Seems like jetpacks aren't really the best option for longer distances. But then again, this wasn't Rossy's first time attempting a long-distance jetpack flight either, in fact, this 23-mile trip would've only been one mile longer than his previous (and successful) flight over the English channel. Big difference, of course was that this one ended in failure despite starting with a jump from a plane. Ah well, I'll cheer for his next attempt around New Year's and keep hoping that he'll wear a cape. [Telegraph via Dvice]

The jetpack in question only has enough fuel (mostly hydrogen peroxide converted to water) for about 30-40 seconds of flight, so even though he claims the jetpack achieves about 800 horsepower, he only gets up to 61 MPH. Still, that's far faster than we would have thought, given Mark's experience, but evidently this is an entirely different kind of jetpack. [MAKE]

[via gizmowatch]

UPDATE: According to The Telegraph, the device is called the JetLev-Flyer. It runs $227,000 and can be purchased here.

Essentially, this poor bastard left the launching pad at over 200 miles an hour due to the pressure of the water built up in the pack. It looks like he's using 25 two-liter bottles that tossed him about 80 to 100 feet. Unfortunately, he didn't calculate the rate of crap entering his pants during his flight, but maybe that's a job for a physicist with less scruples. [PopSci]

The first assignment for jet packing team Giz would be CES 2008. Picture the scene; the whole squad lands right into the main hall, everyone gasps in amazement, people flock from all over, reporters would leave Steve's keynote to come and see us, Mark would launch us all into the excellent elf dance, we'd blog the bejeezus out of CES and then we'd power up our astro packs and fly right back to Giz HQ. We would probably have a race along the way, which, naturally, we would live blog for your pleasure. It would be awesome. Hey, it would beat my flight into CES—the 12-hour wait at Minneapolis airport I have to sit through is going to be a killer. If anyone is around, come and say hello. If anyone has a jetpack that will fly me from London to Las Vegas, thus negating the 12-hour wait, drop me a line.

The patent says that instead of using risky propellers, rotor blades and rocket exhaust systems that have to be attached to your back, it uses a water system only with non-flammable fluids (water) to create "sufficient thrust" for yourself. How high this thing can go, and whether it can actually work, are questions for a man actually willing to strap this on and test it himself. It's too bad whatever balls this person might or might not have had would be shot off by the high-pressured water stream. [Free Patents Online via Wired]

[Boing Boing]

Next year, Jet Pack International will release a model with 19 minutes of flight that runs on Jet-A fuel, however.–Brian Lam

Jet Packs Finally On Sale: How to Buy Your Rocket Belt [Pop Mechanics]