Jet Suit: How It Works, What It Costs and Who Flies One

For decades the jet pack was something from movies and old comic books. Then a British company began flying people in a suit with small jet engines strapped to the arms and back, and the footage looked too good to be real. It is real. This guide covers what the suit is, how fast it goes, what a flight costs and who has actually used one.

Prices and facts below come from the company's own pages, Guinness World Records, the Royal Navy and press coverage of the trials. Each one is listed with its date at the end.

What is a jet suit and how does it work?

A jet suit is a body-worn flying rig. The best known is the one built by Gravity Industries, a British company. Its current Mk4 version uses micro jet engines on the arms for upward thrust, plus three micro turbines in the back, according to the company. Parts are made with polymer, aluminium and titanium 3D printing.

The pilot does not sit in anything and there are no wings. Guinness World Records files the speed record under "body-controlled" jet suits, because the pilot steers by moving the arms and body to point the thrust. An October 2020 report in AOPA, the U.S. pilots' association, described an earlier version with five engines, two on each gauntlet and one on the pilot's back, producing 317 pounds of thrust in total.

The result looks closer to hovering and gliding than to flying like a plane. It takes training, which is why the company teaches it in stages.

How fast can a jet suit fly, and for how long?

The record is 85.06 mph (136.891 km/h), set by Gravity founder Richard Browning at Brighton Beach in East Sussex on November 14, 2019, according to Guinness World Records. It beat his own earlier mark of 32.02 mph from 2017. Guinness credits improvements in the technology and stabilizing fins on his legs for the jump.

The company's current page says only that the Mk4 has reached "over 80mph." On its defence and medic pages Gravity lists a typical top speed of 60 mph, a start-up time of under 20 seconds and a flight time of about 3 minutes. Those are the company's own figures, not independent tests. The AOPA report from 2020 put the fuel at about four minutes of flight.

So the suit is fast, but it is a short sprint, not a commute.

How much does it cost to fly a jet suit?

Gravity sells flight experiences at two training sites, one in Somerset in the UK and one in Bakersfield, California, with prices listed in pounds and dollars. Beginners train on a tethered rig, a platform that holds the pilot by a cable, so the first flights are not free flights. The prices below exclude VAT where it applies, per the company's page.

The company says that by the end of the Maverick day "most participants achieve a controlled basic hover with the tether visibly slack." That is a fair picture of what a first-time flyer should expect: a few controlled minutes off the ground.

Can you buy a jet suit?

Not at a listed price today. The Gravity pages read on October 21, 2026 do not give a price for buying a suit. The last public figure comes from the 2018 launch, when 3D Printing Industry reported that nine custom-made suits were available through the London store Selfridges for £340,000 ($446,907), complete with full flight training.

In October 2020, AOPA reported a price of $440,000 per unit and said the company would lease suits for rescue, military and entertainment use. Treat both figures as old. For anything current, you would have to ask the company.

Has a jet suit been used for rescue?

It has been tested, once in public. On September 29, 2020, Browning flew from the valley floor in Langdale, Cumbria, to a simulated casualty on The Band, near Bowfell, in the Lake District, as a trial with the Great North Air Ambulance Service. The charity estimated the walk to that spot at about 25 minutes. He arrived in 90 seconds.

Andy Mawson, the service's director of operations and a paramedic, said: "Well, we've seen it now and it is, quite honestly, awesome." He said the suit would supplement existing aircraft and mountain rescue teams, not replace them. Coverage of the trial reports no deployment date, and Gravity describes emergency response as an area it is pursuing.

Has the military tried a jet suit?

Yes, in a trial. In May 2021 the Royal Navy reported that the patrol ship HMS Tamar and Royal Marines from 42 and 47 Commando worked with Gravity Industries in Plymouth Sound to see whether the suit could help in maritime boarding operations. The Navy states that the Royal Marines did not use the equipment at any stage and that it stayed in the hands of Gravity throughout.

The trial sponsor, Lieutenant Colonel Will Clarke, said the technology allowed the Commando Force "to experiment with innovative methods" of maritime operations and to gain insights into its potential for vertical access. That is a test of an idea, not an order for suits.

Is the jet suit real or a viral trick?

Real. Unlike many viral gadgets, this one passes the checks in our guide to spotting a fake gadget video. The company exists and has an official site with prices, a Guinness World Record was timed on the day by an outside timing service, and an air ambulance charity and the Royal Navy have both publicly described working with it.

What can be misleading is the framing. A suit that flies for a few minutes under a skilled pilot is a prototype-grade machine you can try, not a vehicle you can own and take to work.

What are the limits today?

Three things stand out. Flight time is measured in minutes, by the company's own numbers. First flights happen on a tether, with a trainer beside you. And ownership is a bespoke, six-figure matter, with no current price published.

Still, the experience is bookable, the record is verified and the rescue and defence trials are documented. That makes the jet suit one of the few "future transport" ideas you can actually try this year.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Gravity jet suit real?

Yes. Guinness World Records lists the speed record of 85.06 mph set by Richard Browning in a Gravity suit in 2019, and the company sells flight experiences at sites in the UK and California.

How fast does a jet suit fly?

The Guinness record is 85.06 mph (136.891 km/h). Gravity's defence and medic pages list a typical top speed of 60 mph and about 3 minutes of flight time, which are the company's own figures.

How much does a jet suit flight experience cost?

Gravity lists the Rookie experience at £799 or $1,950, the Academy at £1,595 or $3,500 and the Maverick at £6,600 or $8,500 per person, excluding VAT where applicable. The Gravity Tour is £199.99.

Can I buy a jet suit?

Gravity's current pages do not list a purchase price. Reports in 2018 gave £340,000 ($446,907) with flight training, and AOPA reported $440,000 per unit in 2020, so check with the company for anything current.

Do I need experience to fly one?

The beginner experiences use a tethered training rig with a pilot display and guided runs, and the page lists no prerequisites. Gravity says most Maverick participants reach a controlled basic hover by the end of the day.

Has a jet suit been used in a real rescue?

Not that has been reported. The Great North Air Ambulance Service tested one in a simulated rescue in the Lake District on September 29, 2020, and the Royal Navy trialled one for boarding operations in 2021.

Sources

• Gravity Industries: Innovation (Mk4 Jet Suit), read Oct. 21, 2026
• Gravity Industries: Flight Experiences (prices), read Oct. 21, 2026
• Gravity Industries: Defence & Security, read Oct. 21, 2026
• Gravity Industries: Medic Response, read Oct. 21, 2026
• Guinness World Records: Fastest speed in a body controlled jet engine powered suit (Nov. 14, 2019)
• Royal Navy: Royal Marines trial use of jet suit for boarding operations (May 5, 2021)
• Forces News: Jet suit paramedic trial in the Lake District (Sept. 29, 2020)
• AOPA: Jet suit rescue demonstrated (Oct. 8, 2020)
• 3D Printing Industry: A 3D printed jet suit can now be yours (July 23, 2018)