From a beer-fuelled conversation to the front cover of Time magazine, Glenn Martin's jetpack has come a long way.
Walking home from the pub in 1981 as a University of Otago student, Mr Martin and his friends began discussing better ways to get home.
The next day he started investigating how to build a jetpack.
Over the past 29 years, the Dunedin-born inventor has brought the machine to the final stages of research and development and now Time has named it as one of the best and most anticipated inventions of 2010.
In the magazine's latest issue, the jetpack sits on the list alongside the iPad, the first synthetic cell, body-powered devices, spray-on fabric, and an Iron Man suit.
While Time may not be flattering about the jetpack's appearance, saying Mr Martin "appears to have welded two enormous leaf-blowers together and thrown on a harness", it knows there is more than meets the eye: "The carbon-fibre composite frame houses a gasoline-fuelled, 200-horsepower engine - more power than a Honda Accord - that turns a pair of carbon-Kevlar rotors".
Mr Martin is overseas at present and was unavailable for comment, but Martin Aircraft Company chief executive and director Richard Lauder said the accolade was "fantastic".
"It's great to be recognised on a global scale and we hope that that creates further interest and helps us achieve our goals."
The company has received tentative orders for 3500 of the $140,000 machines it wants to develop for adventure tourism, military, and private use.
It was now "seriously investigating" an initial public offering in New Zealand, giving the public the opportunity to invest in the business in the second quarter of next year.
If there was insufficient liquidity here, it could be forced offshore.
It would take 18 months after funding was secured before the jetpacks could be commercially produced, Mr Lauder said.
