A collaboration between Gravity Industries, which has developed and patented a 1,050 brake horsepower Jet Suit, and the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS), has resulted in a test flight in the heart of the Lakes District pushing the boundaries of emergency response.
The Lake District is by far the UK’s most famous national park, and it’s not hard to see why. The picturesque panorama of craggy hilltops, mountain tarns and shimmering lakes draw some 15 million people each year.
But this wild terrain can be treacherous, resulting in several incidents requiring the medical expertise of the Great North Air Ambulance Service critical care team. The undulating peaks and valleys can often mean the helicopter is unable to safely land close to the casualty, forcing travel by vehicle or foot.
The test at the Langdale Pikes saw Gravity Industries founder and Chief Test Pilot Richard Browning fly from the valley bottom to a simulated casualty site on The Band, near Bowfell. The simulated casualty site would take around 25 minutes to reach by foot. The Gravity Jet Suit is able to cover that distance in 90 seconds, opening a range of possibilities in the emergency response arena.
The ground-breaking exercise was the culmination of a year of discussion between GNAAS and Gravity Industries.
Andy Mawson, director of operations and paramedic at GNAAS, identified the Lakes as a possible location for a Jet Suit paramedic after hearing of Mr. Browning’s work and then studying the charity’s own call-out data.
He said:
“It showed dozens of patients every month within the complex but relatively small geographical footprint of the Lakes. We could see the need. What we didn’t know for sure is how this would work in practice. Well, we’ve seen it now and it is, quite honestly, awesome.”
Mr. Mawson said the exercise had demonstrated the huge potential of utilising Jet Suits to deliver critical care services.
He added:
“In a time in healthcare when we are exhausted with COVID and its effects, it’s important to still push the boundaries. Our aircraft will remain a vital part of the emergency response in this terrain, as will the fantastic mountain rescue teams. But this is about looking at supplementing those resources with something completely new. We think this technology could enable our team to reach some patients much quicker than ever before. In many cases this would ease the patient’s suffering. In some cases, it would save their lives.”
Richard Browning added:
“It was wonderful to be invited to explore the capabilities of the Gravity Jet Suit in an emergency response simulation and work alongside the team at GNAAS. We are just scratching the surface in terms of what is possible to achieve with our technology. Emergency response is one of the areas Gravity are actively pursuing, alongside launching a new commercial training location at the world-renowned Goodwood Estate.”
With the test complete, GNAAS and Gravity Industries are now exploring the next steps in this collaboration.
GNAAS and Gravity Industries would like to thank Langdale Mountain Rescue Team, the National Trust, Stool End Farm and Cumbria Police for their part in making the test possible.
GNAAS is a charity and relies on donations to survive.
