June 10, 2004

The AirScooter — personal watercraft of the sky?

For half the price and a year of shop-bound weekends, there are other options. Some are downright dangerous.

posted by goetter 20 years ago
  • can you get them to run on fermented bananas? If so, I'm in. I'm just about done holding out for the Personal Jet Pack. and, um...I heard Chevy was coming out with an ornithopter this year but they'll have to change their motto...Like a Rock just doesn't seem....
  • Ornithopter? Does that imply we'll be flying around Arrakis soon? Will they be giving away stilsuits with each ornithopter?
  • The Starts My Destination gives some detailed descriptions of the social chaos everyday jaunteing [I.e.telportation] causes. If such devices as these, allowing people to fly next to or near buildings, or land on high window ledges or balconies, etc become readily available, whole new industries will spring up --new methods to insure privacy, secrecy, and of the law -- (is it trepass or peeping Tom-ism if you go over to a bedroom window after dark and peer inside). Interesting links, goetter -- the one-man 'thopters do look like fun.
  • Me, I'd rather have the sandworm than the ornithopter. Then I could swallow traffic whole. But the stupid Fremen have a monopoly on them. Damn you, Fedaykin Death Squads!
  • But I really want one of these.
  • Most unintentionally funny part; "No pedal controls are necessary, which means someone without the use of their legs can just as easily fly the AirScooter." That should come in handy within six months of ownership.
  • Actually, I was thinking of the one in a Mad Max movie. I've been feeling very post-apocalyptic lately.
  • Saw this on TechTV a while ago. Just seemed kind of dangerous, but fun.
  • If Little Nellie was good enough for Bond, she's good enough for me. But only if equipped with the regulation aerial mines, front-mounted machine guns, rocket launchers, smoke ejectors, heat seeking air-to-air missiles, etc. etc.
  • social chaos My thought exactly, beeswacky. That and the whine of an unmuffled two-stroke engine as the teenager next door hot-dogs directly overhead. (The AirScooter's a four-stroke, but still.) Half of the purpose of those helmets has to be hearing protection. I still want one.
  • I want one too. With missiles.