Humans have been dreaming of personal flight for as long as we’ve watched birds soar overhead. In 1917 — just 31 years after the invention of the automobile — American journalist C.H. Claudy imagined “the car of the future” in an article for Illustrated World, writing: “the aeroautocraft of the future will roll on the road, cleave through the water, fly through the air. Its owner will…cross streams or lakes that lie in his path, rise in the air and fly over a hill, a valley, or woods, to another road, all at his pleasure.” Now, California-based aviation company Pivotal might be bringing us all a step closer to that vision with the Helix — a personal aircraft that requires no pilot’s license and just might be the closest thing we’ve seen yet to a flying car.
Pivotal set out to design an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that prioritizes simple, intuitive flight for personal use. The aircraft needed to take off and land vertically, operate entirely on electric power, and comply with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 103 ultralight regulations, a stringent design constraint that limits weight, speed, and flight location.
Who is Pivotal?
Pivotal isn’t new to the aviation industry — the company has been around since 2009 and has built, flown, and tested dozens of aircraft. Pivotal unveiled the BlackFly to the public in 2018 and since then Pivotal certified pilots have accumulated 1,400 crewed flights.
The Helix’s predecessor, the BlackFly, served as a prototype and development vehicle; both vehicles share the same core aerodynamic design, footprint, and fly-by-wire controls. The BlackFly was also the world’s first commercially available light electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, with 13 units delivered to commercial and defense customers since June 2023. Now, with the Helix as its first production aircraft, Pivotal is aiming to deliver the thrill and convenience of personal flight to the general public. Commercial and defense, customers
What is the Helix?
With its efficient aerodynamic design, the single-seat Helix isn’t technically a flying car, but it’s not far off. Pivotal describes it as an “all-electric, cloud-connected personal aircraft,” built with the fourth generation of the company’s tilt-aircraft architecture. The entire aircraft tilts for vertical takeoff and landing, rather than the more common wing assemblies or rotors rotating to re-orient thrust— a design that significantly reduces potential points of failure. Pivotal claims that this streamlined approach not only makes the aircraft lighter but also improves reliability and safety.
How does the Helix work?
Relying on its sophisticated engineering, Pivotal designed the Helix to make personal flight as seamless and intuitive as possible. Weighing in at just 348 pounds, this carbon fiber composite aircraft is classified as an ultralight vehicle under FAA Part 103, meaning it can be flown in Class G uncontrolled airspace without a pilot’s license. It’s built for ease of use, featuring joystick controls, a user-tested integrated flight panel for instruments and navigation, and a forward-hinging canopy that provides pilots a wide 270-degree view.
Beyond its intuitive controls, the Helix is also designed to make flying feel immersive and connected. It’s super quiet — registering just 72 dBA in cruise mode, which is comparable to an electric car — and helps keep the experience focused and calm. A companion mobile app further enhances the pilot experience, offering tools for preflight checks, flight planning, real-time aircraft status, and post-flight analytics — all accessible from a smartphone.
On a single charge, the Helix can travel 20 miles, with a mandatory 20% reserve on landing. Charging the eight batteries that provide 8 kilowatt hours of energy, takes just 75 minutes on a 240V/50A outlet, or 4.5 hours on a standard 120V/15A connection. Impressively, its energy consumption of 245 Wh per mile is more efficient than the average electric car at 270 Wh per mile — a testament to its lightweight and aerodynamic design.
With a cruise speed of 55 knots (63 mph) and maximum climb and descent rates of 500 feet per minute, the Helix is engineered for smooth and controlled flight. It’s also built to accommodate a range of pilots, with a maximum weight capacity of 220 pounds and a height limit of 6’5” standing (3’3” seated). Additional enhancements from its BlackFly predecessor — an upgraded battery system, improved canopy design, and an increased payload capacity — round out the Helix’s design, making it one of the most advanced personal aircraft ever developed.
Is the Helix safe?
For many, the most pressing question isn’t how the Helix works — but how safe it is.
Safety is built into everything Pivotal does, from the single-seat vehicle’s robust fault-tolerant design, development and manufacturing, to its pilot training and technical support. The modular and redundant energy storage, power, and propulsion systems are locally integrated into pods within the wings, avoiding high voltage power transmission across the aircraft. Every vehicle comes with a whole aircraft ballistic parachute system. The Helix is also designed to land safely in a variety of situations, thanks to an amphibious hull and floats that allow for emergency water landings — no landing gear required. Automated features – like landing assist – further the ease of operation of these cloud-connected vehicles.
Training is compulsory. In order to fly a Helix aircraft, pilots must complete extensive hands-on SIM and flight training and be certified by Pivotal.
Is the Helix right for you?
Pivotal’s Helix offers a compelling glimpse into what personal flight could look like in the not-so-distant future.
While designed with adventurers and short hop travel in mind, an immediate and practical use may be for those with access to large areas of private or remote land. Because the wings are detachable and the entire aircraft can fit into a 16 foot trailer, the Helix’s ability to take off and land on grass, asphalt, pavement, ice, packed snow or sand makes it a uniquely versatile option for traveling on your property and out in the wild.
Pivotal also envisions broader applications in public safety, such as emergency medical services, search and rescue, border security and fire management — real-world scenarios the aircraft has already begun to demonstrate. As an ultralight aircraft that complies with FAA Part 103, the Helix can be flown without a pilot’s license, though its restriction to Class G uncontrolled airspace may limit how — and where — it can be used, depending on your location.
There are also some operational constraints to consider: the Helix is cleared for flight only in non-precipitating weather, within a temperature range of 14°F to 91°F (-10°C to 33°C), and with maximum winds of 17 knots (20 mph). It must also be flown under visual flight rules (VFR), meaning no nighttime flying — though let’s be honest, you probably wouldn’t want to test the limits of visibility in a personal aircraft anyway. For those ready to take the leap, the Helix is now available to order on Pivotal’s website, with three package tiers starting at $190,000 and optional upgrades like custom designs and registration numbers. It’s a high price, but for early adopters of personal aviation, it might just be worth investing in the future.