Wind on Back

Inventor Don Burgess was spotted at the Santa Monica pier while taking a break from his bicycle ride and was depicted on the front page of the Santa Monica Daily Press(09/28/2006)(PDF file)

(click on images to enlarge. Also, see video below)

After seeing Don riding his bicycle with his Pacificwind Thruspac on, it put new meaning to the expression "Keep the wind on your back".

At the Pacificwind Thrustpac website www.personalpropulsion.com , he describes the thinking behind this personal propultion device as being "Drive Outside The Box". A few other expressions found on the website are "We Take your Transportation Personal", and "Empower Yourself".

Below you will find a video demonstrating these Jet packs in action.




Fabian, a local photojournalist for the Santa Monica Daily Press, and the photographer who took the picture of Don Burgess on the Santa Monica pier writes:

"Cartoon artist Ernie Guanlao, 62, renders a sketch of inventor Don Burgess, 56, on his Pacificwind Thrustpac, a personal propulsion system at the Santa Monica Pier on Tuesday, September 26, 2006. The Thrustpac gets up to 150 miles per gallon on regular gas and can reach speeds of 25 to 35 miles per hour. It weighs 20 pounds and has a 35 cc engine. Burgess fills up the Thrustpac for only 38 cents. "Here's 50 Cents, keep the change, I am a big spender," he brags to the gas station attendant."

You can see more of the pictures taken of Don at "Santa Monica Close-Up"