Real-life ‘rocket man’ wearing a jet pack launches from Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth before flying past stunned passengers aboard a private yacht
- Jet pack inventor Richard Browning made a demo flight from the giant warship
- His firm Gravity Industries has been working with the Royal Navy on the device
- HMS Queen Elizabeth is presently moored off of the coast of Maryland in the US
- The aircraft is playing host to a defence expo and tech-themed conference
A real-life rocket man wearing a jet pack launched from the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth on a demonstration flight today.
Richard Browning — the inventor and pilot of the device — carved a graceful arc through the air from the warship, stunning a private yacht with a close fly-by.
The flight occurred while the naval vessel was moored off of the coast of Annapolis, in Maryland, in the middle of a three-month war-games exercise involving US allies.
The Twitter account of the HMS Queen Elizabeth shared footage of the flight as seen from the warship itself.
‘Someone needed to leave the ship in a hurry!’ they joked.
‘We do have seaboats you know.’
Mr Browning — who was a Royal Marine Reservist and ultra-marathon runner before launching his Gravity Industries firm — has reportedly been working closely with the Royal Navy on the development of his jet pack.
This latest exhibition came as the HMS Queen Elizabeth played host to the 2019 Atlantic Future Forum, which was focusing on issues surrounding artificial intelligence, cyber technology, robotics and big data.
The aircraft-carrying warship saw its hold converted into a conference venue for the event — complete with two of the vessel’s ‘F-35 Lightning’ stealth jets on display.
The forum was preceded by a Defence Trade Expo, opened by the HMS Queen Elizabeth’s commanding officer, Commodore Steve Moorhouse.
A real-life rocket man wearing a jet pack launched from the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth on a demonstration flight today
Richard Browning — the inventor and pilot of the device — carved a graceful arc through the air from the warship, stunning a private yacht with a close fly-by
The Jet Suit uses five gas turbines which collectively produce over 1,000 brake horsepower to gain flight, and can reach speeds of over 55 mph. Company founder Richard Browning has previously demonstrated the suit in more than 20 countries around the world
Richard Browning — the inventor and pilot of the device — carved a graceful arc through the air from the warship, stunning a private yacht, pictured, with a close fly-by
The jet pack uses five gas turbines that produce over 1,000 brake horsepower to gain flight and can reach speeds of over 55 miles per hour (89 kph).
Gravity Industries was awarded a patent earlier this year in what its British creators are saying is the world’s first for a ‘jet suit’.
In September, Mr Browning made his longest flight yet in the futuristic gear, crossing the Solent from Hurst Castle in Lymington to Fort Albert in Freshwater.
Mr Browning — who was a Royal Marine Reservist before launching his Gravity Industries firm — has reportedly been working closely with the Royal Navy on the development of his jet pack
The flight occurred while the HMS Queen Elizabeth was moored off of the coast of Annapolis, in Maryland, in the middle of a three-month war-games exercise involving US allies
This latest exhibition came as the HMS Queen Elizabeth, pictured, played host to the 2019 Atlantic Future Forum, which was focusing on issues surrounding artificial intelligence, cyber technology, robotics and big data