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Gravity Industries founder and chief test pilot Richard Browning made the flight in collaboration with the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), travelling from the bottom of a Lake District valley to a simulated casualty site on The Band, near Bowfell. The jet suit covered the distance in 90 seconds – much quicker than an estimated 25-minute walk.
Development on the world’s first patented jet suit began in 2016. Made of 3D-printed aluminium, steel, titanium and polymers, the device has five turbines offering 1,050-1,500hp. Using jet A1 fuel or diesel, it has a flight time of 5-10 minutes, a top speed of 120km/h and an altitude limit of 12,000ft.
The test at the Langdale Pikes was the culmination of a year of discussions between GNAAS and Gravity Industries.
“It was wonderful to be invited to explore the capabilities of the Gravity Jet Suit in an emergency response simulation and work alongside the team at GNAAS,” said Browning.
“We are just scratching the surface in terms of what is possible to achieve with our technology. Emergency response is one of the areas Gravity are actively pursuing, alongside launching a new commercial training location at the world-renowned Goodwood Estate.”
Andy Mawson, director of operations and paramedic at GNAAS, identified the Lakes as a possible location for a jet suit paramedic after hearing of Mr. Browning’s work and then studying the charity’s call-out data.
“It showed dozens of patients every month within the complex but relatively small geographical footprint of the Lakes,” he said. “We could see the need. What we didn’t know for sure is how this would work in practice. Well we’ve seen it now and it is, quite honestly, awesome.”
The exercise demonstrated the huge potential of utilising jet suits to deliver critical care services, he added.
“In a time in healthcare when we are exhausted with Covid and its effects, it’s important to still push the boundaries.
“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.
“We think this technology could enable our team to reach some patients much quicker than ever before. In many cases this would ease the patient’s suffering. In some cases, it would save their lives.”
The partners said they were now exploring the next steps in the collaboration.
Click here for more information on GNAAS, a charity which relies on donations.
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