Meet Jetson One: The Single-Seat Personal Aircraft of the Present
Want to fly around like George Jetson? Now you can…
With a relatively small price tag, anyone can now zoom around like George Jetson in a personal electric aerial vehicle. Peter Ternström, co-founder of Stockholm-based Jetson, is aiming to make the skies available for everyone, starting with the Jetson One.
Did The Jetsons Really Predict the Future?
The 1960s animated cartoon series, The Jetsons, was about a “Family of the Future” that used videophones, smartwatches, and flying cars. We have now seemingly arrived at that future.
The Jetson One, a personal passenger drone, took its first flight in the USA in 2023, performed by Jetson Co-Founder and CTO Tomasz Pata at the UP.Summit in Dallas, Texas. And if new technology in the area of transportation is interesting to you – make sure you read through the UP.Summit site and see all the companies they are working with right now. Impressive.
The American flight marked a big milestone for the company in its goal of entering the U.S. market. The company sold out its orders for 2024-25, and is now taking orders for 2026.
Meet Jetson One
Experienced with luxury cars, Ternström teamed up with aerospace engineer Tomasz Patan in 2017 to launch Jetson. Their focus has varied from other companies trying to get into the growing electric aircraft market. Rather than trying to build a “flying car” with multiple passengers, Jetson has focused on the single-rider experience by making an open, single-seat craft that would fit the FAA’s ultralight category.
Jetson One is a sleek, single-seat electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle that looks as though it has emerged directly from the future. Equipped with eight rotors for stability and redundancy, this compact octocopter marvel is designed to offer an unparalleled flying experience.
No Pilot License Required
Classified as an ultralight vehicle, regulations in many jurisdictions, including the United States, exempt operators from needing a formal pilot’s license. However, the company takes safety seriously and includes a mandatory flight training course in their price.
Furthermore, FAA regulations prohibit the operation of an ultralight vehicle over any congested area of a city, town, or settlement or over any open-air assembly of persons.
Many consider ultralights as primarily recreational vehicles, although there are some professional uses, as well, such as for ranchers and short-distance rural commuters. Patan claims the personal aircraft has reduced his rural commute time by almost 90 percent.
An In-This-World Price Tag
With the name Jetson and the promise of personal flight, you might expect an out-of-this-world price tag. However, at $128,000, the Jetson One challenges preconceived notions about the cost of personal flight vehicles being unrealistic for the public.
This relatively affordable price tag has led to strong initial demand, and the entire 2024 and 2025 production is sold out. Jetson is currently taking orders for 2026 Jetson Ones, requiring a non-refundable downpayment of $8,000.
How High & How Far Can Jetson One Fly?
The Jetson One can soar to a height of 1,500 feet, though the model is intended to spend most of its time hovering between 5 and 20 feet off the ground. It has a built-in safety feature that limits altitude to ensure safe operation within the parameters of ultralight regulations.
Jetson One’s maximum speed is 63 miles per hour, allowing for brisk and exhilarating commutes. Depending on conditions and the pilot’s weight, the flight duration is approximately 20 minutes.
20 minutes doesn’t seem like much, but it’s better than it sounds considering you can cover up to around 20 miles in that time.
Safety Features
The 190-pound aircraft has an aluminum frame, and pilots can weigh a maximum of 210 pounds. Control of the craft is via joystick and throttle, making flight easy. The flight computer is equipped with Lidar for terrain tracking, while the auto-landing system ensures that each landing is smooth and gentle.
Ternström assures potential customers that the Jetson One will fly and land safely even if a motor dies or the throttle cuts out. And while the intention is to spend most of the time hovering between 5 and 20 feet off the ground, a ballistic parachute comes standard (given that 1,500-foot height potential).
And if ever you find yourself channeling George Jetson and exclaiming, “Jane! Stop this crazy thing!” – fret not. The Jetson One’s intuitive control system and emergency safety features ensure that you remain in control, making the transition from ground to air as seamless and safe as possible.
A 1960s Dream Come True
The Jetson One is a Jetson’s dream come true. The cartoon’s decades-old vision of flying personal vehicles being a normal sight in the skies is quickly becoming a reality with pioneering companies like Jetson and Eviaton leading the way.
To learn more about Eviation and the first all-electric passenger plane, keep reading…
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