Dueling jet packs fly together in California

A US aviation company has become the first to fly two jetpacks close together.

Jetpack Aviation took twelve months to prepare for the event in California, with the aim of testing the feasibility and safety of future jetpack racing.

In a video, David Mayman, CEO of Jetpack Aviation and fellow pilot Boris Jarry can be seen flying at high speed over a lake wearing twin-engine JB-10 jetpacks.

The jetpacks can reach speeds of up to 200 mph (320 km/h).

In a series of close-proximity maneuvers the devices appeared to not interfere with each other, allowing the pilots to playfully interact.

The company says the event marks a breakthrough in their endeavors to set up racing this year.

“We are all really excited about this, it is the first time in history that two jetpacks have flown together, we’ve done a huge amount of testing and now it’s time to get racing,” said Mayman in a press release.

Similar to the Red Bull Air Race – an annual aviation racing event – Jetpack Aviation hopes to launch its own racing event with an emphasis on maneuverability and head-to-head racing.