Jet packs have been available before but this latest design from Martin Aircraft Company is perhaps one of the most affordable options yet for those seeking new and exciting personal travel options. Marketed as good for personal use, emergency services, and even the military, each duel-propelled pack boasts 200hp and can travel up to 30 miles in 30 minutes on a single tank of fuel. Plus the unit is light enough that no pilots license is required for use (in the UK, anyway), so on a nice day the average Joe can forget hopping in the car to go pick up a gallon of milk and strap on a jet pack instead.

The New Zealand-based company is looking to start production soon and hopes to produce up to 500 jet packs per year for sale at £50,000 each.

(Via Dvice)

If you are thinking about learning to fly, keep in mind that flight schools, as most businesses these days, want your business.Many flight schools recommended for purposes of this article have recently closed their doors. What do you look for when seeking out a flight school? What should it cost?

Here are recommendations gleaned from several pilots and flight schools:

1.The true cost of flight training should be based upon your needs. "When you enter our offices and tell us you want to learn to fly, we are going to ask 'Why?'," says Zeke Valtz, owner of Horizon Aviation Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts and Warwick, Rhode Island. "Are you seeking a career with the airline industry? Do you want to fly your own plane, or for business? We will tailor our flight training to your needs.. You will be trained by instructors who are fully engaged in your success. Consider that many flight instructors are in the air with you to build their flight time. We are here for our student, and our FAA check ride pass rate is one of the highest in the industry: 90% pass rate!" The FAA check ride is considered one of the most important factors in the development of high quality U.S. pilots.

2. How often you plan to take flight lessons will factor into the costs of lessons. "It all starts with the private pilot's license. Do you want to have your license in a year? Take a lesson each week. If you want the license in six months, bump it up to two classes per week. If you are really eager, take three lessons and week and your target date will be four months from now," says Gail Erwin, a private pilot in California. Usually, the more often you take classes, the lower the costs of flight training. You may spend $6,000 taking lessons over a year and $5,000 if you take the same lessons over six months.

3. The kind of aircraft you use during training may also influence how much you pay. If your training occurs in a two-seat aircraft vs. a 6-seat twin engine craft, your costs will be lower. Where you take training may also affect how much you pay. For example, a flight school in Puerto Rico quoted a cost of $3,000 to obtain the Private Pilot's License. This is a certificate, not an actual license. In speaking with other flight schools along the eastern seaboard, most costs average somewhere north of $4,000. It may be worth paying more for higher quality instructors and equipment than seeking out the lowest bidder for your business. Some schools, e.g. Flight World, Inc. in San Juan, PR say costs run anywhere from $4,000-$10,000 to obtain your license.

For $29.5 million Brazilian executive jet builder Embraer will deliver a brand new Legacy 650 (above) to you by the end of the year. An amped-up version of the popular Legacy 600, the sleek craft can fly up to 3,900 nautical miles nonstop with four passengers, or 3,800 nautical miles with eight passengers – over 500 nautical miles farther than the 600 – thanks to new highly efficient and more powerful Rolls-Royce AE 3007A2 engines. That means the 650 can take you from London to New York, Dubai to London, Miami to São Paulo, Singapore to Sydney or Mumbai to central Europe in one go. The interior features three distinct cabin zones and a spacious galley, as well as the largest inflight accessible baggage compartment of any executive jet, and can of course be customized to your specifications, whether you want leather recliners or a zebra skin waterbed.

If you are flying in a private jet perhaps you are beyond the offerings of the SkyMall. Private Shoppes has created a new in-flight and online catalog to be distributed by jet charter operators, in-flight caterers and private air terminals. With the economy beginning to recover, private jet travel is starting to become popular once again, it is estimated that 2.5-3.5 million passengers fly privately each year. In a press release, Gillian Christie, CEO of Christie Communications said that Private Shoppes "makes Sharper Image look like a Sears Catalog." The catalog includes brands like Tumi, Mulholland, Steuben Glass, Shafer Vineyards, Bissinger's Chocolatier and more.

Should airlines have his and hers bathrooms? All Nippon Airways has announced that it will roll out women-only lavatories starting March 1 on all ANA Group international routes excluding Air Bus 320 and Boeing B737 aircraft. The airline said that it has had many requests for this service and so one women-only lavatory will be designated in the aft section of the passenger cabin and will be available for use by women passengers in all classes of service.

The special bathrooms will have a sign on the door. Men may be allowed to use the lavatories if there is a personal emergency or if there are few female passengers and the women-only designation has been lifted for the flight. Korean Air and Japan Airlines have already introduced these restrooms.

We've talked about the tourism slump in Las Vegas many times. It has had a major effect on hotels, restaurants and stores. But it has also affected the main airport in Las Vegas, which has seen revenue slump as airline carriers drop flight frequency. McCarran International Airport officials have found a uniquely Vegas way to fight back, they want to open up a liquor store in the baggage claim area. That's right, no more waiting until you get all the way to the Vegas Strip to liquor up. It's not really such a big shift for an airport that already has whole islands of slot machines but some people think its not really appropriate, even for Las Vegas. There are fears that the liquor store will lead to public drunkeness in the baggage claim (imagine drunken passengers with lost luggage, scary).

According to the Las Vegas Sun, the airport is seeking approval to open up a request for bids for the baggage claim liquor concession. Shops already sell duty-free liquor at McCarran and of course, at many airports all around the world but this may be the first baggage claim liquor store in the U.S. The store would be located near the escalators that lead from the D gates to baggage claim. Airport officials are couching the move as a necessary step to preserve jobs and help the Las Vegas economy but this may be a step too far, even for Vegas.

British Airways is showing off their new first class cabin. Simply named First, the new cabin includes a personal wardrobe, a bed which is almost half again as wide as the previous one, leather-bound writing table and personal electronic blinds and is being installed on a B777 which flies from London Heathrow to Chicago O' Hare. Seats are 60 percent wider at the shoulder and the lighting system is designed to recreate the subtlety of natural light throughout the day to help you feel more relaxed.

When you are ready to sleep you can don cotton pajamas and request turndown service in which the seat is made into a fully flat bed with a single–piece quilted mattress, white 400–thread Egyptian cotton duvet and pillow. The First cabin also comes with products including eye gel, lip balm and moisturizer from D.R. Harris, one of London's longest established traditional pharmacies that uses only natural ingredients. Products are all tucked into an Anya Hindmarch bag which was exclusively designed for First.

[via Breaking Travel News]

He may be Mr. Las Vegas but that's not where his plane is located. Wayne Newton's private plane has been sitting at an airport in Michigan for the past three years and according to local reports he hasn't been paying his storage bills. The president of Oakland Air in Oakland County, Michigan says that he is owed $61,360 in storage fees. The plane has been for sale for several years. Oakland Air president Joe Borgesen told MLive.com that a potential buyer came to check out the plane a while ago but that found that the unmaintained plane was full of black mold. The Fokker F28-1000 which was built in 1969 was once valued at over $2 million but is now said to be only good for scrap.

UPDATE: TMZ spoke with Wayne Newton's representative who said that that Newton has spent more than $700,000 in repairs to repair the plane and it still doesn't work.

For years North America has dominated the world aviation market but recent figures show that Asia Pacific is now the world's largest passenger market in aviation. New figures from the International Air Transport Association show that while North America flew 638 million passengers in North America, the Asia Pacific market flew 647 million. As you might suspect much of that growth has come from China which is now the region's largest domestic market flying 1,400 aircraft. It is expected that this trend will continue as more people in the region take to the skies.

In a related story, a recent AFP report showed that more and more Chinese people are using online travel services to book holidays. Revenue from online flight, hotel and package tour bookings are up 27 percent from last year and climbing as China's expanding middle class becomes more interested in travel and are becoming more accustomed to online purchases and using credit cards.

You'd think Richard Branson might be busy conquering space but he's got plans to explore the sea as well. His Virgin Limited Edition has unveiled the Necker Nymph, a DeepFlight three-person aero submarine. The craft was built by Graham Hawkes, of Hawkes Ocean Technologies. The open cockpit winged sub is bit like an underwater airplane. Unlike conventional subs which use ballast to sink, the Necker Nymph (named after Branson's Necker Island) uses downward 'lift' perhaps a bit similar to the way an airplane uses its wings to sustain loft. The Nymph is available to those staying on Necker Island or chartering the 105-foot catamaran Necker Belle. Dives can last up to two hours. Guests will be trained/accompanied by a certified Necker Nymph pilot. It was was designed specifically for Necker Belle, but can also be launched from shore. When taking Necker Belle for 7-nights' exclusive hire, the sub is available at a weekly rate of $25,000.

[via Engadget]

If you've got $5 million burning a hole in your pocket you should know Bell Helicopter has just begun delivering the brand new 429 GlobalRanger, billed as the most advanced light twin all weather (IFR) chopper ever. It's also incredibly fast with a cruising speed of 150 knots thanks to Pratt & Whitney PWC207D1 turbine engines, mostly composite construction, an all-graphite tail boom and X-shaped tail rotor. Digital fuel controls ensure the engines perform at maximum fuel efficiency even at the highest altitudes and temperatures. It's also impressively quiet, impeccably appointed and more spacious than any helicopter in its class with seating for up to 7 plus the pilot; the cargo area can accommodate golf bags or skis with ease.

After a year of private jet bad news signs of life are starting to emerge and now Delta Air Lines' private jet subsidiary, Delta AirElite will be massively expanding its fleet of small craft with the acquisition of Segrave Aviation. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that Delta's all-cash purchase of Segrave will add 21 aircraft to AirElite's fleet of 24 planes. The expansion will also improve Web-based booking and the travel experience for fleet membership card and charter customers. Delta didn't reveal the exact terms of the deal. Segrave operates a fleet of managed aircraft and specializes in wholesale charter aviation services, private aircraft management, aircraft maintenance and fixed base operations.

Because Delta offers both commercial and private jet service it offers flexibility for travelers. Delta AirElite passengers can also earn SkyMiles (Delta's reward program) and immediate Medallion qualification up to Diamond status. The fleet includes aircraft such as Hawker Beechcraft, Lear 60 and Challenger 604 jets. With recent security concerns, longer lines, more ancillary charges and airport delays, the private jet option is becoming more appealing once again. Last month my colleague Tom Johansmeyer stated that private jet travel is back and gave four solid reasons why.

It was the event that turned Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger into a national hero and now the plane involved in the Miracle on the Hudson crash will be up for sale. The plane, which faced certain doom when birds flew into the engines on January 15, 2009 is up for auction. US Airways Flight 1549 ended in the Hudson River and the Airbus A320-214 was later lifted from the water. It ended up in a salvage yard in Kearny, New Jersey. Chartis Insurance, a division of AIG, is managing the auction which is open to the public and scheduled to end on March 27. The plane is not exactly flight ready, the wings are separate from the fuselage and the plane has severe water damage and still bears the impact of the crash. It has been treated with a corrosion inhibitor but has been otherwise untouched for months. The engines aren't part of the deal. The plane is being auctioned as salvage but might also attract trophy seekers interested in buying the plane and then parceling off segments to collectors. One potential problem to discourage that is that the buyer must move the plane by April 10 or take over the storage bills. The auction listing complete with pictures is here.

[via AV Web]

MySky Aircraft, Inc., developer of the MS-1 second-generation light sport aircraft, has announced that orders are now being accepted for the new airplane. The first deliveries of production models are expected in November, 2010. The all-composite plane has a fighter-style bubble canopy and a side stick control. It has a cruise speed of 120 knots with a range of 636 nautical miles.

The MS-1 Mentor model comes equipped with front panel flight and engine instruments, ELT, nav lights and wing tip strobes, and has a base price of $124,500. The MS-1 Elite is equipped with the MySky Flight Information Center in both front and back panel, back up analog airspeed and altimeter indicators, magnetic compass, Garmin VHF com with intercom, and GTX-327 encoding transponder. The base price of the MS-1 Elite is $132,500. Upgrade options are available, including Porsche-style leather-and-rosewood interior, AmSafe seat belts with airbags, night flight package, and flight automation options. MS-1 customers may secure their positions on a first come, first served basis with a refundable deposit of $3000.

It's been a tough year for small private plane companies with layoffs and plant closures but not everyone is floundering. Piaggio Aero, makers of the P. 180 Avanti II have announced the addition of three new service centers in Ft. Lauderdale, Toronto and Montreal. The announcement came one month after Piaggio's expansion with West Star Aviation at its East Alton, Ill. facility. Since 2008, the Piaggio Aero brand has doubled its North American service network. The success of the P. 180 Avanti II is a combination of its sleek Italian styling (Piaggio Aero Industries' Chairman, Piero Ferrari, son of Enzo Ferrari, is also vice Chairman of Ferrari S.p.A.) and its fuel efficiency. The plane is the fastest turboprop aircraft combine the speed of a light cabin jet with the cabin of a mid-size craft that can hold nine people. It can hit cruising speeds of more than 402 ktas. but requires a third less fuel than most business jets. The new service centers are now open with more planned for 2010.