FLY BOARD
A Flyboard is a type of water jetpack attached to a personal water craft (PWC) which supplies propulsion to drive the Flyboard through air and water to perform a sport known as flyboarding. A Flyboard rider stands on a board connected by a long hose to a watercraft. Water is forced under pressure to a pair of boots with jet nozzles underneath which provide thrust for the rider to fly up to 15 metres in the air or to dive headlong through the water.[1]
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History
The Flyboard was invented in spring 2011 by a French watercraft rider, Franky Zapata.[1][2] He built many prototypes before perfecting the design which allows the device to climb out of the water and be stable in the air. This was achieved by the underfoot propulsion and hand stabilization.[2] The French Institut national de la propriété industrielle (INPI) granted Zapata a patent for his invention.[2] The Flyboard was the subject of a lawsuit from competitor Jetlev which was dropped without prejudice in March 2013.[3] The device was presented to the public for the first time at the jet ski World Championship 2012 in China.[2] After a video was posted on YouTube the product received a lot of attention from people around the world and it was looked at as an incredible new sport phenomenon. Then after around six months the Flyboard became[according to whom?] an “unavoidable nautical discipline".[4] Since its introduction in 2012 the Flyboard has sold around 2500 units.
Technical information
The Flyboard is a bolt on device that is attached to a jet ski and requires proper instructions and safety gear before being able to use the product successfully and efficiently. So that the PWC follows behind the rider’s trail allowing the rider all types of freedom even allowing the rider to go under water if they desire. The pilot that is on the Flyboard is in complete control of the navigation while the throttle is controlled by the person in charge of the PWC. The pilot on the Flyboard is secured in by bindings similar to a wakeboard and the rider is propelled from water jets below the device. There are certain rules that one must go by when purchasing a Flyboard though. The Flyboard is buoyant for safety, which also allows the rider to rest in the water between rides if the rider happens to get fatigued.[5] The use of a personal flotation device and helmet is recommended[by whom?] for safety purposes.[citation needed]
Two versions of the Flyboard are offered by one particular American company: the Flyboard Standard Kit and the Flyboard Pro Rider Kit. The former is a board with hand-held stabilizers, which was the original design. The latter dispenses with the stabilizers.[6]
Device power is controlled by a throttle on the PWC. The equipment may be used in two modes: The primary one requires two people, one to control the PWC throttle which regulates the power and height of the rider. The secondary mode relies on an accessory called an Electronic Management Kit (EMK) which allows the rider to control the jetski throttle.[citation needed]
Additional information
The 2013 Flyboard v2 is priced at US$5,850,[7] and may typically be rented for around US$150 for 30 minutes or $250 for 60 minutes.[8] Purchasing a Flyboard requires completion of a training course and the signing of a liability release form, followed by riding instruction. Courses may cost from $250.00 to $1,000.00. Physical strength is not required to perform the subtle movements necessary to use the device, whereas coordination and balance are important. The equipment is not as hard to use as one may think after watching videos of people demonstrating different stunts and tricks.[citation needed] Proper instruction is key, and once someone follows these then that person can be flying on their Flyboard in no time.[clarification needed] It doesn’t take much time to master the basic controls of the Flyboard.[citation needed] There is also no weight limit when using the Flyboard but one must be at least 18[clarification needed] if they would like to ride.[9]
Flyboard kits include everything necessary to get started. Kits include the board, a pair of wakeboard type shoes, a rotation system(“composed of specific plastic bearing balls in order to avoid corrosion, we developed a self-cleaning system using water pressure which allows the rejection of sand” [10]), 2 hoses along with handles and nozzles, the main hose that supplies the water pressure from a PWC, the 180 degree elbow that allows the wide range in movement, 1 nozzle, and 1 quick clip for disconnecting between the Flyboard and the PWC. Maintenance for a Flyboard is minimal, but it is recommended to run clean water after usage in the sea. A flyboard can range from $6570 for the base model; the hand unit with an inbuilt trigger throttle will cost another $1200. The inbuilt trigger throttle is not necessary but can make the board easier to ride, especially for a beginner.[11]
In the movie Bang Bang! for the first time, Flyboard stunt was done (in a Bollywood or Hollywood film) and Hrithik Roshan became the first actor to do this