Photo: Air
The classic helipad is one of the quintessential features of superyachts – the ultra-rich owners of these luxury toys and their guests would land and take off from the yacht smoothly, aboard premium, custom helicopters. But things are changing both in yachting and in private aviation, in the pursuit of clean maritime transportation. eVTOLs (electric vertical-take off and landing) can help accelerate this transition.
As if the maintenance of conventional superyachts weren’t expensive and complex enough, throw in one or even two helicopters, and you’ve got another burden to deal with. Carrying enough aviation fuel onboard, having the required spare parts in case of emergency, and including a professional pilot among crew members – these are just some of the main requirements for superyacht owners with private helicopters.
What if they could say goodbye to all of the hassle, while still enjoying the luxury of personal flights on demand? The answer is something known as a flying car, or personal electric aircraft. These air vehicles are specifically designed to be easily operated by anyone (unlike air taxis that require professional eVTOL pilots), they can simply be charged using just the onboard generators, and there’s virtually no maintenance.
This explains home come a yachting industry member is now the ambassador of an eVTOL brand. The International SeaKeepers Society, which is an educational organization for yacht enthusiasts, is teaming up with the Israeli manufacturer of Air One, the two-seat personal aircraft.
This innovative collaboration for both industries is supposed to help yacht owners explore the benefits of adding eVTOLs to their auxiliary equipment. It sounds like a good idea, since not everyone is ready to purchase their own flying car, without a hands-on experience. Plus, not all boating enthusiasts are familiar with the potential benefits of electric aircraft for yachting.
The Air One was compared to a flying sports car, thanks to its sleek silhouette and remarkable performance. Air claims that this vehicle can reach 155 mph (250 kph) and cover up to 110 miles (177 km) on a single charge.
One of its main advantages for yachting, compared to similar personal aircraft, is that it boasts collapsible wings in addition to the compact size. This means that it can easily fit in even onboard smaller yachts. Plus, unlike conventional rotorcraft, it can easily land and take off from any kind of flat surface, with a 250 kg (551 lbs) payload. Again, this makes it a highly flexible option for various-sized pleasure craft.
Although it was unveiled just a year ago, the Air One has apparently secured more than 300 pre-orders so far. This new project with SeaKeepers could bring numbers even higher. After all, $150,000 for a flying car is nothing for the owners of million-dollar yachts.
What if they could say goodbye to all of the hassle, while still enjoying the luxury of personal flights on demand? The answer is something known as a flying car, or personal electric aircraft. These air vehicles are specifically designed to be easily operated by anyone (unlike air taxis that require professional eVTOL pilots), they can simply be charged using just the onboard generators, and there’s virtually no maintenance.
This explains home come a yachting industry member is now the ambassador of an eVTOL brand. The International SeaKeepers Society, which is an educational organization for yacht enthusiasts, is teaming up with the Israeli manufacturer of Air One, the two-seat personal aircraft.
This innovative collaboration for both industries is supposed to help yacht owners explore the benefits of adding eVTOLs to their auxiliary equipment. It sounds like a good idea, since not everyone is ready to purchase their own flying car, without a hands-on experience. Plus, not all boating enthusiasts are familiar with the potential benefits of electric aircraft for yachting.
The Air One was compared to a flying sports car, thanks to its sleek silhouette and remarkable performance. Air claims that this vehicle can reach 155 mph (250 kph) and cover up to 110 miles (177 km) on a single charge.
One of its main advantages for yachting, compared to similar personal aircraft, is that it boasts collapsible wings in addition to the compact size. This means that it can easily fit in even onboard smaller yachts. Plus, unlike conventional rotorcraft, it can easily land and take off from any kind of flat surface, with a 250 kg (551 lbs) payload. Again, this makes it a highly flexible option for various-sized pleasure craft.
Although it was unveiled just a year ago, the Air One has apparently secured more than 300 pre-orders so far. This new project with SeaKeepers could bring numbers even higher. After all, $150,000 for a flying car is nothing for the owners of million-dollar yachts.
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