What Next for Martin Jetpack?

Marc Denham • Jul 02, 2015
Ulrich Berlger is Engineering Director at Martin Aircraft Company, makers of the Martin Jetpack. Named as one of Time magazine’s Top 50 inventions for 2010 the Martin Jetpack is set to be the world’s first commercial Jetpack.

As if managing the development of such pioneering technology was not enough to fill his days Ulrich has also been busy assembling a team of world class Engineers. By partnering with The Talent Hive he has been sourcing and hiring engineering expertise from the four corners of the globe. We recently sat down with Ulrich for a well deserved coffee and to discuss what he looks for when hiring for Martin Aircraft and why the company is such a compelling career choice for talented engineering minds.

Discover what we found out in part one of our interview……

Aside from the Jetpack, are there any other products in development at Martin Aircraft?

Short answer yes – our priority is on the ‘first responder’ Jetpack and the training simulator that is part of this package. There are many technology projects running concurrently to support these primary products. Beyond those we are proactively looking and working on additional products.

What are the company’s main objectives over the next year?

To bring the first Jetpack to commercial reality and Martin Aircraft into a company sustained by revenue

What kind of new recruits are you looking for to help you achieve those objectives?

We have several subject matter areas, spanning mechanical engineering, software development, production and quality expertise. I am particularly interested in people who are passionate and have that hunger to learn and contribute. Also key are flexibility and collaboration. We have found these traits in young graduates equally as in people with many years of industry experience.

Aside from the obvious attraction of working on the first commercial Jetpack, why else would an engineer choose to work for Martin Aircraft over another company?

There are very few companies where one can be part of shaping not only a product and a company but an entire product segment, and I believe while we work hard and often long hours, we have already formed an exciting and inspired team.

Tell us a little about the challenges new recruits can look forward to getting their teeth into before the Jetpack is ready for market? What happens after that?

I can’t talk freely about the challenges but in general terms we have to find solutions that are new to the world and are by default, challenging the existing boundaries of technology. Some of it has to do with performance of parts, others with the regulation, or even suppliers. New recruits will need to find out of the box solutions often outside the aviation industry in order to progress.

Where do you see Martin Aircraft and its products in ten years’ time?

We believe that in ten years the jetpack will be an accepted aircraft in the market; we will likely face competition from other manufacturers or solutions. We propose to have several products for different market segments. Internally we will have dedicated support for product support equally as continued research projects.

How important is a positive organisational culture for any business?

It can’t be underestimated in my view. I have worked in and seen many businesses in my career where the culture is attractive and inspiring, but also ones where the culture is not what people look for. It is fair to say that there are many more of the latter category that went out of business since. For me positive culture must not be confused with all fun and joy, it is about being proactive, supportive and solution based, then the tough aspects that any job and company will present can be worked through.

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