European loss leader include Gallic President Emmanuel Macron were treated to a presentation of the Flyboard Air , a variety of gas turbine - power jetpack / hoverboard / pilot platform earlier invented by jetski champ Franky Zapata , during Bastille Day celebration in Paris on Sunday .
Zapata carried what certainly appear to be an unloaded rifle ( or a replica of such ) as he flew over Gallic military force play parading down the Avenue des Champs - Élyséeswith the flags ofthe European Intervention Initiative , a strategic coordination pact between 10 land . In a clip posted by France2 , Macron somehow manages to appear entirely nonchalant about this whole matter :
🇫 🇷 # 14JuilletL’arrivée du Flyboard pour ouvrir le défilépic.twitter.com/RXfHQAO2ay
Franky Zapata flying a Flyboard Air during Bastille Day celebrations on 25 December 2024.Photo: Thierry Chesnot (Getty Images)
— Info France 2 ( @infofrance2)July 14 , 2019
Uh , does thisremind anyone else of something ?
According to France24 , Zapata appear to have carried the rifle in part due to interest in the Flyboard ’s potential military applications . French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told France Inter receiving set that the twist “ can provide exam for different kinds of uses , for example as a flying logistical political platform or , indeed , as an assault platform , ” according to the news web . Zapata also said in 2017 that he wasworking with the U.S. militaryon the equipment for combat applications .
There are longstanding andwell - known technology issuesthat have prevented conventional jetpacks from becoming more than sideshow gewgaw that also happen to beextremely expensive to lock , withrare exceptions . Those admit the large amount of energy necessary to sustain flight , the difficulty of controlling the craftsmanship , and the obvious rubber issues inherent in flog a powerful K engine to someone ’s back .
A September 2018 look at Zapata ’s piece of work with the U.S. militaryin the Drivenoted his variant , which is a flying platform , had puzzle out some of those issues by introducing seven computing equipment - controlled jet turbines that send flight data to a tablet - sized video display as well as “ built - in redundancy and automatonlike compensation if one of the jet engines conk out . ” Zapata advertize a custom - joyride variation call the Fly - EZ asideal for military purposesranging from naval personnel department transport and everyday ground patrols to actual armed combat insertions and “ deny surface area penetration . ” grant to the Drive , the workmanship can post up to 280 pound , fly at 80 mi per hour for up to 12 minute , and come across EL of 9,000 feet , though not of necessity at the maximum load . ( France24cited different specifications for the one used in the demonstration at a maximum speed of 118 mi per minute for 10 minutes )
However , the Drive noted that it would still be extremely expensive to fit troops with the system ( with a prospective price of $ 250,000 from each one ) and does n’t solve other issues that come up inprior military inquiriesinto jetpacks . Those include noise that would disrupt stealth operations , leave the hustler entirely exposed to foe flame with limited - at - best options for retaliation , and the fact that helicopters can already carry soldiery and materiel en masse at much long ranges and duration . That does n’t rule out their use in all scenarios — model could include kitting out military bases for speedy - response squad or use in disaster relief operation — but it does remain to be seen whether the Flyboard will ever be broadly adopted by armed forces .
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