The Future is Now: Jetson Delivers Its First eVTOL to Palmer Luckey

The dream of strapping into your own personal flying machine and soaring through the sky just took a giant leap from science fiction to reality. Bussines Insider reported that Swedish startup Jetson has officially delivered its first-ever Jetson One eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft to a customer.

And that first customer is none other than tech visionary Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus VR and the defense tech company Anduril. The delivery of this futuristic, open-air cockpit “flying car” to one of the biggest names in technology is a landmark moment, signaling that the era of personal recreational flight has finally arrived.

From a Box to the Sky in Under an Hour

The historic handover took place in Carlsbad, California. The Jetson team, including co-founder Tomasz Patan and CEO Stephan D’haene, unboxed the sleek, white-carbon aircraft and ran through the pre-flight checks. They then put Luckey through a ground school training session, which he reportedly aced in less than 50 minutes.

Shortly after, Luckey was in the cockpit, buzzing through low-altitude maneuvers and getting a feel for the aircraft. The Jetson One is a single-seat, 250-pound ultralight vehicle, which means that under US FAA rules, you don’t need a pilot’s license to fly it. It’s designed to be the “jet ski of the sky”—an accessible, thrilling, and purely recreational flying machine.

The Tech That Makes it Fly

The Jetson One is a masterpiece of minimalist engineering. Its aluminum-carbon frame is powered by eight electric motors, providing enough redundancy to safely land even if one motor fails. For a worst-case scenario, it’s also equipped with a ballistic parachute.

It has a flight time of around 20 minutes on its removable batteries, which is perfect for short, exhilarating hops around a property. This first delivery was one of the exclusive “$128,000 Founders Edition” models, complete with a special white-carbon finish, LED lights, and custom leather upholstery. With 500 orders already on the books and a backlog that stretches to 2027, it’s clear that the dream of personal flight has a very long waiting list. The company itself is on the move, having shifted its production from Italy to a new training base in California to better serve its growing US customer base.

A Perfect Match of Man and Machine

It’s no surprise that Palmer Luckey is the first customer. As the man who brought virtual reality to the masses with Oculus and who is now building cutting-edge military drones with Anduril, he has a long history of pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. His enthusiastic endorsement is a massive vote of confidence in Jetson’s vision.

As CEO Stephan D’haene said, this delivery is a “statement.” It’s a sign that the technology is mature, the vision is real, and the future of personal aviation is in very good hands.

DroneXL’s Take

For as long as I can remember, I, like so many of us, have dreamed of flying. Not in a plane, but just… flying. The idea of a personal machine that could lift you off the ground and let you soar through the air has been the ultimate fantasy. The team at Jetson has actually done it. They’ve built the dream.

“Real talk,” this is not a practical commuting vehicle. A 20-minute flight time and a six-figure price tag mean this is, for now, a toy for the wealthy. It’s a high-tech go-kart for the sky. But that doesn’t make it any less revolutionary. The Wright brothers’ first flight wasn’t practical either, but it changed the world.

This delivery is a “proof of concept” for an entire industry. It shows that small, safe, and thrilling personal eVTOLs are possible. As battery technology improves and production scales up, the price will come down, and the capabilities will go up.

As a drone pilot, I see the DNA of our own beloved machines in the Jetson One. The redundant motors, the simple controls, the focus on safety—it’s all there, just scaled up for a human passenger. It’s a beautiful and inspiring fusion of the drone world and the aviation world. I am incredibly excited to see what comes next, and yes, I am incredibly jealous of Palmer Luckey.

Photo credit: Bussines Insider and Jetson