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, maker of recreational eVTOLs, has partnered with AFWERX (U.S. Air Force innovation arm) and MTSI to evaluate its BlackFly aircraft for potential military applications.
Under the agreement, Pivotal delivered eight BlackFly eVTOLs and two flight simulators for lease, along with training and support, for an eight-month evaluation program by the Air Force.
The Air Force is interested in Pivotal's unique "tilt-eVTOL" architecture and the aircraft's rapid deployability for missions such as special operations, surveillance, and disaster response.
Pivotal's flagship model, Helix, is a Part 103 ultralight, requiring no FAA pilot certification for recreational use, with Pivotal offering a two-week training program for customers.

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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.