Designer Glenn Martin believes he has come up with a one-man flying machine that actually works Mr Martin, a 48-year-old father of two from Christchurch, New Zealand, has spent years perfecting his jet pack, which he hopes to start selling for £50,000 each next year. The Martin Jet Pack made its public debut at AirVenture, the world’s biggest air show. It didn’t travel very far (50ft), very high (6ft), or for very long (45 seconds) but that wasn’t the object of the exercise, according to its creator.

Mr Martin said: ‘Within six months I’ll take it to 500ft, then the sky’s the limit.’ He believes its ideal flying height will be between 500ft and 1,000ft although it could go up to 6,000ft. He said his machine can stay up for 30 minutes, a flying time he believes will make it a best-seller.