( CNN ) -- Inventor Glenn Martin admits he appears crazy -- `` But it 's the crazy people who change the world . '' `` Some people work on old cars , some do quilting , some collect stamps , I build jetpacks . '' Night after night for 30 years , the New Zealand father-of-two worked on a secret machine in his garage . Wife Vanessa was one of the few people who knew about the space-age contraption quietly taking shape at their home in Christchurch . Luckily for Martin she was not only `` as crazy as him , '' but petite enough to be its first test pilot . Twelve prototypes and $ 17 million later , and what started as a young university student 's hobby could soon be on the market , the first flying machine of its kind ever to be commercially sold . Behold the `` Martin Jetpack . '' `` I wanted to fly to school as a five-year-old , '' said the 54-year-old inventor , who previously worked in marketing in the pharmaceutical industry . `` I saw 'Lost in Space , ' 'Thunderbirds , ' and the Apollo program when I was young . When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon , I knew that anything was possible . Somehow we lost that spirit . '' Everyone that is , except Martin . Fabulous flying machines . With a wingspan of just over 2 meters , his futuristic flying machine can travel 74 kilometers per hour and soar 900 meters into the sky . Powered by a V4 200-horsepower engine , it zooms through the air on two giant ducted fans , with enough fuel to last 30 minutes . Should the pilot let go of the controls , the jetpack will automatically hover on the spot . An inbuilt parachute can also be launched in an emergency . It might seem like an unlikely design for a man with a degree in biochemistry and physiology . But as Martin says , building things is just part of the `` Kiwi '' way -- referring to the nickname for people from New Zealand . `` Kiwis live outdoor lifestyles and by the time I was 20 I could ski , mountain climb , abseil , ice skate , kayak , surf , hang glide and skydive , '' he explained . `` We have a tradition of making what we need , of inventing things . So Jetpacks are a normal extension for the people who created the jetboat and bungee jump . '' Mission impossible ? Martin is now on the search for investors to help get his jetpack , ahem , off the ground . The company needs $ 4 million in funding . Should it succeed , the machine could be available just months later , with a price tag of around $ 150,000 . But just what will this daring design be used for ? `` Our first product will be targeted at First Responders -- fire brigades , the police , ambulance services , along with search and rescue , disaster recovery , and border control , '' said the company 's chief executive , Peter Coker . `` There will also be an unmanned version capable of lifting 100kg in weight . We 've already had interest from many other places , including mining and agricultural companies . '' There are also plans to release the jetpack to the tourism industry and ultimately to individuals -- though its use will come down to aviation laws in each country . New pilots would also be required to undertake a week-long training course . Cities of the future . Could we really see people flying jetpacks around our cities in the future ? `` The jetpack is well-suited to operate in cities , '' said Coker . `` Without the large rotor blades similar to a helicopter , it can operate in confined spaces . '' `` There is less opportunity at present for personal jetpacks to fly around urban environments , due to regulations . But I think this will probably change over time as new approaches of highways in the sky for personal transport are developed . '' For Martin , it would be a little boy 's dream come true . `` I was three-years-old when Al Shepard went into space , four-years-old when John Glenn completed an orbit , nine-years-old when Apollo 11 went to the moon , and 21-years-old when I decided to make a jetpack , '' he says . At 54 , he could be about to fly into the history books himself . Watch : Can this drone get you home ?
The 'Martin Jetpack ' could soon be the first commercially sold jetpack . Invented by Kiwi Glenn Martin , who worked on design for 30 years in garage . Looking for $ 4m in funding to get product onto market . Can fly 74kmph , soar 900m in air , and last 30 minutes before refueling .