Personal Aircraft Requiring No Certificate to Fly Hits U.S. Market

Pivotal’s Helix is an electric vertical takeoff and landing design that qualifies as a Part 103 ultralight built for recreational flyers.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, January 11, 2024 at 05:37 PM ET

Verified

A digital rendering of Pivotal’s Helix, a personal eVTOL aircraft that requires no certificate to fly and is now on sale in the U.S. [Courtesy: Pivotal]

Key Takeaways:

Pivotal has begun online sales of its Helix eVTOL aircraft, a personal flying vehicle priced from $190,000, with initial customer shipments scheduled for June.
The Helix qualifies as a Part 103 ultralight, meaning it can be flown without a pilot certificate after completing approximately two weeks of training provided by Pivotal.
Designed for recreational use and ease of flight, it features simple joystick controls and a unique "tilt aircraft" architecture to reduce complexity and points of failure.
While offering accessibility to personal flight, the Helix operates under restrictions including daytime flight in Class G airspace, a 20 sm range, and a 63 mph cruise speed, and includes numerous safety features.

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If you’ve dreamed of taking to the skies but are too busy to put in the hours for a full program of flight training, there’s a strange new aircraft you can fly without a certificate—and it’s now on sale in the U.S.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Pivotal this week opened online sales of Helix, a personal flying vehicle for first-time aviators and experienced pilots alike. Like a video game, Helix is controlled by a single pilot using a pair of simple joysticks, plus fly-by-wire controls. For $190,000, Pivotal will train customers to fly it and send them on their way in their very own aircraft.