Jump Aero's eVTOL: Providing Rapid EMS Response to Remote Regions

Sometimes, what a critically ill/injured patient in a remote/rural location really needs is a fast EMS first response. We’re talking about getting a paramedic/EMT to them ASAP to stabilize their condition so that the patient can survive to be transported by ambulance later.

Making this happen as fast as possible is the goal of Carl Dietrich, Founder and CEO of Jump Aero. He is the driving force behind the JA1 Pulse electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) one-person EMS aircraft. Equipped with eight electric propellor engines and a top ‘dash speed’ of 250 knots/hour (about 287 miles/hour), the JA1 is meant to take off within 60 seconds and arrive at any location within 50 km (31 miles) in less than eight minutes. It can carry one person plus their medical equipment (150 kg/ 330 lb), launching/landing vertically and flying horizontally.

Design-wise, the JA1 resembles a wearable airplane. The pilot/paramedic (or EMT) steps into it standing up, and then flies it lying on their stomach looking through a bubble cockpit window and using a joystick. (Because things can go wrong in life, the JA1 comes with its own built-in parachute to land the entire vehicle and pilot safely.) The eVTOL lifts off and lands on its tail without any need for landing gear, while its propellers are placed far above the pilot’s head for safety. As outlandish as its design seems at first glance, the JA1 Pulse is actually safer and more survivable than most conventional aircraft thanks to these safety features.

The whole point of the JA1 is to get help to the scene fast, ahead of a traditional EMS vehicle that was dispatched at the same time. “We are not an air taxi or an air ambulance,” Dietrich told EMS World. “We do not provide patient transport. Our goal is to enable stabilization of the patient by a single professional as quickly as possible. Patient transport would continue to be provided by either traditional ground ambulance or air ambulance as appropriate. The advantage that Jump Aero provides is the fastest possible response combined with operating costs that are closer to the traditional ambulance than the helicopter air ambulance.”

In terms of actual EMS duty in remote/rural areas, Carl Dietrich envisions a JA1 Pulse eVTOL aircraft being based at a non-towered general aviation airport, where the pilot/medic on duty would be stationed at all times. “When the call comes in, Dispatch would determine if the emergency is time-critical and if a Jump Aero Pulse eVTOL would provide the most timely response,” he said. “If so, our pilot/medic would be given the GPS location of the emergency. Our software would plot the course to the decision point 500 feet above and 200-300 feet downwind of the pre-mapped landing zone closest to the emergency. The pilot/medic will approve the trajectory, ingress the aircraft, switch on the power, and strap in.”

Once inside the JA1 — or ‘wearing it’, which is not such a far-fetched description given Jump Aero’s slogan “Empowering Superheroes” — “the pilot will command the takeoff and engage the flight management system, which will guide the aircraft to the decision point as fast as possible,” said Dietrich. “Once at the decision point, the pilot will determine if a safe approach to the recommended landing zone can be made. If not, alternate landing zones will be recommended. The pilot will then hand-fly the approach and landing. Once on the ground, the aircraft will be shut down and the pilot will egress with equipment needed to stabilize the patient.”

After immediate aid has been rendered to the patient and their condition has been sufficiently stabilized, “an ambulance or air ambulance will arrive on scene to provide patient transport,” Dietrich said. “Depending on the situation, the pilot/medic may go with the patient to the hospital. If they go with the patient, a technician will retrieve the aircraft, bring it back to the base on a truck, and recharge/recondition it for the next deployment.”

With a futuristic appearance worthy of the Marvel Universe and an approach that is radically different from those usually employed by EMS, the Jump Aero JA1 Pulse eVTOL may seem too radical for practical use. Buit don’t be fooled by its good looks: The more one ponders the actual application of the JA1 in remote/rural areas where access is an issue and time is of the essence, the more its business case proves to be entirely reasonable. Beyond the many advantages listed above, “the JA1’s direct operating costs (DOCs) are a fraction of those of a helicopter air ambulance,” said Dietrich. “Because the Pulse can reach so many more people in the time-critical 8-minute response window, the per capita DOCs are actually lower than a traditional ground ambulance. This is particularly advantageous in rural areas where average response times could be reduced from 15 minutes to less than 8 minutes.”

As for when the JA1 will become available for EMS use? Carl Dietrich is aiming for commercial deployments in 2028. “Unlike helicopter air ambulances, there are no modifications required, because we were designed from Day One to be 100% optimized for this first response mission,” he explained. This being said, “the development process will require a few more years of technology maturation.”

Worth noting: Jump Aero and the Utah Department of Transportation-Division of Aeronautics are collaboratively determining how any JA1s would be needed to cover the entire state. “We have been following Jump Aero’s progress for a number of years and are excited to formalize a working relationship to bring this technology to Utah,” said Paul Damron, UDOT’s Advanced Air Mobility Manager.

The State of Oregon has gone one step further by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Jump Aero that says up to 126 JA1 Pulse aircraft will likely be needed to “ensure that a trained professional is on the scene as quickly as possible."

“We look forward to building a long-term relationship with Jump Aero as we explore providing rapid first response to our rural communities with the JA1 Pulse,” said Kenji Sugahara, Director of the Oregon Department of Aviation in a Jump Aero news release. “ We are excited to be bringing cutting edge solutions to Oregon residents which will positively impact their health and lives in such a dramatic way.” 

A 90-second conceptual animation of the Jump Aero JA1 Pulse eVTOL in action can be seen here.