A few years back, in a discussion of the 'worst' MacGyverisms, I remember someone downvoted the jet-pack escape in The Stringer on the grounds of being grotesquely and ridiculously impossible. I'll be the first to state that it was a poor piece of effects filming: the scene in the show is awkwardly fake-looking. But I loved the idea behind it, mostly because it was a nice bit of storytelling and a plausible coup, and I've always been inclined to cut them slack on the execution of the scene.

Now, what was that about the whole idea being ridiculous and impossible . . . ?

"Freedom, exhilaration, adventure: The dream of personal flight is as old as mankind. In the 21st century the daring vision of Daedalus has finally come true.

It sounded like a crazy idea. But after nine long years of development including six years of intensive testing and refinements, our creativity, persistence and unshakeable belief in our ideas have finally produced an incredible and revolutionary personal flying machine.

We are very proud to present our spectacular patented new product - the JETLEV-FLYER*."

Take a look at it: http://www.jetlev-flyer.com/ Not surprisingly, it's a German product.

The thing was on display at a recent Miami Boat Show. It's basically a refined version of the rig used in The Stringer, with a self-contained floating unit in place of a handy power washer. You have to fly over water, since the water under you is being used for the jets. I imagine this also makes landings a good deal easier!

All yours for a mere hundred thousand euros. Duct tape not required. Bad guys not included.



(And I stand behind my opinion that the bad fake lasers in The Road Not Taken and Legend of the Holy Rose were the worst MacGyverisms.)

Cool.

wow!

Great!

Nice, very nice...kinda useless but nice.

Not everything has to have a purpose or a use. I'm sure uses could be found for this just as they have been for the originally useless Jetski (personal water craft) which is now used by water rescue around the world.

I can see an immediate use for people such as rescuers needing to get onto the deck of ships etc quickly for example. Fire boats and coastguards and navy patrols could carry them for that purpose.


I want one!!

Not everything has to have a purpose or a use. I'm sure uses could be found for this just as they have been for the originally useless Jetski (personal water craft) which is now used by water rescue around the world.

I can see an immediate use for people such as rescuers needing to get onto the deck of ships etc quickly for example. Fire boats and coastguards and navy patrols could carry them for that purpose.


I want one!!

True...I suppose that's just me. Things have to have a purpose, even just decoration.

Not everything has to have a purpose or a use. I'm sure uses could be found for this just as they have been for the originally useless Jetski (personal water craft) which is now used by water rescue around the world.

I can see an immediate use for people such as rescuers needing to get onto the deck of ships etc quickly for example. Fire boats and coastguards and navy patrols could carry them for that purpose.


I want one!!

True...I suppose that's just me. Things have to have a purpose, even just decoration.

Well then the purpose of this would be the same as a roller coaster... fun.

Definitely useless in its current form, but a very cool bit of technology. And who knows what useful things might be developed from it? It uses the water itself to provide an elevating force, which is way lower impact than doing it all by burning fuel for simple thrust.

I just read that the new Neiman-Marcus holiday catalog -- the one that always has the insane, hugely expensive "stunt gifts" -- includes one of the JetLevs.

Apparently each of the big-ticket "fantasy" gifts is in aid of a specific charity (assuming anyone actually buys it). Pity the JetLev proceeds can't go to the Phoenix Foundation.

The Jet packs were the WORST MacGyverism? HEY! I had to cook that one up in 20 minutes on the way to work and fax a sketch to a story meeting by 9:00 AM! Actually, if the actors had been attached to that apparatus they might have gone in any direction.

The back story is that the original setting was in the ship's hold containing "tank parts" and that they had to improvise an "elevator". I had Mac's son (Mac had a broken arm) use a tank alternator stator as an electro-magnet, with the handle and rolling bail of a fire bucket attached as a pulley, to be flung to the overhead with a teeter-totter catapult to stick on the steel plating, connected to tank batteries with scavenged electrical wire, then use a fire hose as a line, passed through the bucket handle and wrapped around the rear axle of a jeep, up on blocks in the hold, to winch them up to the cargo opening.

The production office asked me to meet with the Paramount property people who asked the same question, "Could it work?" I presented calculations, about the flow of water at high pressure (remember that they over-ride the governor on the pump) and its specific impulse. Yes, it could lift two men off the ground. Then, we went to an industrial tool rental company down the street and I picked out the pressure washer they should rent for the shoot. By the way, I've mentioned my friend, Pete Sloman, who got me involved in the show in the first place. As it was the last episode, and since he never got screen credit, they painted in the same "Sloman Pressure Washer" on the side of the machine.

I would say that I had to come up with 3 times the number of MacGyverisms during the writing process than made it to the small screen.

Best regards,

John Potter

I must be in the minority because I loved / love the Pressure Washer Jet Packs. It is very in keeping with the things "MacGyver", in this case John, came up with.