Against a backdrop of skyscrapers and super yachts, eight airborne athletes competed “Ironman”-style in the inaugural Jet Suit Race Series, an event organized by the Dubai Sports Council and Gravity Industries, the manufacturers of the jet suit.
From futuristic architecture to pioneering infrastructure, Dubai is no stranger to weird, wonderful, and downright wacky innovation. But on Wednesday, the “City of Superlatives” went full sci-fi when eight pilots, suited and booted like Marvel’s “Iron Man,” took to the skies. They were not fighting supervillains or alien warlords, though.
While Kaflon has flown in over 30 Gravity events and demonstrations, not all of the pilots were so experienced. Ahmed Al Shehhi, an adrenaline junkie and regular skydiver, represented the UAE in the race and was the only competitor who wasn’t a Gravity team pilot. Al Shehhi first flew in the jet suit just three weeks before the race, completing an intensive 12-day training course in the UK where participants practice on a safety tether system before moving onto free flight.