David Mayman is the founder, CEO and Chief Test Pilot of JetPack Aviation, the undisputed leader in turbine-powered, VTOL aircraft. With more than a decade of experience refining its technology, JetPack is the first company to design and manufacture a true jetpack for personal flight, creating an entirely new aviation market for individuals, corporations and military clients.
If you’ve ever wished you could fly, your dream is within reach. The jetpack industry, though still small, has developed to a point where a handful of startups are consistently carrying out safe flights and building businesses around the superpower most of us have daydreamed about, but never recognized as a realistic possibility.
David Mayman is the founder, CEO and Chief Test Pilot of JetPack Aviation, the undisputed leader in turbine-powered, VTOL aircraft. With more than a decade of experience refining its technology, JetPack is the first company to design and manufacture a true jetpack for personal flight, creating an entirely new aviation market for individuals, corporations and military clients.
Today, David joins us to discuss the business case for personal flight via jetpack. He speaks to the other players in the space, explaining why the industry is slow to grow and how to get into the business through partnerships with manufacturers. Listen in for David’s insight into the chief consumer fears around flying jetpacks and learn how close we are to engineering completely safe, autonomous machines for use by the general public!
Topics Covered
David’s path to JetPack Aviation
Flew plane before drove, dreams of personal flight
Career in commerce and investments in tech space
Capital to further flight education
The bureaucratic process to do a proper test flight
6 months of negotiation to fly around Statue of Liberty
Much easier after establish track record
The other players in the personal flight space
Richard at Gravity Industries
Franky at Flyboard Air
Yves Rossy
Why the jetpack space is slow to grow
Expensive hardware ($12K to $60K/engine)
Time consuming to build on own
How to hack the space without capital
Build relationships with manufacturers
Vision of your ability to innovate
The business case for jetpacks
Education and entertainment (i.e.: Red Bull events)
Experience Center training facility
The chief consumer fears around flying jetpacks
Heat of engines and flight safety
Falling out of sky
What needs to happen for jetpacks to be commonplace
Completely safe, autonomous machines
Use to commute and transport items
David’s definition of success
Change status quo
Motivated when told can’t be done
Connect with David
JetPack Aviation https://jetpackaviation.com/
JetPack on Twitter https://twitter.com/jetpackaviation
JetPack on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/jetpackaviation
JetPack on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/jetpackaviation
JetPack on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jetpackaviation/
David on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmayman/
Resources
1984 Olympics Opening Ceremony https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WWDnOiQR7A
AJ Forsythe https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajforsythe
Gravity Industries https://gravity.co/
Zapata Flyboard Air https://zapata.com/air-products/flyboardair
Yves Rossy http://www.jetman.com/loft/
Own the Sky Documentary http://paperbarkfilms.com/films/own-the-sky/
‘What Crossing the Arctic Taught This VC About Entrepreneurship’ by Collin West https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/288830
Connect with Boost VC
Boost VC Website https://www.boost.vc/
Boost VC on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/boostvc/
Boost VC on Twitter https://twitter.com/BoostVC