Pivotal Delivers First Four BlackFly Personal Aircraft for Air Force Evaluation

The light eVTOL manufacturer is working with AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force, to assess the aircraft for a range of use cases.

Jack Daleo

Friday, February 23, 2024 at 04:44 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

Helix, the successor to Pivotal’s BlackFly, features a unique tilt-aircraft design. [Courtesy: Pivotal]

Key Takeaways:

Pivotal, a manufacturer of recreational single-seat eVTOL aircraft, has partnered with the U.S. Air Force's AFWERX Agility Prime program for the evaluation of its BlackFly eVTOLs for military use.
Under the agreement, Pivotal is providing aircraft, simulators, pilot training, and support services for AFWERX to assess the unique "tilt-eVTOL" architecture, ease of deployment, and suitability for missions such as surveillance, special operations, and disaster response.
Pivotal's flagship civilian model, Helix, is now available for purchase, notable for qualifying as a Part 103 ultralight (no FAA pilot certification required) with quick training, though it operates under specific flight restrictions.

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Pivotal, the manufacturer of a single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designed primarily for recreational use, has attracted the attention of the U.S. military.

The company this week said it was selected by Modern Technology Solutions Inc. (MTSI) and AFWERX, the innovation arm of the U.S. Air Force, to participate in Agility Prime, a division of AFWERX dedicated to vertical lift technologies.