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
