Seven pilots fired up their jet engines on a runway in Dubai, not to fly an airplane, but themselves in the world’s first-ever jet pack race.
The city-state of UAE, known to house the world’s tallest building, just hosted its first-ever jet pack race.
In the video, racers can be seen zipping along a route over in the Dubai Marina with the skyscrapers of the city looming behind them.
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Speeding through the air with a jet pack on your back and arms kinda sounds like something straight out of an Iron Man movie.
Even the racers and event organizers agree on that similarity.
“The closest analogy would be that dream of flying and then go wherever your mind is taking you,” said Richard Browning, founder and chief test pilot for Gravity Industries, the firm that put on the race with Dubai.
“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.”
The company behind the race has traveled widely with the jet pack suits and tried many different applications for them.
They were previously focused on military applications before coming up with the idea of a jet pack race with the Dubai Sports Council.
The pilots were equipped with 1,500-horsepower jet pack suits, with engines more powerful than most luxury sports cars.
These jet packs use the same fuel that is used by long-haul carrier Emirates’ Airbus A380s and Boeing 777 aircraft.
The race started on a runway at the Dubai Marina and followed a route along the water channel.
The site was picked for the safety of the pilots, while also allowing higher speeds above the water.
The jet suits were able to reach speeds of 128 kph (80 mph) with two pilots even bumping into each other during the race.
The sport is risky, but exhilarating at the same time, especially if you’re a fan of Marvel superheroes.
