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Jet-pack pilot takes on Royal Gorge

Denver man hopes to rocket into record books

By Chris Walsh, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published November 22, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Tourists who want to cross the Royal Gorge in Canon City can opt to use the world's highest suspension bridge or climb aboard a stomach-churning aerial tram strung over the chasm.

On Monday, Eric Scott, of Denver, will go one better: He will try to travel the 1,500-foot span through the air at more than 70 mph - using a jet pack - and without a parachute, support wires or other safety devices.

Seriously.

"It's pretty much incomparable to anything I've done in the past," Scott said this week via cell phone from Mexico City, where he was performing similar - though not quite as daunting - feats with the jet pack. "I've never done a distance that long, and then there's such a huge gap below."

Scott works for Denver- based Jet P.I., which developed the futuristic-looking jet pack for stunts, promotions and other events around the world.

The Royal Gorge test will rank as the longest, highest flight attempt for the Go Fast Jet Pack, the company said.

But Scott actually has to make it across the gorge to set the record.

And that's the big question, according to the media release describing the stunt: "Will he have enough fuel to make it across? Will the Jet Pack's power be strong enough to get him across?" it reads. "If there is a head wind, there is a chance that the pack will not have enough power or fuel to reach the other side."

Troy Widgery, who founded Jet P.I. and Go Fast Sports & Beverage, compares it with daredevil Evel Knievel's greatest feats.

"This is definitely very risky. On paper, he should be able to make it across, or at least come close. But if anything at all goes wrong . . . ," Widgery said, trailing off.

Gorge has seen tragedy

The Royal Gorge has seen its share of stunts, although it typically doesn't attract the types of daring acts that, say, Niagara Falls does.

Still, it was the site of a tragic stunt in 2003 when a world-renowned Australian sky diver wearing a special "wing suit" died after he miscalculated and slammed into the bridge. The accident happened during an inaugural sky-diving event sponsored by Go Fast.

Several other people have died while attempting to parachute from the bridge.

Scott admits that one small problem could create devastating results, but he is confident in the technology.

The jet pack is based on an earlier model developed in the 1960s by Bell Aerosystems for the military. The original machine was too heavy. And it could fly for only about 20 seconds, making it highly impractical. The technology eventually gathered dust - until Widgery and a buddy decided to take a stab at developing a lighter pack that could fly longer.

Staying aloft longer

They formed Jet P.I. to accomplish that task. After several years of development, trial and plenty of error, they developed their version: a jet pack that can fly for about 33 seconds using hydrogen peroxide as fuel.

The pack also incorporates carbon fiber technology, which helps to lighten the load.

Widgery said he initially thought he could build the jet pack for about $20,000, but he has pumped in an estimated $1 million.

But the jet pack also now brings in some cash - up to $25,000 per event. Last year, it appeared during Monday Night Football.

The company hopes to develop a lighter, more advanced model featuring a turbine that would be able to fly for nine minutes. Widgery said there could be military or police applications for such a jet pack, although, in reality, it might be able to tap only an extremely niche market.

"It'll probably be more of a novelty than anything," he said. "It'll be more for people like (British tycoon) Richard Branson and extreme athletes."

walshc@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2744

Want your own?

You can't buy one, at least not yet. But Jet P.I. hopes to develop a pack that it can sell in coming years. Here's what the specs will be:

* Estimated flight time: Nine minutes

* Estimated distance: About 11 miles

* Estimated speed: 83 mph

* Estimated max height: 250 feet

* Max pilot weight: 180 pounds

* Fuel: Jet "A" aviation fuel

* Fuel capacity: 5 gallons

* Power: T-73 turbine engine

* Retail price: $200,000, includes training

* More info: jetpackinternational.com/index.html

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