--- title: "Mystery ‘Rocket Man’ reported near LAX, 2020 keeps getting weirder" date: "2020-09-03" modified: "2020-10-30" authors: - name: "Jos Joseph" job_title: "Marine Corps Veteran, Contributor" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/joslinjoseph/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-trending/lax-rocket-man/" categories: - "Military News" --- # Mystery ‘Rocket Man’ reported near LAX, 2020 keeps getting weirder ![]() (Wikimedia Commons) Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's… a guy in a jetpack? --- Pilots flying into Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday evening reported seeing a man in a jetpack flying at an altitude of around 3,000 feet and about 10 miles from the airport. The first pilot to see the mysterious aviator said he was only about 300 yards away from the plane. You can hear the exchange of the actual transmission [here](). "Tower, American 1997 — we just passed a guy in a jetpack". A second pilot also reported seeing a flying apparition in the sky in the same area. The air traffic controller acknowledged the message and quipped, "Only in LA". He then sent a warning to other pilots to use caution when approaching LAX. While one might think the pilots were seeing things or tired, aviation experts doubt that. Pilots are highly trained and have a great sense of vision and perception. For two pilots on two separate flights to notice the same man in a jetpack gives credibility to the story. That begs the question. Who was this Rocketeer? The FAA reached out to the Los Angeles Police Department to investigate it, but after a flyover of the area, the LAPD did not see any flying men. Jetpack technology has been around for awhile. Anyone old enough to remember will recall the wonder of seeing one at the Opening Ceremonies of the [1984 Olympics](). But the technology of jetpacks is limited by two things: altitude and fuel efficiency. Jetpacks can't get too high off the ground and they can only be in the air for moments at a time. That is what makes this case so perplexing. Was it actually a jetpack? Was it actually a man? Maybe it was a drone, balloon or something else? Was it David Blaine practicing his [balloon stunt]()? Was it a new military device? Did SpaceX create a new jetpack for their Mars mission? Is there a new tech company that is testing a new device? Well, if there is one way to find out it's the Feds. The FBI is now looking into the mystery and is hoping to find answers soon. While there is some type of levity to the story (not the craziest thing to happen in 2020), there is concern of someone or something drifting into the path of an approaching plane. Pilots already must deal with birds and natural objects, but lately also have to keep an eye for drones, balloons and now…. Jetpacks. ## Author Joslin Joseph is senior contributor for We Are The Mighty covering sports, entertainment, news, and history. He is a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq. After the service, he worked in the sports industry for organizations including the San Diego Padres, the Farmers Insurance Open, the University of Texas Athletics, Baylor Athletics, and Ohio State Athletics. He also helped build GovX’s sports, concert, and travel discount program for military veterans and first responders. His contributions to We Are The Mighty have included interviewing celebrities such as David Robinson, Craig Morgan, and Justin Fields. He also covered sports events and military participation in sports events such as the Super Bowl flyover. In addition to We Are The Mighty, Joslin’s writing has been published in The Hill, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, San Francisco Chronicle, AOL, Yahoo News, Task & Purpose, and the Brattle Street Review. Born and raised in New Jersey, educated in Ohio, and currently living in Southern California. ### Author social links [LinkedIn]()