The jet suits surpassed the power of many luxury sports cars.
Dubai played host to an extraordinary event on Wednesday, as pilots lined up on a runway to partake in the city-state's first-ever jet suit race. Organised by Gravity Industries in collaboration with the Dubai Sports Council, the competition featured participants donning jet engines on their hands and backs, resembling scenes straight out of ‘Iron Man'.
Set against the impressive skyline of Dubai Marina's towering skyscrapers, the futuristic display featured pilots deftly manoeuvring the course with powerful jet suits. The competition took place on a Dubai Marina runway used by Skydive Dubai, a company linked to Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, known for thrilling experiences.
Richard Browning, founder and chief test pilot for Gravity Industries, described the experience as fulfilling one's dream of flying. “The closest analogy would be that dream of flying ... and then go wherever your mind is taking you,” he said. “And yes, the world of Marvel superheroes and DC Comics, they have created that dream book with CGI, and we've got the closest I think anybody's ever got to delivering that for real.”
Boasting an impressive 1,500 horsepower, the jet suits surpassed the power of many luxury sports cars, running on the same aviation fuel used by Dubai-based airline Emirates for its Airbus A380s and Boeing 777 aircraft.
Each jet, resembling something out of a superhero comic, has the capacity to achieve speeds of up to 80 mph (128 km/h), however, in the event on Wednesday, the pilots did not quite hit those speeds. They navigated around obstacles in a water channel chosen for safety, and while there were a few bumps between racers, only one pilot ended up in the water. Surprisingly, the Emirati pilot, who had just 12 days of training, quickly got back up and gave a thumbs-up to rescuers.
United Kingdom's Pilot Issa Kalfon won the race, crossing the finish line to receive a golden jet turbine. Despite describing the jet suit as safe and manageable, Mr Kalfon acknowledged feeling nervous before taking off. He shared, "Everything's hot, it's running, the engines are screaming at you. And the flag drops, and it's just - you absolutely go for it."
Gravity Industries gained international attention by putting a jet suit on a UK Royal Marine, who landed on a ship at sea. Working with the Dubai Sports Council marked another big move for the company in exploring jet suit technology for uses beyond the military.