I have a BlackFly in my carport

Tim Lum is part of Opener's Early Access program where the company partners with early adopters of the aircraft to gather data about the ownership experience. BlackFly is built to comply with the FAA Part 103 ultralight category, which means no pilot certificate is required to fly it.

Early access program:

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[josemarin]

Glad to see you having a blast with your Blackfly Tim. Had an awesome time making the drive up for delivery. Beautiful country up there.
Hopefully we see each other again sometime. Be safe.


Jose Marin

[theodorehaskins]

Wow! Do I envy you or what? Thank you for posting this video. I have been wondering when the first customer will get their black fly VTOL aircraft, you are a true pioneer in every sense of the word, and I can’t wait to get a chance to fly one myself. Thank you. Cheers 🥂

[portnuefflyer]

You ARE the perfect early adapter, as am I! 50 years a pilot, HG's UL's, now fixed wing. I hope you have a large solar array and are grid tied, as do I, to fly for free, at least out of pocket. Not a pipe dream at all but reality, your video is the best I've seen in all the recent hype.

[Huckleberrysmoke]

This thing flew at OSH last year. Crowd was silent in underwhelming amazement. Appreciate the update aopa

[adrianlane]

A great start for things to come. I’m sure there are many wealthyish people out there who this would appeal too just as an occasional “toy”, but their purchases will help drive more serious development into other potential uses.

[Bodkin_Ye_Pointy]

I am not sure about landing but I think they should give it a trolley base for movement on the ground and take off. Naturally the trolley would not be attached and just be left behind with take off. This would minimise the wear and tear on the bottom of the craft when on the ground and especially when lifting off because I note a slight forward movement on take off that would grind the bottom of the craft. Just a though.

[nazur]

Imagine living on an island and a city is within range of the blackfly. You had a cheap house in the city with a car. You can fly in, land in your backyard, and run whatever errands you need then when done go back to your island.

[ScottsSynthStuff]

I'm sorry, but with a usable load of only 230 lbs, a maximum flight time of 20 minutes at maximum airspeed of 62 mph, for close to $100, 000 - this is not the future of aviation, it is a rich person's playtoy. Battery technology needs to progress by at least an order of magnitude before this sort of vehicle has even the slightest chance of supplanting conventional internal combustion powered aircraft. That's decades away.

[meofnz]

I live on an island…commuting ten miles to the mainland by ferry is an expensive chore. I’d buy this thing all day long.

[RobertMorankich]

Pretty amazing, love the wheelless aspect

[parker]

I feel like for every year of my life I have been told that a large scale production personal flying vehicle is coming to market soon. All from different companies, all forgotten about in a year or two.

[thefamilythatfliestogether]

I guess I could use it to take me to the airport where my real plane is 😂

[jalesvevajayamare]

Flying cars, while still in the developmental stage, offer a promising vision for the future of urban mobility. They have the potential to alleviate traffic congestion, reduce environmental impact, and provide a new level of convenience for commuters. However, realizing this potential requires overcoming significant technological and regulatory challenges. As we continue to explore and refine this innovation, a balanced approach that addresses safety, accessibility, and environmental impact will be crucial. If these challenges can be met, flying cars may indeed become a transformative force in the way we navigate our cities 😘🥰😘🥰😘🥰😘🥰

[erniekelly]

This is a great new intro to aviation. Yeah, it’s expensive. But it’s less expensive than any other NEW electric flying vehicle, I think. Single passenger/pilot, 20 minutes, daylight only. It’s not a lot more dangerous than a motorcycle. And if you run out of juice, you only have a 20-mile walk home.😉

[georgevelguth]

20 min flight time, at what cost? If you're truly passionate about flying, yet for some reason don't want to become a certificated pilot, you'll get a whole lot more bang for your buck from an ultralight. I also have no understanding of the desire to fly in a vehicle that cannot be controlled following a power failure.

[DownsouthMan]

WOW! One step forward! It’s still a long way to go before the average car driving cellphone Joe takes to the sky’s. Lots of rules and one should own a PP certificate.

[scottreynolds]

So cool! I don’t see electricity ever replacing fossil fuels for any appreciable distance/weight but it definitely has it’s place in fun flying!

[kenfinney]

Don't know where in North Central Washington you are, but we'd love to have you show up at the Tonasket Father's Day Fly-In!

[knowledgebyte]

Early prototype, but cool as a cucumber. Once we have solid state batteries, we’re looking at flight times of up to an hour.

[keefrasputin]

I grew up with the rotary phone, black and white TV, vinyl records, clothes mangles, cash, film in cameras, no aircon, 1 car per family, hand wind windows, and this was less than 55 years ago. The pace of technology is extraordinary - battery vehicles will surpass ICE engine capability very soon.