The Inventor of the world’s first practical jetpack, Glenn Martin will be touring New Zealand in September to giving a free public presentation about the Martin Jetpack – a lifelong dream that has come to fruition after years of secret tinkering in the garage.

The event, hosted by the Regional Branches of the Institution of Professional Engineers New Zealand (IPENZ) is part of an annual national series – the Pickering Lectures. The lectures are named for another New Zealand innovator, William Pickering who was a key figure in the US Space programme and who has been cited by Mr Martin as a personal hero. The lucky audience in Christchurch will have a chance to see the jetpack up close and to have a go in the jetpack simulator.

As a child, Glenn Martin dreamt of flying. Later, studying biochemistry at the University of Otago, Glenn and his friends fantasised about flying home to their flat after long nights at the local hotel. While his flatmates let the thought pass, Glenn began a lifetime’s work researching the potential for personal aviation devices. read more

Other features from the September issue:

Marine engineering specialists
By Steve Best

Rob Macready has been the managing director of Chatfield Marine for the last four years. Chatfield has a staff of ten – in their foundry and throughout the machine shop – as well as management. I visited Rob at Chatfields this month and asked him a number of questions about the company and what it did. Read More

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Why meaning matters more
By Reg Birchfield

These are difficult economic times and they are far from over. Those at the top of the United States’ economy, for example, admit they are both uncertain and unsure about recovery prospects. Read More

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Competence development and professional recognition
By Brett Williams – director, learning and assessment, IPENZ

As the director of learning and assessment here at IPENZ I know how much emphasis the engineering profession places on competence development and professional recognition. While it can seem overwhelming at the time, the years immediately following graduation are key to establishing the foundations of a career, so a strategic look at professional development is invaluable. Read More

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A whole new dimension in engineering fabrication

Duroweld NZ Ltd is pleased to announce that they have recently been appointed sole NZ distributors for the PlasmaCAM and SamsonCNC range of robotic plasma cutting machines.
These US produced machines have opened up a whole new dimension in engineering fabrication. Operating from easy to use windows-based software, designs can be set up and cut out in minutes with incredible speed and accuracy.  Read More

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