A future with flying cars is no longer science fiction: all you need to order your own is about $200,000 and some hope and patience.
Palo Alto-based company Pivotal has been developing the technology since 2009 and is almost ready to bring it to market. The company's founder, Marcus Leng, was the first to fly his real version of a flying car in 2011.
Leng designed an ultralight electric-powered vertical take-off and landing aircraft known as eVTOL. Other VTOL aircraft, such as helicopters, had been around for decades, but Leng's invention was fixed-wing and not dependent on gas.
The Canadian engineer named his creation BlackFly and spent years working on it in secret.
The company moved to the Bay Area in 2014 and by 2018 had developed a second version of BlackFly that laid the foundation for Helix, the aircraft Pivotal now offers for sale.
Pilot Aeddon Chipman prepares the Pivotal BlackFly in Watsonville, California.
“The company came out of stealth at that point and said, 'This is what we're doing,'” said Pivotal CEO Ken Karklin, who took over leadership of the company from Leng in 2022.
Those who are curious (and wealthy) can reserve a Helix today with a $50,000 deposit. The aircraft starts at $190,000 with the option to purchase a transport trailer for $21,000 and a charger for $1,100.
A customer who books today could receive their plane in nine to 12 months, Karklin said. It takes less than two weeks to learn to fly it.
To complete Pivotal flight certification training, the customer must pass the FAA knowledge test and complete ground school. The training, which takes place at the company's headquarters in Palo Alto and at the Monterey Bay Academy Airport, teaches customers how to control and maintain the aircraft, as well as how to transport and assemble it.
Pivotal, formerly known as Opener, publicly unveiled the BlackFly in July 2018. In October 2023, the company unveiled the Helix, calling it the first scalable aircraft of its kind.
The Pivotal Black Fly takes off near Watsonville, California.
A handful of California companies are using eVTOL technology to develop what they call air taxis to transport people around congested cities. But Pivotal says it offers something different: a one-person aircraft for recreational use and short-haul travel that also has the potential to support emergency responses and military operations.
It's unclear how quickly the company and others like it can ramp up production and how communities will react. Not everyone agrees. Darlene Yaplee, president of the Alliance of Communities Impacted by Aviation, said there are concerns about having different types of aircraft in limited airspace.
Pivotal has about six early access customers who already own a version of BlackFly and fly it for fun. The aircraft is designed to be accessible and easy to use, and a pilot's license is not required to operate it.
Tim Lum, a resident of Washington state, purchased his BlackFly in 2023. Since then, he has used it on about 1,200 flights in 100 different locations in the US.
The Pivotal BlackFly flies through the air.
Lum, who is not an FAA-certified pilot, said owning a BlackFly is like a dream. You can take off and land anywhere with 100 feet of clearance and permission if you are on private land. It also uses small and private airports.
The plane is stored in Twisp, Washington, but Lum has towed it from coast to coast, stopping to fly in states such as Florida, Montana and California. He shares it with family and friends who also trained to obtain the company's certification.
“Something really happens to the synapses in my brain when I'm flying,” Lum said. “Things work out and make sense. This has opened more doors for me and the people I care about than money can buy.”
Pilot Aeddon Chipman launches the Pivotal BlackFly.
The Helix is classified as a Part 103 ultralight aircraft, the same regulatory class as a hang glider. It is intended to fly less than 200 feet high, in unregulated airspace, and weighs about 355 pounds empty.
Karklin said the company has received about a year's worth of reservations for Helix. He did not specify the number of customers but said there were more than 10.
Karklin has been preparing Pivotal for a broader market. The company, which has more than 100 full-time employees, has trained just over 50 people to fly its planes. Clients and employees have been trained.
Pivotal's business will operate in three segments, Karklin said, including personal use, public safety and defense.
“We will see business generated by all three,” he said. “We talk about recreation and short trips, and sometimes people can be a little dismissive about it. I think that's a big mistake.”
The Pivotal BlackFly in flight.
In 2023, Pivotal leased eight aircraft to an innovation arm of the US Air Force and defense technology company MTSI. The Air Force conducted tests and evaluations unrelated to vehicle development that informed the latest version of Helix.
Helix will have an electric range of about 30 minutes and a cruising speed of 62 mph, the company said. It takes 75 minutes to charge it with a 240 volt charger.
The noise produced by the plane during takeoff and landing is equivalent to that of a pair of leaf blowers, Karklin said. When you fly overhead, someone on the ground may not be able to hear you.
Karklin said the plane's simplicity comes with lower cost, lower weight and greater safety. The plane, which only has 18 moving parts, is packed with redundancy to prevent system failures.
It has been independently evaluated by the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association and Pivotal's quality management system has received a certification from SAE International, which sets aviation safety standards.
The company frequently conducts flight demonstrations at Monterey Bay Academy Airport, just off the coast in Watsonville.
When Helix flies, it draws attention, Karklin said.
“It's starting to get very real,” he said. “More people can see it in person, touch it and feel it. And then they want to move on.”
