Jet Suit Paramedics Helping People in the Lake District
From the moment that James Bond donned a jet suit in Thunderball, the fourth movie in the franchise, it felt like it might well become the future of travel.
We obviously know now that not only did Sean Connery not fly anywhere in a jet suit but also that it did not become a ubiquitous way of getting around the place.
Although it still seems as though it might be something from the world of science fiction, the truth is that jet packs are are much more realistic thing than a lot of people realise.
Such is the extent to which they’ve become a genuine mode of transport that they might be used by paramedics in the Lake District.
What is a Jet Pack?
There are numerous names that are given to the type of transportation that we’re talking about. Known as a rocket pack, a rocket belt or a flight pack as well as by the jet pack title, it is a device that is worn as a backpack that someone can use to travel from one place to another courtesy of jet propulsion.
The very idea of a jet pack was first used in science fiction nearly 100 years ago, but the first actual working devices were designed and used in the 1960s. There are numerous different mechanisms that have helped jet packs to work, but they have been limited by the likes of the atmosphere, gravity and other significant issues.
@c2st.tvMSI EXHIBIT | James Bond Jet Pack \ We went behind the scenes with Dr. Voula Saridakis to hear about some of the science and technology in the James Bond Movies at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry’s newest temporary exhibit 007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond. The exhibit will be at MSI until October 27th. #shorts #youtubeshorts #jamesbond #bonding #science #stem #007 #msi #chicago #stem #tech #interesting #tech♬ original sound – C2ST
One of the biggest issues that developers have encountered is the fact that the propulsion mechanism has to be safe. That is obviously not necessarily the case with certain gases and the moment that you begin to ignite anything at all there are clearly significant safety issues involved.
Powerhouse Productions are well-known producers of of a jet pack that became known as ‘The Rocketman‘, featuring in television shows as a result, but the flying time was limited. Regardless of the specifics, when we talk about a ‘jet pack’ we are talking about a device that allows propulsion from one location to another in a safe manner.
The Lake District Paramedics
Anyone who has been to the Lake District will know that it is a vast and often unforgiving area. In spite of this, countless people head to the area throughout the year, keen to take advantage of the numerous different areas that they can go for long walks or testing hikes.
The mountainous region, which is also a national park, is famous for the landscapes that it offers, as well as both the lakes and the coasts on offer there. England’s highest mountains are also to be found there, which is part of what makes the job of paramedics working in the Lake District so very difficult to carry out from one minute to the next.
The wild terrain on offer in the area can be genuinely treacherous for those that head out into it, resulting in countless incidents in which the Great North Air Ambulance Service’s Critical Care Team has had to get involved.
One of the biggest issues the fact that the undulating peaks and valleys that are found there tend to mean that it is all but impossible for helicopters to land anywhere safe close to the casualty, which means that any rescue service then needs to travel by vehicle or even simply on foot. Both of those option are obviously hugely time-consuming, which is where the possibility of jet pack rescues might come in.
Using Jet Packs to Rescue People
For around a year, a conversation took place between the Great North Air Ambulance Service and a company called Gravity Industries. The subject of the discussions was getting paramedics to a situation in a quick and safe manner.
On the eighth of September 2024, the founder of Gravity Industries, Richard Bowning, took a jet suit to Langdale Pikes in the Lake District and flew from the bottom of a valley to a simulated casualty site in a location known as The Band, close to Bowfell. It took him 90 seconds. What is impressive about that is that the climb on foot would take around 25-minutes for a fit person to complete.
WATCH: U.K.-based company, Gravity Industries, has been working with paramedics in the rural Lake District to test their jet suit’s capabilities in emergency situations. pic.twitter.com/AvOHsUgr5C
— NBC News World (@NBCNewsWorld) September 29, 2020
It was a demonstration of the potential that of using jet packs to help people in desperate need of assistance. One of the paramedics for the Great North Air Ambulance Service, who is also the Director of Operations, Andy Mawson 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. 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”. An obvious explanation of the appeal.
Richard Browning of Gravity Industries @takeonGravity demonstrates a jet pack launched from the HMS Queen Elizabeth off of Annapolis. @capgaznews
— j mckerrow photo (@jmckerrowphoto.bsky.social) 3 November 2024 at 10:49
Richard Browning founded Gravity Industries in the March of 2017. The system boasts 1,050-horsepower and relies on five mini-jets to work. There are two built into each unit that attach to the hands, as well as one built into a backpack worn by the person using the device.
Those five turbines provide an RPM of 120,000, with either Jet A1 or Diesel used as the fuel. It can fly for as long as ten minutes depending on the conditions in play, such as the weather and the weight that is being carried. The record speed at the time of writing is 85 miles per hour, so the extent to which it could be a game changer for the GNAAS cannot be overstated.