On Saturday, April 19th, actress, singer and dancer Zendaya Coleman and Entertainment Tonight host Brooke Anderson visited Jetpack America’s
Newport Beach headquarters to give the sport of jetpacking a try as part of Visit California’s Dream It…Do It promotion, where they’re featuring
several A-List celebrities experiencing some of the amazing adventures that California serves up on a daily basis.
After some pre-flight interviews with Zendaya and Jetpack America president Dean O’Malley, the adventurous females went through formal jet pack training
in the office and learned the fundamentals of jetpack steering, elevation control and trick flying, like walking on water, no-handed flying and
underwater submarines.
Throughout the shoot, as word got out that the world-famous Zendaya was somewhere in Newport Beach, throngs of her young fans gathered at the office
to sneak a peek of the 5’10” 17 year old, some being brave enough to approach her and ask for an autograph. In top-notch star fashion, she gave
autographs and answered questions from everyone who asked, always with a smile on her face.
Brooke Anderson, new mother of two, was supported by her husband and kids, who were on-site from start to finish. Although she admitted she was
a little nervous about the jetpack flight, she vowed to make her fans and, more importantly, her family proud.
When the time came to fly and the cameras were rolling, Zendaya donned the life vest and walkie-talkie helmet, strapped into the carbon fiber jetpack
backpack, and stood bravely on the side of the boat, ready to jump into the water to start her flight. It took her a few minutes to get the hang
of the jetpack controls, veering off several times to the right as the throttle picked her up out of the water, only to send her plummeting back
down. She was no quitter though, after five or six (or was it nine or ten?) attempts, she finally got herself airborne and the looks of hesitation
gave way to the smile of a young lady who’d realized her dreams of becoming a jetpack pilot. Even though she admitted she still hasn’t gotten her
driver’s license, she can now proudly proclaim that she doesn’t need it because she’s a certified jetpack pilot.
During her flight, she proceeded to walk on water, wave gracefully to the cameras and the onlookers on shore, and get up 10+ feet in the air, proving
there’s nothing this girl can’t do. Youngest contestant on Dancing with the Stars, adored by 4.3 million followers on Twitter and Instagram, award-winning
singer, Disney darling…the list goes on and on.
Having set the bar, it was now Brooke’s turn to show the world what she had. As soon as the straps of the pack were tightened down, it was clear the
ET host was more than a little nervous. Luckily for her, Jetpack America’s O’Malley was on the remote throttle and talking to her through the walkie-talkie
helmet, which helped calm her nerves.
After just a couple miscues on her starts, Brooke was up flying, undoubtedly benefiting from watching Zendaya go through her learning process.
Within minutes, Brooke was wowing the crowd with high-flying, great control and effortless maneuvers. With her daughter running up and down the
beach cheering her on, she hit a max height of 15-20 feet. And she even pulled off the underwater submarine, where she dove beneath the water’s
surface only to come rocketing out back into the sky.
At the end of the shoot, there were two very happy ladies with big grins on the boat, proving there’s no such thing as “just for the boys” anymore.
To learn to fly the jetpack like Zendaya and Brooke, click HERE to view Jetpack America’s first-time pilot packages.
