Add this item to your holiday wish list — engineers at JetPack Aviation have worked for more than 40 years perfecting a jetpack, which just made its debut flight in New York City.
In a 10-minute jaunt, aviator and inventor David Mayman flew the company's JB-9 jetpack around the Statue of Liberty, likely living the dream of New Yorkers who regularly find themselves stuck in a bad commute.
Kerosene and two jet engines power the JB-9, which can reach a speed of 62 mph. The personal flight device can hold 10 gallons of fuel and burns through approximately a gallon per minute during use, Gizmag reported.
While they're just about ready for market, Mayman isn't so sure he's ready to sell yet.
"Technically we could start selling [the JB-9 design] in the ultralight category tomorrow," Mayman told Gizmag.
"We've had some people in the office writing some pretty large multi-million dollar checks ... and we've said no. I want to be sensible about who's got their hands on this thing."
Right now, Mayman and his team are working to fine tune the JB-9 — and introduce the JB-10, which can reach speeds of more than 100 mph.
"One day we'll get to the point where you could strap it on and push the green button, and it'll come up into a hover by itself," Mayman said.
"This stuff isn't massively clever anymore ... it's just a matter of time and money."
But is this really the world's only jetpack? JetPack Aviation team members say so.
Responding to YouTube users asking the same question, JetPack Aviation said they were sticking by the title, and would change it "when someone else develops a jet-engined backpack that the pilot can jog down the road with."
The team uploaded Mayman's flight video to YouTube on Nov. 3 and it has since received hundreds of thousands of views:
