USA: The first ever convention for the Rocketbelt takes off at Niagara Falls

The Rocketbelt may be the least conventional way to fly, and the ride is a short one, but a passionate group of test-pilots, builders, and enthusiasts from around the world gathered for the First International Rocketbelt Convention to celebrate what was once seen The convention, at The Niagara Aerospace Museum in Niagara Falls, brought together the pioneers of the early Bell Rocketbelt together with the next generation of Rocketbelt builders and pilots. Original Bell Aerosystems Rocketbelt Pilots recounted their humorous and harrowing tales of the early 1960s when they travelled the globe, demonstrating the world's first personal propulsion system, invented by Bell Rocket Engineer Wendell F. Moore. Rocketbelt enthusiasts are a select crowd - despite the invention's initial popularity, it never took off commercially, mainly due to its limited flying time (less than 30 seconds). The Army's higher priority of missile development also contributed toward the loss of military interest, after a 1.2 million U.S. dollar investment during the early stages of development. William Suitor made a career out of demonstrating the Rocketbelt to thousands of people across the world, piloting one in the James Bond thriller 'Thunderball' and at the opening the 1984 Olympics with a dramatic flight into the Los Angeles Coliseum. He is probably the world's most high profile Rocketbelt pilot, something he says happened by chance. "The rocket belt was originally developed for the U.S. Army," Suitor recalled. "They wanted a flying device that the average soldier could use without a lot of training So the contract said that you had to take someone of the average conscript age - 18/19, which I was 19 - with no flight experience and luckily I cut the inventor's lawn. He was a friend of the family and I'm a shining example of how great nepotism is!" Also at the Convention was the the first man to fly untethered using a Rocketbelt, Hal Graham. He flew for 13 seconds, covering 112 feet, on April 20, 1961, near the Niagara Falls. Graham is credited with 36 tethered flights, during which he learned to manoeuvre, plus 87 free flights. The highest he flew was 36 feet, and his longest flight lasted just shy of 16 seconds, he last flew in 1962. Graham, 72, grew up in Kenmore but now lives in Tennessee, fondly remembers his days as a test pilot and the Convention gave him a chance to meet those who share his passion. "Well, I meet all these weirdo guys like me," said Graham, explaining the attraction of the convention. "Fellow guys who are off the wall, just, just bonkers - and we have kind of a kinship: we're all nuts." As well as those pilots and engineers who pioneered the Rocketbelt, the convention also saw the next generation of enthusiasts who are keeping interest in the machine alive and well. Stuart Ross from the UK is the first European to build his own Rocketbelt and leave terrra firma during a tethered test flight. No stranger to flying, Ross is a commercial airline pilot. He first started is Rocketbelt project over 2 years ago and is now perfecting his third prototype. The engineering involved in constructing a working Rocketbelt is extremely complex and coupled with the use of peroxide fuel it really is Rocket science. For Ross the convention was a chance to see where the object of his passion all began. "This is one of those machines that of course, I've modelled my machine on and it's pretty much exactly the same," he said, standing next to one of the first Rocketbelts ever built. "Looks a little bit different, but really it's all there and it's a great day to see a machine like this, to actually be able to touch it, and say this is what I've based my dreams on." The youngest member at the convention, 32 year old Jeremy McGrane, explained how he caught the Rocketbelt bug. "Y'know, it seems to be a very small group that is really that excited about these things to actually take the time, the investment, to go out and build one of these," he said. "A few years back I had seen one fly on TV. I just thought it was the coolest thing and said: 'I gotta have it'. So me and a buddy of mine said, well let's build it and after about 6 months of tinkering with the idea he bailed out and that was ten years ago and actually I didn't start physical construction until about 2000. And yeah it's pretty much just the gadgets, I love gadgets, and that's it." The convention wouldn't be complete without a demonstration of the Rocketbelt in action - and that's what onlookers got. Rocketman Eric Scott has flown for kings, presidents and Hollywood stars. Thousands have filled stadiums to watch him fly. The 43-year-old Denver man propelled himself about 40 feet above the pavement as hundreds of spectators watched along with the men who pioneered the Rocketbelt almost 50 years ago. A quirky story.

ITN Source | September 29, 2006

Tags:. .complex. .globe. .dramatic. .recalled. .object