It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane!  It’s . . . a Doctor? 

    That scene might soon be more than a dream. But it won’t be a superhero coming to rescue you. It’ll be a doctor with a jet pack.

    An ambulance service in England tested this plan last fall. The service works in a beautiful, hilly area called the Lake District. Thousands of people go hiking there every month. Dozens get hurt a long way from the nearest road. 

    An inventor named Richard Browning had a solution. Last September, he met officials from the ambulance service in the hills. He strapped on a backpack full of fuel and medical supplies. He had one engine on his back and two on each wrist. 

    With a loud whoosh, he fired up the engines and took off. In 90 seconds, he was high on the hillside. On foot, the trip would have taken 25 minutes.

    That scene might soon be real. But it won’t be a superhero coming to save you. It’ll be a doctor with a jet pack.

    An ambulance service in England tested this plan last fall. The service works in a hilly area called the Lake District. Thousands of people hike there every month. Dozens get hurt far from any road.

    An inventor named Richard Browning had a solution. Last September, he met officials from the ambulance service in the hills. He put on a backpack full of fuel and medical supplies. He had one engine on his back and two on each wrist.

    Browning fired up the engines and took off. In 90 seconds, he was high on the hillside. On foot, the trip would have taken 25 minutes.

    That scene might soon be a reality—but rather than a superhero coming to rescue you, it’ll be a doctor with a jet pack.

    An ambulance service in England tested this plan last fall. The service works in a beautiful, hilly area called the Lake District. Thousands of people go hiking there every month, and dozens get injured a long way from the nearest road.

    Last September, an inventor named Richard Browning met officials from the ambulance service in the hills to demonstrate his solution to the problem. He strapped on a backpack full of fuel and medical supplies. He had one engine on his back and two on each wrist.

    With a loud whoosh, he fired up the engines and took off. Ninety seconds later, he was high on the hillside. On foot, the same journey would have taken 25 minutes.

    If doctors start flying around England, it will be a welcome sight. Jet packs have been around for more than 60 years. But no one has found a good use for them. The problem is they don’t go very far. Browning’s jet pack can fly for only 6 or 7 minutes at a time. 

    Several companies are working on new designs. They want to make jet packs cheaper and easier to use. In the meantime, you can buy one. But it’ll cost you $450,000. 

    Chances are, you won’t be flying to school anytime soon. 

    Doctors with jet packs would be a welcome sight. Jet packs have been around for more than 60 years. But no one has found a good use for them. They don’t go very far. Browning’s jet pack can fly for only 6 or 7 minutes at a time.

    Some companies are working on new designs. They want to make jet packs cheaper and easier to use. In the meantime, you can buy one. But it’ll cost you $450,000.

    Chances are, you won’t be flying to school anytime soon. 

    If doctors start flying around England, it will be a welcome sight. Jet packs have existed for more than 60 years, but no one has found a practical use for them because they don’t go very far. Browning’s jet pack, for instance, can fly for only 6 or 7 minutes at a time.

    Several companies are working on new designs, with the goal of making jet packs cheaper and easier to use. In the meantime, you can buy one—but it’ll cost you $450,000.

    Chances are, you won’t be flying to school anytime soon.