Wanna fly without a licence? Meet Helix
TDT | agencies
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It looks like a dragonfly and flies like a dream — meet the Pivotal Helix (formerly the BlackFly), the personal flying vessel that puts the sky on your terms.
What began as a sci‑fi fantasy is now real: an ultralight, car‑ bon‑fibre eVTOL that first flew in 2018 and today arrives as the Helix — Pivotal’s fourth-gener‑ ation, production-ready aircraft and successor to the original BlackFly.
Weighing just 115 kg empty and supporting a max take-off weight of around 249 kg, the Helix qualifies under the U.S. FAA Part 103 ultralight category — meaning no pilot’s licence, no runway, and minimal regulatory burden. Its eight whisper-qui‑ et electric motors enable ver‑ tical takeoff and landing, and the unique tilt-aircraft design — where the entire airframe an‑ gles forward — ensures smooth, controlled flight.
Performance is focused on short, low-altitude personal flights: a top speed of 101 km/h, with up to 32 km of range(leav‑ ing 20% battery in reserve). Each flight lasts about 20 min‑ utes, and recharging the 8 kWh battery takes roughly 75 min‑ utes on a 240V connection, or around 4.5 hours on a standard 120V outlet. At just 72 dB, it’s quieter than most cars and sig‑ nificantly less disruptive than traditional aircraft or drones.
Safety is core to the Helix's design. It includes triple-redun‑ dant fly-by-wire controls, au‑ to-hover, auto-land, and a ballis‑ tic parachute. A front-facing and downward-facing camera sys‑ tem helps with landings, while an ADS-B transponder enhanc‑ es visibility to other aircraft. En‑ velope protection systems and simple joystick controls make flying feel more intuitive than driving a car.
Built with carbon-fibre composites, the Helix is light enough to be trailered and re‑ assembled in under 30 min‑ utes. It can land on grass, snow, asphalt, and even water in emergencies.
Priced at $190,000 (about ₹1.6 crore), the Helix isn't in‑ expensive — but it’s real, in production, and already reach‑ ing customers across the U.S. Higher-spec versions, reaching $260,000, include upgraded avionics, custom lighting, and trailer kits.
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