Dream of owning a flying car? This California company is already selling them
A future with flying cars is no longer science fiction: all you need to order yours is around $200,000, plus a little hope and patience.
Palo Alto-based Pivotal has been developing this technology since 2009 and is almost ready to commercialize it. The company’s founder, Marcus Leng, was the first to fly in his real-life version of a flying car in 2011.
Leng designed an ultralight electric vertical takeoff 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 did not rely 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 in 2018 developed a second version of BlackFly that laid the groundwork for Helix, the aircraft Pivotal now offers for sale.
Pilot Aeddon Chipman prepares the Pivotal BlackFly in Watsonville, California.
“The company kind of came out of stealth at that point and said, ‘This is what we’re doing,'” said Ken Karklin, Pivotal’s chief executive, who succeeded 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 loader for $1,100.
A customer who makes their reservation today could receive their plane in nine to 12 months, Karklin said. It takes less than two weeks to learn how to fly it.
In order to complete Pivotal’s flight certification training, a customer must pass the FAA knowledge test and complete ground training. The training, which takes place at the company’s Palo Alto headquarters and 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 demonstrated the BlackFly in July 2018. In October 2023, the company unveiled 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 ferry people around congested cities. But Pivotal says it offers something different: a single-seat aircraft intended for recreational use and short-distance travel, which also has the potential to support emergency response and military operations.
It is unclear how quickly the company and others like it will be able to increase production and how communities will respond. Not everyone agrees. Darlene Yaplee, president of the Aviation Impacted Communities Alliance, said there are concerns about having different types of planes in limited airspace.
Pivotal has about six early access customers who already own a version of the BlackFly and fly it for fun. The plane is designed to be accessible and user-friendly, and you don’t need a pilot’s license to fly it.
Washington state resident Tim Lum purchased his BlackFly in 2023. Since then, he has used it on approximately 1,200 flights in 100 different locations across the United States.
The Pivotal BlackFly sails through the air.
Lum, who is not an FAA-certified pilot, said owning a BlackFly was like a dream. It can take off and land anywhere with clearance and a 100-foot clearance if on private land. It also uses small private airports.
The plane is stored in Twisp, Washington, but Lum has towed it from coast to coast, stopping to fly in states like Florida, Montana and California. He shares it with his family and friends who have also trained to obtain the company’s certification.
“Something actually happens to the synapses in my brain when I fly,” Lum said. “Things are getting better and things are making sense. It’s 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 below 200 feet in height, in unregulated airspace, and weighs approximately 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 it was more than 10.
Karklin prepares 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. Customers and employees have been trained.
Pivotal’s business will span three segments, Karklin said, including personal use, public safety and defense.
“You’re going to see business generated by all three,” he said. “We’re talking about leisure and short trips, and sometimes people can be a little dismissive about that. I think that’s a huge mistake.”
The Pivotal BlackFly in flight.
In 2023, Pivotal leased eight aircraft to a U.S. Air Force innovation arm and defense technology company MTSI. The Air Force conducted non-developmental testing and evaluation of the vehicle that inspired 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 recharge using a 240-volt charger.
The noise the plane makes during takeoff and landing is equivalent to that of a few leaf blowers, Karklin said. When in flight, someone on the ground may not be able to hear it.
Karklin said the plane’s simplicity comes with lower cost, lower weight and increased safety. The plane, which has only 18 moving parts, has redundancies to prevent system failures.
It has been independently evaluated by the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Assn., and Pivotal’s quality management system has received certification from SAE International, which sets standards for aviation safety.
The company frequently conducts flight demonstrations at Monterey Bay Academy Airport, near the coast in Watsonville.
When Helix flies, it turns heads, Karklin said.
“It’s starting to become very real,” he said. “More people can see it in person and touch it and feel it. And then they want to continue.”
