Story ID: 
Pivotal Completes Blackfly Personal eVTOL Deliveries
By: Hanneke Weitering
Caption: Thirteen customers are flying the single-seat aircraft in the U.S.
Word Count: 475
Pivotal has completed all deliveries of its Blackfly single-seat eVTOL aircraft, a pre-production prototype for its flagship Helix aircraft that it sold to 13 select customers under an exclusive early access program.
Announcing the news today at the UP Summit in Bentonville, Arkansas, Pivotal CEO Ken Karklin said customers are now flying the personal eVTOL vehicle in states across the country, including California, Delaware, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.
Recreational flyers are legally permitted to operate the all-electric Blackfly and Helix aircraft without a pilot’s license in the U.S. under the FAA’s Part 103 rules for ultralight aircraft. However, Pivotal is still requiring its customers to attend an FAA-approved ground school and complete the company’s specialized training program before they accept their deliveries. 
According to Pivotal, more than 30 people have been trained to fly the Blackfly aircraft, including the 13 early-access customers and some friends and family members. Last week, the company announced that the Blackfly fleet surpassed 1,000 piloted flights.
“Whether for pure recreation, short commutes in rural areas, visits with neighbors, or to explore new terrain—once trained and approved, every pilot loves hopping into this single-seat eVTOL and taking off straight up into the sky,” Karklin said.
Palo Alto, California-based Pivotal launched online pre-orders for the Helix in January 2024, with prices starting at $190,000. Formerly known as Opener, the company unveiled the BlackFly in 2018 and has been showing off the aircraft in flight demonstrations across the country ever since. It produced 13 units of the pre-production model for an early access program, in which the company selected customers to provide feedback on the flying experience. Feedback from that program contributed to the design of the Helix.
“The day that my Blackfly arrived in Massachusetts was one of the most memorable days of my life. I had been expertly trained and approved to pilot the aircraft by Pivotal,” said Blackfly owner Patrik M. “When I took off from my front yard, I felt an indescribable sense of awe. It was as if the aircraft understood my subtle directions and took me for an adventure.”
While Pivotal's aircraft were designed for personal and recreational use, it has also garnered some interest from the U.S. Air Force. In February, Pivotal announced that it had delivered four Blackfly aircraft to Modern Technology Solutions (MTSI), an engineering firm contracted by the U.S. Air Force’s Afwerx innovation unit to assess the tilt-aircraft’s performance for potential defense applications.
“With 13 prototype eVTOL aircraft delivered and early adopters on board, we’re achieving our mission of transforming the power of flight,” Karklin said. “After receiving their aircraft, and across both consumer and defense circles, our EAP partners have strong praise for how Pivotal’s aircraft perform.”