberty. Follow Elizabeth Palermo @techEpalermo. Follow Live Science @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.Listed below is the travel gear I take with me on the road.  

Some of these links do provide us a small commission if you choose to purchase. No pressure, I’m just big on transparency so I thought I’d let you know.  I only recommend gear I’ve thoroughly researched and tested myself. I recently upgraded from a larger Nikon DSLR camera.  The Sony A6000 is the best travel camera if you want the smallest form factor and the best performance.  If you want wide angle landscape shots or zoom photos you will need to branch out beyond the included kit lens. I enjoy taking landscape shots and this lens is one of the best. The lens is as important as the camera. This one isn’t cheap, but if you want to take great photos, you’ve got to pony up and buy a good one. These beautiful headphones aren’t cheap but they hold their value well for later resale on craigslist or eBay. This newest revision also has Bluetooth functionality.  I use the splitter when Mrs. TT and I want to watch the same movie on a flight together, or if I want to torture her with my favorite Justin Bieber album.

This is a thrifty way to make those long flights more enjoyable. Long plane or train ride with no access to a USB charger? The Anker E3 is your solution!  It offers two USB charging ports and charges my iPhone 6 Plus almost three times before it needs to be recharged itself.  It’s a steal for under $25! The Belkin 3-outlet surge protector travels with me on every trip. It features 2 USB charging outlets, 3 plug-in outlets, and it also protects your expensive gadgets from any power surges.  The Belkin is well made and mine is still going strong after four years. Never be stuck in an airport lounge or hotel room without outlets to plug-in your devices! The Apple MacBook Pro is slightly heavier than the Macbook Air but has the beautiful Retina screen, which I’d gladly lug around an extra half pound for. The #1 reason I purchase Apple products, in addition to reliability, is their high resale value. I used my old MacBook Air everyday for four years and sold it on craigslist for $400 less than I paid for it!

The Samsonite 21 inch Spinner is my favorite carry on luggage. It fits in almost any overhead bin, and the four wheels make rolling around the airport a breeze.  In the three years I’ve had the bag it has taken quite a beating and is still going strong. Mrs. TT recently went on a work trip to Italy and borrowed my bag, now she wants one, as well.  I can’t recommend this bag enough. If you’re leaving the country you’re going to need an international plug-in adapter to charge your devices.  This one is cheap and gets the job done and includes a USB charging port as well.  If you’re traveling as a couple I would recommend bringing one for each of you. It gets ugly when Mrs. TT and I fight over who gets to charge their phone, so don’t leave home without this! I’ve hated on these things for years, but I’ve given in to the travel pillow. There is nothing worse than arriving to your destination tired. The travel pillow is a must for long-haul flights. If I need to carry around all my camera gear including my laptop, then I bring this bag.

The Lowepro backpack is well padded and has enough room for my Macbook Pro and all the lenses I could need.  It also has a special zipper specifically for accessing your laptop as well as another for your camera.  The laptop side zipper is also awesome for TSA security. The pack also includes a waist strap if the bag is weighing you down. If you only need to carry your camera and one extra lens then the Domke F-5X bag is my go to.  It’s rugged, looks great, and is water resistant.  The thing is practically bulletproof and has extremely high quality components.   The Nest 3rd Generation Thermostat is a Thrifty Traveler’s best friend. Even if I’m not home, I can check in with the app and can adjust the temperature or schedule from anywhere in the world. I know the Nest has saved me a significant amount of money from the app based scheduling alone, probably enough to justify the cost of the device. In independent studies, Nest saved an average of 10-12% on heating bills and 15% on cooling bills, that means the Nest can pay for itself in under two years.