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I don't think there's any question the pilots would describe it as "a guy in a jetpack" if they weren't sure that's what they were looking at. Spotting traffic

I don't think there's any question the pilots would describe it as "a guy in a jetpack" if they weren't sure that's what they were looking at. Spotting traffic around the plane is part of pilot training. With that being said, if it zipped by the plane very quickly, there's the possibility it was maybe a very large RC plane shaped like a guy in a jetpack, which I think could be a bit more plausible.

sandworm101 6y ago
I wonder about this. If he was off the wing, could the pilots actually see him with their own eyes? Off the wing tip is actually rather far back on a modern airliner. Pilots wouldn't leave the cockpit to look during approach. I have to assume these were reports passed on by people in the cabin. If so, where are the pictures?
- numpad0 6y ago
  Not “off the wingtip”, the phrasing is “off the left side, maybe 300 yards or so”. Probably means captain on the left seat saw it.
- princekolt 6y ago
  No, I believe what happened is that the "jetpack" was either hovering or flying at low speed, and the airplane flew by it. So the pilots could see it approaching and get a visual on the jetpack before it zipped by the side.
  - sandworm101 6y ago
    So a relatively fixed object that they passed at speed? There is even more room there for size distortion. A doll hanging from a drone? A partially-inflated balloon of some sort? Once one person radios "jetman" then subsequent spotters will tend towards that description too.
- throwaway0a5e 6y ago
  The probably passed him. Like a semi truck passing a turned up moped that shouldn't be on the highway (though the semi driver would probably just laugh and not call it in).
- coronadisaster 6y ago
  they don't have rear view cameras?
thaumaturgy 6y ago
1:1 scale human-shaped RC flying things have been around for a while (one example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgACwfl6FBI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgACwfl6FBI). That would be my guess too.
DonHopkins 6y ago
Not to be confused with a flying cat. https://www.dw.com/en/the-dead-cat-drone-with-an-eco-message/a-37634822 https://www.dw.com/en/the-dead-cat-drone-with-an-eco-message...

sandworm101 6y ago

I wonder about this. If he was off the wing, could the pilots actually see him with their own eyes? Off the wing tip is actually rather far back on a modern airliner. Pilots wouldn't leave the cockpit to look during approach. I have to assume these were reports passed on by people in the cabin. If so, where are the pictures?

numpad0 6y ago
Not “off the wingtip”, the phrasing is “off the left side, maybe 300 yards or so”. Probably means captain on the left seat saw it.
princekolt 6y ago
No, I believe what happened is that the "jetpack" was either hovering or flying at low speed, and the airplane flew by it. So the pilots could see it approaching and get a visual on the jetpack before it zipped by the side.
- sandworm101 6y ago
  So a relatively fixed object that they passed at speed? There is even more room there for size distortion. A doll hanging from a drone? A partially-inflated balloon of some sort? Once one person radios "jetman" then subsequent spotters will tend towards that description too.
throwaway0a5e 6y ago
The probably passed him. Like a semi truck passing a turned up moped that shouldn't be on the highway (though the semi driver would probably just laugh and not call it in).
coronadisaster 6y ago
they don't have rear view cameras?

thaumaturgy 6y ago

1:1 scale human-shaped RC flying things have been around for a while (one example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgACwfl6FBI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgACwfl6FBI). That would be my guess too.

DonHopkins 6y ago

Not to be confused with a flying cat. https://www.dw.com/en/the-dead-cat-drone-with-an-eco-message/a-37634822 https://www.dw.com/en/the-dead-cat-drone-with-an-eco-message...