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Ultra-Light Personal Aircraft Developed, Can Fly without License

A US company aims to sell short recreational flights later this year in a one-seat electric aircraft. (Reuters)
A US company aims to sell short recreational flights later this year in a one-seat electric aircraft. (Reuters)
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Ultra-Light Personal Aircraft Developed, Can Fly without License

A US company aims to sell short recreational flights later this year in a one-seat electric aircraft. (Reuters)
A US company aims to sell short recreational flights later this year in a one-seat electric aircraft. (Reuters)

A US company aims to sell short recreational flights later this year in a one-seat electric aircraft it has designed that can be controlled by a joystick without requiring a pilot's license.

It is one of the startups vying with aerospace giants Boeing and Airbus to develop electric "vertical takeoff and landing" aircraft.

Many models resemble unmanned aerial drones, only much larger and with seats for passengers.

According to Reuters, LIFT Aircraft may end up being the first to sell pleasure rides in such a vehicle, because it says the aircraft is light enough to be considered an "ultralight" vehicle by the Federal Aviation Authority.

Ultra-light vehicles, a category that includes hang gliders, can be flown by someone without a license under FAA rules.

LIFT says its 18-rotor Hexa aircraft weighs around 196 kg, including floats to allow it to bob on water and a parachute for emergencies. LIFT says the FAA has validated the company's interpretation of the ultra-light regulations for the Hexa.

Matt Chasen, LIFT's founder, said: "We really envision a future where anyone can fly. We truly are on the cusp of a revolution in aviation and it's being brought about by the electrification of aircraft. Much like electric cars are going to be the future of driving, electric aircraft are going to be the future of flying."

Chasen is planning to sell rides near cities around the United States later this year.

Customers would first spend time learning the controls in a simulator before climbing into a Hexa to fly for up to 15 minutes, the maximum amount of time that can be safely allowed by the batteries. The aircraft can fly at speeds of up to 100 km per hour, the maximum allowed for ultra-light aircraft under FAA rules.

An onboard computer system, similar to the "geofencing" technology used in aerial drones, will prevent the aircraft from flying outside the proscribed areas, and will allow for remote control from the ground. And should a need arise, engineers will be able to take over the craft from land.

The FAA bans ultra-light aircraft from flying over built-up areas and they can only be used for sport or recreation.

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From Homeless to Tour Guide: Londoners Lead the Way Round the Streets They Know Best 

Unseen Tours guide Stefan Gordon, leads a tour around Canary Wharf's West India Quay in London, Britain, June 10, 2025. (Reuters)
Unseen Tours guide Stefan Gordon, leads a tour around Canary Wharf's West India Quay in London, Britain, June 10, 2025. (Reuters)
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From Homeless to Tour Guide: Londoners Lead the Way Round the Streets They Know Best 

Unseen Tours guide Stefan Gordon, leads a tour around Canary Wharf's West India Quay in London, Britain, June 10, 2025. (Reuters)
Unseen Tours guide Stefan Gordon, leads a tour around Canary Wharf's West India Quay in London, Britain, June 10, 2025. (Reuters)

Stefan Gordon spent three years in a homeless shelter in London after a family rift left him without a roof over his head. Now he is using his past experience to tell the often hidden story of one of the capital's wealthiest areas.

Gordon, 31, is one of several formerly homeless people trained by Unseen Tours to lead guided walks in different London neighborhoods. The charity's aim is to reduce the stigma around homelessness and value people's potential.

"My view of homelessness is a person without a home... (but) just because they don't have a home, we can still do stuff," Gordon told Reuters as he led a group tour of Canary Wharf and West India Quay in east London.

In the 18th and 19th centuries the area, now the capital's business hub, was home to a large dock complex built to receive products such as sugar from the Caribbean, where enslaved people were forced to work on plantations.

The docks were created by and for merchants, but many of those who worked there were often badly paid and lived in poor conditions, something Gordon says he can relate to.

"Lots of people used to sleep in lodging houses and the hostel where I slept was an emergency lodging house so I kind of related a lot to that," Gordon said. "It was very, very tough back then... It's still tough now."

Gordon, who has autism, is now living with his mother and has been a guide since February. He gets paid 60% of the value of each tour ticket while the remainder is reinvested into Unseen Tours to cover operating costs and train new guides.

Unseen Tours' director of communication, Charlotte Cassedanne, said the guides, with help from the organization, research and design their own tours, and can incorporate their personal stories into their walks if they wish to do so.

They have been running for more than a decade, and 30,000 visitors have taken part in their tours. With six guides trained so far, Unseen Tours is currently fundraising to train three more.

"When you experience homelessness, you become sort of less than human... People ignore you daily... Putting them at the center of the storytelling really helps them have agency again," Cassedanne said.