Buck Rogers in the 21st Century

From Fox News:

A man used a hydrogen-peroxide powered jet pack to travel 1,500 feet across the Royal Gorge near Canon City on Monday…The Royal Gorge, cut by the Arkansas River in southern Colorado, is more than 1,100 feet deep.

Katherine Mangu-Ward wondered in our October 2007 why we don't all have our jetpacks, or other signifiers of the future of the past (or the past of the future).

A Google Buck Rogers timeline.

UPDATE: CNN footage, for them that must see to believe.

Comments

[Guy Montag]

This story is so-last-weekend. When are the flying cars coming?

[Mister DNA]

Jetpacks was yes!

[Episiarch]

Did the jetpack guy look like Gil Gerard?

[Guy Montag]

Was Erin Grey on hand for the attempt? How is she holding up anyway?

[Jeff P]

What does Hydrogen Peroxide exhaust do to people's hair?

[Twiki]

Biddi-Biddi-Biddi

[Xeones]

Yo, fuck gravity.

[some fed]

The military has been playing with those since the 60s.

[Johnny Nowhere]

some fed,

Yep, as have civilians. You may recall that one showed up in the Bond flick, "Thunderball."

One reason they haven't been more widely used is that the fuel tanks are too small to provide much flying time. Was an issue in the 60's, and remains the big hurdle today.

[Jay]

What does this mean for the 2012 election?

Competing jet pack promises?

The pubs will promise tax cuts to buy them, and the crats will promise fair and equitable distribution.

Should be fun!

[troy]

Yep, as have civilians. You may recall that one showed up in the Bond flick, "Thunderball."

There was a Gilligans Isle episode, too.

[Naga Sadow]

YES!!! Fuck you Detroit! Fuck you FAA! I'm flyin' to work bitches!!!

[dr_dog]

And soon the IllegalImmigrants will be using these to cross the Rio Grande, and then where will we be?

[Voros McCracken]

"And soon the IllegalImmigrants will be using these to cross the Rio Grande, and then where will we be?"

Damned jetbacks stealing our jobs.

[VM]

Voros, nicely played!

[Art-P.O.G.]

Nice web gem, Voros!

[Guy Montag]

One reason they haven't been more widely used is that the fuel tanks are too small to provide much flying time. Was an issue in the 60's, and remains the big hurdle today.

[wacky Leftie conspiracy-nut anti-corporate voice]

If only the evil BigOilCompanies were not hoarding all of the hydrogen peroxide energy we would be seeing great strides in this oppressed mode of transport.

Just like the 100 MPG fuel injection systems that they refuse to release to the market.

[/wacky Leftie conspiracy-nut anti-corporate voice]