Flying Vehicle Startup Logs 1,000 Crewed Flights; Ultralight

Flying vehicle company Pivotal and its customers have completed more than 1,000 flights in the BlackFly eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) vehicle.

Participants who purchased a BlackFly through the Pivotal early access program provide feedback on their experience.

The Pivotal team and its customers have completed 1,117 flights, according to the company.

The Pivotal Blackfly is the company prototype and predecessor to the coming Helix, a tilt electric aerial vehicle (EAV) with eight fixed rotors and tandem wings. It can emergency land on water and fly with maximum wind of 20 miles per hour.

“Surpassing 1,000 human-piloted light eVTOL flights is an unmatched achievement,” said Ken Karklin, Pivotal CEO. “Whether for pure recreation, short commutes in rural areas, visits with neighbors or to explore new terrain, once trained and approved, every pilot loves hopping into this single seat eVTOL and taking off straight up into the sky.”

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Pivotal recently signed a two-year deal with the U.S. Air Force to accelerate the testing and system verification of its eVTOL vehicle.

The contract gives Pivotal access to test facilities, expert resources and numerous sites in restricted airspace.

Related:Flying Vehicle Featured Even Before CES 2024 Opens

Testing under the Air Force AFWERX Agility Prime program is planned using the BlackFly prototype, which is used to gather detailed information to provide any enhancements to the Helix production model.

Before CES in Las Vegas earlier this year, Pivotal displayed its electric aerial vehicle for the media. 

The flying vehicle was a standout among hundreds of other technology exhibits at a show area at the Mirage Convention Center.

Karklin told me at the time it would be the only showing in Las Vegas since it was being presented exclusively for the media in advance of CES.

The flying vehicle, which falls in the category of powered ultralights, does not require a pilot’s license to fly it.

This is the first category of flying vehicles that is first to hit the market since the vehicles require fewer regulations and permits.

Air taxis and certified flying vehicles that require a pilot’s license are coming, but not until starting in 2025, due to regulatory requirements.

Like other flying vehicles in this category, flight time of the Helix is about 20 minutes, due to current battery technology limitations.

Flying time is expected to get longer as battery technology improves.