It’s a disappointing fact that in old movies, we were promised hover boards and self-lacing shoes by 2016 or so. While we were sorely disappointed in the lack of this, we have the next best thing in the form of water jet boards. However, even these had limitations to them and didn’t offer the same experience that a hover board would.
Luckily, we have progressed in leaps and bounds in this area and there have been many changes made to the original flyboard. Thankfully, due to this tinkering around, we saw the introduction of the first functional hover board in 2016. Named the Flyboard Air, it has garnered the attention of everyone as it breaks the bounds of traditional flyboards.
In many instances, people believed it to be a hoax but luckily, that is not the case. While it is considered to be a work-in-progress and there are still many modifications that need to be made to it, it is still a functional hover board. If you’re curious about this wonderful innovation, take a closer look at the Flyboard Air here:
Is Different from a Flyboard
Despite sharing its name with the flyboard, the Flyboard Air is completely different from it. For one thing, it doesn’t have jet propellers on it. It makes use of miniaturized turbo jets instead of water based jets like the flyboard has. Surprisingly, the differences don’t stop here; the Flyboard Air is not attached to any other vehicle in any manner.
In comparison, an actual flyboard is usually attached to a personal water vehicle. The controls are also connected to this vehicle as a person relies on the throttle of the vehicle to manipulate the throttle of the flyboard as well. On the other hand, the Flyboard Air is completely free and relies on a jet fuel that is usually worn like a back pack by the person operating it.
Has a Guinness World Record
While the flyboard has garnered a lot of interest and made a lot of headlines, the Flyboard Air is a league of its own, having a created a Guinness Record, in 2016 for the farthest flight traveled with the help of a hover board. The distance covered came to a total of 2,252.4m (2km). While it might be a small distance for some, you should pay attention to the fact that this record happened in April 2016, roughly a few months after the Flyboard Air was introduced to the world.
Given the fact that it is still being developed, the Flyboard Air has potential to make some new records as there has never been anything like it before. Keep in mind that the water based flyboard has also made some noteworthy breakthroughs. However, given the fact that the Flyboard Air is the World’s first, functional hover board, it tends to be the favorite one at the moment and garners more attention.
It Is Extremely Difficult
Despite the fact that the Flyboard Air looks completely effortless, the learning curve for it is extremely steep, more than the a regular flyboards. This is because a person has to rely on their own skills to ensure safety when they are up in the air. Even with safety gear on, it is possible to lose your balance or experience some other accident that can cause serious injury.
Even the inventor himself, Franky Zapata had to deal with accidents and crashes when he was testing out the Flyboard Air. Luckily, there’s no injury when a person falls in water but keep in mind that the Flyboard Air is capable of going 10,000 feet into the air and it also goes up to speeds of 80 km per hour.
Maintaining balance on the board is aided with the help of built in stabilizers in the board as well as the inclusion of propeller jets that try to keep the board at a steady angle. On the other hand, these jets are controlled by the person who is using the Flyboard Air. There’s no, two-team system like the one that commonly made when using flyboards so you have to be able to truly handle the controls on your own.
Requires Prior Experience
Since the difficulty level is so high and the fact that a person has to manage the controls and wear a back pack full of jet fuel, and monitor the fuel consumption at all levels, it is a given that the Flyboard Air is not meant for beginners at all. In fact, a person needs to have prior experience in flying one with a team before they can indulge in solo flights.
As recommended by Mr. Zapata, a person should have a minimum experience of 100 or even 50 hours with the original, water based flyboard. For many flyboard enthusiasts, this might dampen their spirits for trying it out but it is only for the safety of everyone involved. The Flyboard Air brings its own set of unique problems as well as challenges and someone experience with a water based flyboard will be better suited to not only handling them but maneuvering the Flyboard Air with ease.
Gimme, Gimme!
So, you have just a few more sessions of flyboarding to go before you can meet the experience quota needed to qualify for the Flyboard Air. Unfortunately, you’ll still be disappointed as it is currently, not available for civilian or recreational use. This is because the current Flyboard Air is still considered to be in its prototype phase and there are still certain aspects that need to be worked out.
However, you don’t have to be completely disappointed. If you’re looking for a similar board, you can opt to try out any board from the ESH Flyboard Pro series. This is because the Flyboard Air is developed based on this particular flyboard. While the experience of flying the Flyboard Air cannot compare to this one, it is still extremely similar and it makes for good practice for when the Flyboard Air eventually becomes available for the local market. For many, it is worth the wait.