It's a Bird, It's a Plane

"It's a Bird, It's a Plane " is the 95th episode of Gilligan's Island and the 27th episode of the Third Season. It aired on March 27, 1967.

Synopsis
The US Navy loses an experimental jet pack that washes up on the island, and the Professor sees it as hope of getting rescued from the island. Unfortunately, while rigging a dummy for the Jet pack Gillgian accidently activates the pack and expends much of its fuel. Only enough fuel is left for a 15 minunte flight. This means testing to see who among them would be best to fly it for help. That person turns out to be Gilligan.

The only hope left is to shoot straight up over the island to alert the Navy looking for the pack off shore, but he gets scared and crashes back to the island after causing it to rain. Upset, Gilligan takes the pack to try once more going for help after the Professor synthesizes more fuel, but this time, he forgets to strap himself in and it blasts off without him.

Cast

 * General - Frank Maxwell
 * Colonel - Edward Falkner
 * Lieutenant - Walt Hazzard
 * Radio Announcer - Chick Hearn

Trivia

 * XJP stands for Experimental Jet Pack
 * When Gilligan flies over the Island and is seen by the US Navy Vessel, the location is about 250 miles south of Hawaii.
 * Technically, the pack should have crashed back down to the island or washed back up on shore after a while.
 * The part where Gilligan lets the jet pack fly without him is cut out in the TV Land Syndiated version