Opener Inc. has released some videos of their new Blackfly personal aircraft and they look like they came straight out of a Steven Spielberg movie. Opener‘s website claims they have produced a safe, affordable, and easy-to-operate aircraft that launches vertically. In the past, I have shrugged off the whole “cars that fly” concept. After paragliding for many years, and working with paramotor pilots, I know that personal flight is already a reality but it takes serious skills and training to do it safely. Not to mention the million dollar price tags on most flying BMW concepts. This might be different.

Vertical Takeoffs for Dummies

Any airplane pilot knows launching and landing horizontally requires a lot of practice. You need to understand glide ratios, weather conditions, and be able to adapt to wind speeds quickly. It’s no wonder most aircraft accidents happen during takeoffs and landings. The Blackfly behaves more like a drone. From the way it takes off vertically to the computerized assistance and redundancy features, this aircraft seems like something a child could fly. It even has one-click a return to home feature.

Limited range but still super cool

With 250 pounds of cargo the Blackfly’s battery pack can only travel 25 miles. It could work as a commuter craft for many people as long as they can recharge it at their destination. My guess is that, like most new technologies, this will be fun toy for early adopters (AKA rich people) but won’t be a daily commuter vehicle for some time. This would clearly fall under the Ultralight aircraft category of FAA regulations (FAR 103) so it could not land in a crowded area but it could land in just about any open, unoccupied field that is public or where the land owner has granted permission. They even show it taking off from water. Check out Openers Website for more detailed specifications.