Search and rescue jetpack aces flight test in lousy weather

A paramedic in England strapped a jetpack to his back and tried it out for the first time.

The kit can be used in mountain rescue missions when a helicopter can't get to those in need of help because of strong winds and heavy rain.

Jamie Walsh of the Great North Air Ambulance Service was filmed flying with the jetpack in challenging weather in Cumbria.

Walsh was able to fly in a way that made it look easy despite the fact that it wasn't.

It can be difficult to come up over a ridge line, but if you know how to counter it and maneuver it, you can do it safely.

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The first responders said his team was in a position to reach a casualty on a mountainside in Cumbria because of the equipment they had.

A British paramedic trains to speed up rescue work in the mountains with the help of a jet suit pic.twitter.com/T3HnfKKoHq

— Reuters (@Reuters) October 19, 2022

The jetpack was created by U.K. based Gravity Industries. Richard Browning talked to Digital Trends about his work a few years ago.

There are three small engines on the back of the flying gear and two small engines on each arm. The flight direction is determined by subtle movements of each arm. The video states that it can fly a human at speeds of up to 85 mph at an altitude of 12,000 feet.

Speaking shortly after the Cumbria test flight, Browning said: "What we've really learned is that paramedic response is all about getting to the side of that critical care patient super-fast." You are not taking them to the hospital, you are with them to sort out blood loss, breathing problems, and manage pain.

Browning said, "Our ability to get over any terrain in almost any weather and get alongside that casualty, often faster than a helicopter or on foot, that's turned out to be super valuable."

Browning and his team will continue to refine and test the design with a view to deploy it not only for search and rescue, but also for national defense.

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