Dubai residents may soon be seeing even more jetpacks flying overhead now they’ll be attached to first responders.
Last week, the United Arab Emirates metropolis ordered 20 jetpacks for
their rescue workers from manufacturer Martin Aircraft Company. Instead
of jets, the personal flying machines use ducted fans to rise to a
maximum altitude of 3000 feet.
This excessive jetpack power will come in handy in Dubai, where the
world's tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa, towers over the city at
2722 feet. The jetpack flies at speeds up to 45 mph, so in theory, a
first responder could reach the top of the world’s tallest building in
about a minute. The packs also have a remote-control option, so they
could be brought to someone stuck in a high up place, and a pilot on the
ground could navigate them to safety.
The futuristic jetpacks will cost the city $150,000 apiece. This is
hardly the first lavish investment Dubai has made in its emergency
services: The cars used by their police force include a Bentley, a
Ferrari, and a Lamborghini.
Source: Mental Floss
