Watch: Dubai Hosts World’s First Jet Suit Race Resembling Scene from ‘Iron Man’

Dubai hosted the first-ever jet suit race, organised by Gravity Industries in collaboration with the Dubai Sports Council, on Wednesday.

The pilots looked like characters from ‘Iron Man’ movie as they donned jet engines on their hands and backs.

In front of Dubai Marina’s towering skyscrapers, the futuristic pilots deftly manoeuvred the course with powerful jet suits.

#Dubai is set to host the world's first Jet Suit Race; the first sporting contest of its kind featuring opponents who go aerial relying solely on suits equipped with jet engines. The event will be held on February 28, 2024 in the area between Dubai Harbor and Skydive Dubai.… pic.twitter.com/hDMZXaCHhK

— Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) February 27, 2024

Powered by 1,500 horsepower, the jet suits surpassed the power of many luxury sports cars, running on the same aviation fuel used by Dubai-based airline Emirates for its Airbus A380s and Boeing 777 aircraft.

Each jet could achieve a speed of up to 128 km/h. There were a few bumps between racers, but only one pilot ended up in the water.

Richard Browning, founder and chief test pilot for Gravity Industries, described the experience as fulfilling one’s dream of flying. “The closest analogy would be that dream of flying … and then go wherever your mind is taking you,” he said. “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.”