Dubai's First Responders Will Fly to the Rescue With Jetpacks
Emergency teams will fly to the rescue in one of the world's wealthiest cities.
In the not far-off future, first responders may not have to worry about traffic jams or crowded streets obstructing their path — because they’ll be wearing jetpacks, sort of.
That’s the case in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai, at least: The city has reportedly ordered 20 jetpacks from New Zealand-based Martin Aircraft. However, the devices take off more like helicopters, using ducted fans to get off the ground.
Martin Aircraft CEO Peter Coker said of the deal that jetpacks give the “Dubai Civil Defense a significant operational advantage.” A BBC report lists the jet pack cost at $250,000.
This is what a real jetpack looks like.
The jetpacks that will be used by Dubai Civil Defense will reach a maximum speed of 45 mph and a maximum altitude of 3,000 feet, which is just slightly higher than the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, which towers prominently above Dubai’s skyline.
The world was first introduced to the Emirati jetpack last week, when two high-flying maniacs soared alongside an Airbus 380 over Dubai.
Jetpack-wearing emergency responders will undoubtedly exercise far more caution, and probably look something more like this:
