LIFT Aircraft unveils flying car in Springfield

LIFT Aircraft revealed the HEXA aircraft on Saturday in Springfield, Ohio.

Matthew Chasen, CEO, and founder of LIFT Aircraft said that they made the delivery of the first production HEXA aircraft to the US Air Force, for testing and air-worthiness certification.

Chasen said that while some are referring to the HEXA as a flying car, it’s better described as a multi-rotor drone, which is considered an ultralight aircraft that doesn’t require a pilot’s license to fly.

At first, a fleet of HEXA aircraft will be used as entertainment, where someone can take less than an hour’s worth of training and start flying. However, Chasen observes other uses for the vehicle, including emergency response scenarios.

“We see great opportunities for emergency response, so police, fire, emergency medical, anywhere you need to get someone, who doesn’t require to be a trained pilot to fly this out on location,” Chasen said. “Whether that’s a police officer responding to an emergency or an emergency medical technician, this aircraft will be able to get them there in about half the time as ground first response.”

Currently, the HEXA has a range of about 10 to 15 miles with around 15 minutes of flying time.

Elaine Bryant, executive vice president for aerospace and defense for the Dayton Development Coalition and managing director for the military and the federal sector at JobsOhio, said Ohio has been working for making resources available for companies such as LIFT.

“Flying cars of the future,” Bryant said when asked about this technology.

She said they are just waiting on flight releases but she expects to see the HEXA and others flying around Ohio soon. “It’s not Jetson’s anymore, it’s today.”

Hexa is described as the world’s first personal eVTOL flying experience because it does not need certification from the Federal Aviation Administration. It also does not need a pilot’s license to fly.

Chasen said in last year that he believes there is huge demand for their aircraft because many people are interested in flying, however they don’t have the time or money required to fly a traditional aircraft.

Chasen had said last year the company has already sold out a 25-city tour and has more than 15,000 people on their waitlist. The tour, which was posted due to the coronavirus crisis, will showcase the aircraft. Chasen said he expects to launch the tour by mid-2021.