This artist (ben blakeborough from australia), with no real engineering background, built a real solo-flying-contraption (called “Winged Self“). He modeled it after the 1950’s military-funded Hiller Flying Platform (archival footage here): http://www.youtube.com/v/dmSCyy0_OX4

I imagine this device might be practical in the following scenarios, since it doesn’t actually take you places quicker, and it doesn’t lift very far off the ground….

• You have worn your favorite white shoes (and it is before labor day, of course) and there are lots of puddles on the sidewalk.
• To avoid the hot sand on the way to the ocean.
• You could mop/paint/re-finish/buff your floor from above and not mess it up.
• For incredibly sensitive animal-rights folks to avoid unnecessary shoe-to-bug tragedy.
• All sorts of somewhat-enabling uses for those living with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• For use while your stepladder is being repaired.