PALO ALTO, CA, Aug 18, 2025 – Pivotal returned to Canada with a crewed flight of its third-generation BlackFly eVTOL, the same country where the aircraft first took shape. The flight took place with Transport Canada in attendance, underscored years of technical progress and real-world readiness. It also marked a full-circle moment for the program, connecting its early test flights with present-day mature platform.
Nearly 14 years ago, on October 5, 2011, Pivotal founder Marcus Leng completed the world’s first crewed eVTOL flight in Ontario. Pivotal previously operated under the name Opener and maintains its originating Ontario entity, SkyKar, Inc. as a wholly owned subsidiary.
“These flights are a full-circle moment,” said Ken Karklin, Pivotal CEO. “They honor Pivotal’s origins while demonstrating exactly how far we – and this technology – have come. We have completed nearly two thousand crewed flights on this unquestionably unique and efficient aircraft architecture.”
Karklin added, “From a private one-off test of a prototype to Pivotal eVTOLs flying in public under real-world conditions, these aircraft stop people in their tracks – not just for how they look, but for what they do.“
Pivotal eVTOL Aircraft: Efficient, compact, and simple
The eVTOL aircraft flying at Abbotsford showcases the technology and capability that underpin the Helix, Pivotal’s production aircraft.
These eVTOLs weigh less than 350 pounds empty, take off vertically using eight electric motors, and transition from hover into forward flight. They cruise at up to 63 mph, with a range of 20 miles or 20 minutes, and land vertically – no runway needed.
Pivotal aircraft are designed to operate on a range of surfaces, including asphalt, grass, dirt and snow. This allows for varied uses, such as commuting, recreational flying and public safety operations. Each pilot completes training, including flight simulation and in-person flight instruction, before earning flight authorization.
Source: Pivotal
About Pivotal
Pivotal, founded in 2016 and headquartered in Palo Alto, CA, designs, develops and manufactures light electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for consumer, public safety and defense markets. The company is recognized for the BlackFly, the first light eVTOL to be commercially available and delivered to customers in the United States, and for the Helix, its next-generation production aircraft unveiled in October 2023 with sales beginning in January 2024. Pivotal’s technology is based on tilt-aircraft architecture. Designed to be compact, efficient and simple to operate, Pivotal aircraft are used in recreational flying, emergency medical services, homeland security and defense logistics. The Helix can be assembled from storage in about 30 minutes and operated under ultralight rules without an FAA pilot license.