YOU’VE BEEN SAVED BY JET PACK MAN
Paramedics test 85mph flying suit in the Lake District
THE locals of Metropolis could always rely on Superman to save them in an emergency.
Now it looks like hikers and climbers in the Lakes could enjoy the next best thing – a flying paramedic.
Equipped with five jet engines and capable of speeds of 85mph, this jet suit is being trialled by the Great North Air Ambulance Service with maker Gravity Industries.
These pictures show jet suit pilot and inventor Richard Browning flying from the Langdale Pikes to a simulated emergency on the Band, near Bowfell.
The site of the ‘casualty’ – more than a mile and a quarter away with a 2,300ft ascent – would normally take rescuers 25 minutes to reach on foot but Mr Browning got there in just 90 seconds.
Andy Mawson, director of operations at GNAAS, said the Lake District was a possible location to use the jet suit given the difficult terrain and its popularity among hikers. ‘From personal experience I know that carrying medical kit up the side of a mountain in the Lakes is so difficult. We are not talking about big distances, but we are talking about steep gradients,’ Mr Mawson said.
‘Our aircraft will remain a vital part of the emergency response in this terrain, as will the fantastic mountain rescue teams. But this is about looking at supplementing those resources with something completely new.’
The suit is powered by five kerosenefuelled jet engines – a pair on each arm and a larger engine on the pilot’s back. They produce enough thrust to enable the wearer to make a vertical take-off. The flight is controlled by the pilot altering the direction of their arms.
Mr Browning said: ‘People pick up flying the suit like a kid learning to ride a bike. The flying paramedic will be armed with a medical kit, with strong pain relief for walkers who may have suffered fractures, and a defibrillator for those who may have suffered a heart attack.’