Backtalk 10/22/2009

Glenn Martin of New Zealand's . turned to the Internet when looking for test pilots willing to pay for the privilege of flying the Martin Jetpack. The piston-powered ultralight aircraft, moved by two large ducted fans, lets the pilot be strapped in upright and control the machine with both hands. Two auctions were underway. The first, on , is for a single flight to help "make the Martin Jetpack the world's easiest to fly aircraft," according to the description. Test pilots will fly under the supervision of the Martin Aircraft flight team. The team has completed 5,000 test flights this past year without incident. The second, running on eBay, received an opening bid of $30,000 for six flights, three days of training, and official certification as a jetpack test pilot. The winning bidder can take the flight on their own or invite up to three friends to take part in the historic occasion. The catch: the expenses for getting to New Zealand for the three-day training and flight are the responsibility of the winner. Martin says anyone who can strap into the device can submit a bid. "Whoever wins this auction, whether it's a highly qualified pilot or someone who has never flown before, we will tailor a testing program that matches their skill," he says. Martin wants to build his business by offering these flights as a tourist attraction. He insists the thrill-seeker version of the Jetpack will be safe and fun. "Our aim is to make the easiest-to-fly aircraft in the world," he says. "Because of the fly-by-wire systems we have developed in the last year, we recently had a novice pilot fly solo quite safely with 12 minutes of flight time." Slumping economy = conservative colors The 2008 DuPont Automotive Color popularity Report indicates that, for the second