Every year, some startup company sprouts out of the ground, making a huge promise to revolutionize personal transportation with some sort of flying vehicle. The “future of mobility” often gets used in marketing, too. But here’s the thing, none of these flying vehicles can live up to their big promises, and that includes the newest flying thing everyone’s talking about. The Volonaut Airbike promises to be the jet-powered superbike of the future, and while it’s cool, it’s not going to be the future of how you get to work.
I’m a huge fan of all things aviation. I’m the kind of person who gets equally excited about the cheap plane bought from a department store as I do about the Boeing 747. Every year, I spend a whole week in aviation Mecca at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, and despite some road bumps, I’m still working on my private pilot certificate so I can live my flying dreams.
It’s exciting to see that a flurry of startups want to make flying a bit weirder, a bit more fun, and maybe even a bit more accessible. Flying isn’t cheap, but I’m a firm believer that anyone who wants to be a pilot should have access to learning how they can do it. The Volonaut Airbike sounds like the stuff of dreams. It’s a jet-powered motorcycle-shaped thing that zooms at 124 mph and hovers like a helicopter. I just wish its marketing didn’t try writing checks that the jet-moto physically and legally may not be able to cash.
Science Fiction Dreams
The Volonaut Airbike comes from a familiar face in the aviation startup world. It’s the brainchild of Polish aerospace engineer Tomasz Patan, who is known most for creating the Jetson One, a vehicle that I can only describe as a quad-motor flying ATV.
In late 2017, Patan developed a working concept for an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL). Early marketing labeled the project a flying “flying car” and said that the Jetson aircraft carries the mission of “making everyone a pilot.” Now, I have always been a fan of the Jetson One and am happy that it’s actually in production. But the marketing has always been a bit ambitious.
The Jetson One is an ultralight, which means that it doesn’t require a pilot’s license. But more importantly, this distinction also means that it legally cannot fly over a congested area like a city, cannot fly at night, and cannot fly into controlled airspace without prior authorization. That means calling the control tower before you depart, and don’t be surprised when they tell you no.
Then, once you go through all of those restrictions, you’ll realize that the Jetson One flies no faster than 63 mph, can’t carry more than 200 pounds, can carry only a single occupant, and has an endurance of 20 minutes. Oh yeah, and I forgot about the current price, a whopping $128,000, an increase from its original price of $92,000.
The fact is that the Jetson One does not make “everyone a pilot.” Maybe I’ve spent too much time in the cheap seats, but not everyone is sitting on six figures. In fact, you can get a real pilot certificate for under $20,000 if you’re a decent enough aviator. Then you can fly a real plane. Let’s say you spend $20,000 on flight training. My local flight club charges $170 per hour to rent a Cessna 172, which includes fuel and everything. That’s 638 hours of flying (on top of the hours you flew to get your license) before the Jetson One becomes the better deal. You can also buy an ultralight helicopter for less than the price of a Jetson One.
Again, I like the Jetson One and want to fly one someday, but it’s not really a flying car. You’re not beating traffic in it or going to work. It’s not reinventing transportation. It’s more like a trick flying side-by-side, which is fine! That’s still awesome.
But the problem with flying cars remains unsolved. Every single company that’s building an ultralight eVTOL is making a product that, in my opinion, physically and legally will not live up to the sci-fi dream.
That said, there are companies working on making real flying cars, like the $1 million Klein Vision Aircar above, that you can drive on the road and fly long distances, but you need to temper your expectations there, too. All of the real flying cars will require a pilot certificate, cost ridiculous sums of money, and the flying portion of your commute will involve flying between two airports. The dream of getting stuck in traffic, deploying your wings, and flying away is unrealistic. Think of it as a plane that can drive rather than a car that can fly. That’s why flying cars are more accurately called “roadable aircraft,” but that doesn’t have the same ring as “flying car.”
Sadly, this means that the idea of a flying people’s car will continue to be a pipe dream, just as it has been since the flying car prototypes of the 1940s.
The Volonaut Airbike
So, what’s the latest hot and new flying thing that everyone is talking about? It’s the Volonaut Airbike. After Patan successfully launched the Jetson One, he decided to work on a different project in secret. Now, after years of silence, he has unveiled his latest idea, the Airbike.
Patan’s Volonaut company announced the Airbike on April 30 and continued marketing the machine on May 3 with Star Wars speeder-themed posts (nobody tell the Mouse). Thus far, Volonaut has announced only a couple of specs and a couple of videos that show some neat flying with the real working prototype, but nothing else of use:
Patan says that the video shown here is real. No AI was used, just a neat POV camera and some slick drone operators to catch the action. That’s impressive! It’s wild that this exists, and it actually works.
So, here’s what we know. Volonaut says that the Airbike is jet-powered, can hover, and speeds up to 124 mph. Patan has been working on the concept for years, but the Airbike didn’t make its first flight until 2023. As for the marketing? Well, here we go:
Welcome to the Future of Mobility. Evolving Human flight. Airbike flying motorbike is a breakthrough in personal air mobility. The futuristic single occupant vehicle is a realization of a bold concept often portrayed in science-fiction movies.
No other details have been mentioned yet. However, the imagery displayed in the launch videos suggests that the Airbike could utilize either thrust vectoring nozzles, like a Hawker Siddeley Harrier, or multiple turbines. That would make sense as either would help the machine be as nimble as Volonaut suggests it could be.
Patan also says that the Airbike utilizes carbon fiber, 3D printing, and other weight-shaving tactics to help the machine achieve a weight that’s “seven times lighter than a typical motorcycle.” That’s not very clear, but I suspect it means that the Airbike weighs less than 254 pounds empty, which would allow it to fall under the legal requirement for an ultralight.
But that would present an issue. It cannot be classified as an ultralight in the United States since ultralights cannot legally exceed 63 mph. So, we’re back to needing a pilot certificate again, unless the U.S. version is slowed to 63 mph. Then, it still remains weird because in the U.S., ultralights are limited to carrying no more than five gallons of fuel, which means limited endurance. Likewise, if it’s an ultralight, then it’s subject to the same downsides as the Jetson One, in addition to however much you’ll have to pay for it.
Being in a class higher than an ultralight would mean licensing requirements, thus more costs, and competing with real planes and helicopters. You’re still not flying it to your office, either.
So, I’m not sure how this is supposed to reinvent mobility.
I’m also interested in hearing more details about the vehicle’s redundancies. Engine failures do happen in general aviation, but thankfully, most aircraft are designed to get to the ground relatively safely. Airplanes can glide while helicopters have autorotation. Even eVTOLs tend to have four or more motors, and in the worst-case scenario, can deploy an airframe parachute. In theory, a flying motorcycle would fall like a rock the moment it loses thrust. A parachute can be a lifesaver, but it is ineffective at the low altitudes shown in the promo videos. That motorcycle helmet might also not help as much as you’d hope.
But we’ll have to wait for more information as Volonaut doesn’t have any further details at this time. Patan has told Robb Report that the Airbike is “highly probable” to go into production, but he can’t give an estimate on launch date or price.
To be fair to Patan and Volonaut, the Airbike is seriously cool. It’s so awesome that it exists as a real, working vehicle. A flying motorcycle is easily one of the craziest vehicles I’ve heard of this year, and I’d be happy to don my cat ear helmet and take one for a flight ride. I even love how it looks like a Ducati from 100 years in the future.
But, if I could provide Volonaut a suggestion, I would shift from calling this the future of mobility and just lean on how awesome it is. You have a wicked cool product, double down on that! You don’t need to make almost impossible promises when you already have something that could sell itself on looks alone.
The video, to me, still looks like something (crane, heli) is dragging it around from above.
i
I’d be the coolest looking guy hanging upside down from a power line.
lol!
These are all toys. Expensive ones and with the exception of the Klein Vision, open or no cockpit. Likely converting a lot money into a lot of deaths or injuries. It does look cool, but I’d look dorky in my hi-viz motorcycle coat and mis-matched helmet. Oh, and I weigh over 200 pounds.
Not sure about the math on the weight for the Airbike. It was a weird way for them to describe the claimed weight savings, but 254 * 7 is 1,778 pounds/808 kilos. Maybe the grammar used is supposed to mean another type of computation.
it’s like you’ve never wondered who has the time and money to keep the hot air balloon industry afloat.
rich people love personal aircraft, is why there are lots of small airports.
Yeah, the math doesn’t check out, so I tried my best to make an educated guess based on other “personal mobility” projects. How much does Patan think the average motorcycle weighs? Let’s say 600 pounds. That would make the Airbike weigh a whopping 85-ish pounds, which sounds too good to be true. But “seven times less” is completely meaningless without a figure to go off of.
“Seven times less” is a meaningless phrase with or without a figure. 🙂
If they mean “one-seventh”, they should say that.
I just remembered that maybe ten years ago I briefly worked on a flying car project. It was two years from production at the time, and is now, if anything, much further than that.
Two years is just what vaporware companies tell investors
see also: tesla
You really gotta make the tail on that thing a bit longer. That seating position is, uh, suggestive.
Not surprising the video has music overlaid the entire time so you can’t hear how loud this thing is. Jet engines aren’t known for being quiet.
Also interesting that the air intakes aren’t really shown. FOD is going to be a huge issue on something flying this low/slow.
Airflow disruptions causing compressor stalls is another huge risk.
Not just any music, either, but seemingly the most annoying copyright-free BGM that could be found. I was going to make a comment about how absurdly loud the thing must be, but I figured that might be stating the obvious.
I’ve seen jet packs and flying platforms since the 60s, but none were practical beyond a brief demo. Until I see David Tracy analyzing one, X to doubt. (because DT is the engineer, Mercedes is the test pilot)
IIRC the Segway was supposed to revolutionize transport too, but instead it provides the most undignified means of sightseeing, and killed the company owner
Segways: like walking, only expensive!
the best story about segway is how the inventor rode one off a cliff to his death
Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway, is not dead. The man who died was Jimi Heselden the one time owner of Segway, Inc. He purchased the company on 2009 and died in 2010.
On a different note…Am I the only one who thought of Spy Films with a machine gun and air to air missiles? The “Little Nellie” gyrocopter was definitely crowd pleaser in “You Only Live Twice”.
“It cannot be classified as an ultralight in the United States since ultralights cannot legally exceed 63 mph”
Well if they had a version limited the speed to 63mph, then it would qualify as an ultralight, no? Hell, even at 63 mph, this thing is likely still quite dangerous. And if they focus on making it as efficient as possible so it gets the greatest range possible out of that 5 gallon fuel limit.
The can possibly sell this as the lowest cost and most efficient way to fly a single person.
I could also see this tech being useful for military applications.
And then later, if they can figure out how it can be sold, sell an ‘unlocked’ or ‘high performance’ version.
Now having said that, given how I see people drive their cars, water craft and other stuff, I don’t want flying to EVER become cheap and available to the masses.
Cool idea, even if it looks like they sourced the landing skids from some lawn furniture. Good luck with your pilot’s license, Mercedes!
Why do I suspect this will have the same problem as jet packs: insane fuel consumption and an absolutely tiny tank?
because it cant be too heavy that you cant get liftoff
May 3rd?? May the 4th was right there.
Are they so afraid of the rodent juggernaut that they would avoid participation in the highly unofficial SWD?
I suspect it was May 4 in Poland where the post was published, but it appeared as May 3 to me because of time zone differences. 🙂
Mr.Darwin? Dr. Kevorkian will see you now.
This seems like something the military would jump all over. It’s hard to believe I’m watching videos of Russian infantry advancing on Lime scooters at the same time as videos of flying motorcycles.
For Russia, even the Lime scooter is worth more than the soldier riding on it.
For sure. I didn’t mean to suggest that Russia could adopt this. I meant like, a modern military.
For sure!
Every third soldier gets a scooter, and others are expected to pick up the scooters when those soldiers fall.
Picking up and returning scooters = your pay.
This seems like it would be a lot of fun to go fly out in some unrestricted airspace, even with the ultralight speed limit. Don’t think it’s worth the premium over other ultralights, but it is undeniably cool. I do like the idea of riding something like this over the enclosed drone, since you could carry and deploy a reserve chute or even a full BASE rig (assuming you fly high enough to make them practical–I suspect some low canyon runs would be really cool), but I think a paramotor or something gives you a lot better value (though without as much cool factor).
Ultralight flight ceiling is typically 1,200ft, plenty of height for a parachute, though who knows if it has enough fuel and a climb rate to actually get that high.
I probably wasn’t clear enough–yeah, it should be able to go high enough to carry a chute, but I suspect a lot of the fun use will be low enough that it may not work out, at least with a traditional skydiving setup or the kind of reserves paramotors use.
I’m not sure how the wingsuiters set up their chutes for the super low mountain descents, but it’s possible that would work for canyon runs, but the people doing the wingsuit stuff have a ton of experience with chutes before they get to that point, so it may not be practical for most riders.
There are still people working in control towers? I thought the current “you know” took care of removing all the actual employees.
Didn’t they admit that they fired most of them on accident, then resort to begging retirees over the legal age limit to come back to work because they were suddenly short staffed?
how can you call it a “bike” when that is short for bi-cycle as in two wheels
I see 0 wheels, that’s like calling it a manned drone.
I see two bars that it rests on when not flying. We can still use “bike.” Not “flying bicycle,” of course, but “bike” should be fine. Also, naming conventions follow accepted use at least as much as they follow root words, if not more, and the shape and function of this are familiar to people in reference to a motorcycle (or motorbike).
Also, if you’re gonna get pedantic about “bike,” “manned drone” might not be much better unless it’s got a bee livery, since “drone” usually implies uncrewed aircraft or male honeybee. I would like to see this in yellow and black, though, so I approve of the bee livery.
this is how language gets muddied, bike means bicycle or motorcycle.
a one manned aircraft shouldnt follow that naming convention just because it has roughly the same kind of seat.
Eh, language evolves. We use a singular “you” instead of “thee.” We use truck to mean pickup, semi, etc. “Peruse” means to examine carefully, but common usage usually means a quick once-over. Trying to fight against common usage will just frustrate you and language will change anyway.
thats all fine and good, but calling this thing a bike it still wrong
that would be like calling a cargo plane a van because it has sliding rear doors
Let’s go with “flying jet ski”.
its more of an Air Runner
people often call wave runners jet skis, because people just use whatever definition for words they want these days
Until the majority of drivers can safely drive in 2 dimensions, I will be firmly anti-flying car. No use giving them a third dimension to screw up.
modern travel is barely held together by lines of paint on the ground. get rid of those and its a free for all
I have driven all over the country and in places like Jamaica and Italy. It can be a free for all even with lines.
Yeah, it seemed people in France took the lines as a suggestion to be largely ignored. 🙂
I loved all the scooters in Paris. Sometimes dozens parked together and the cool insulated lap skirts they wore in the cold weather.
the best we can offer in the States are crust punk moped gangs
Support your local Moped Army!
My old roomate is a Hot N’ Ready and had the sketchiest moped I’ve ever seen which he welded together in our living room
Legshields and lap robes rock.
In Chicago, all lines and posted signs are merely suggestions that can be ignored if you’re quick enough when nobody is looking
Licensing? Safety factors? Pfff… It’s 2025! At least in the US, none of that matters if you have enough venture capital, and donate to the right political campaign funds. Social media influencers and 1%er trust-fund babies will flock in waving wads of cash and screaming “Take my money!” Along with a cohort of others who should know better, but whose bankroll is now eclipsing their sense (And are still jealous that they couldn’t get tickets aboard a certain carbon-fiber submersible…)
Gods, I wish the above wasn’t potentially true, but we live in the stupidest timeline and it’s probably entirely too plausible.
On the one hand, if it’s real it’s an awesome concept. My inner 8-year-old comics and science fiction nerd would love a real flying jetbike. Reality brings up the uncomfortable notion that there’s a fresh run of Darwin awards waiting in the wings, though.
its not much harder for someone to go out and rent a jet ski but at least then the worst you have is them hitting a swimmer or someone’s dock instead of putting a hole in someone’s roof
It can be hard to rent one if your name isnt Kyle, because those jet ski rental places usually check IDs to confirm
That checks out as my name isnt kyle and I still haven’t crossed jet ski rental off of my summer bucket list yet.
Time to call up my fake ID guy
Inventing new ways for wealthy people to enrich their heirs is as the commies say, “praxis” and I am firmly in favor of it.
I will not be flying this thing around with my taint clenching a carbon fiber panty liner.
On a positive note, vloggers will be all over this. It’s about time we thinned the influencer herd. These will be crashing into homes all across Florida.
My money is on decapitation by power line
Nah, death by gravity will be the predominant method. There’s a lot more ground out there than power lines.
Ive never seen ground 30-40 feet off the ground.
yes, they will land on the earth after hitting whatever obstacle they fly into.
I’m not saying they’ll fly into the ground (often). I’m saying gravity is watching hungrily for the slightest screwup in balance or orientation. Wave to the camera on the ground? Dead. Turn too sharply? Dead. Wiggle your ass to a more comfortable position too vigorously? Dead.
its not that much different than sneezing while going 70 in a 55
there are car accidents every 13 minutes
Bird strikes would be pretty unpleasant, too.
As they say, the knack to flying is in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
Womp rat hunting will never be the same again.
No effing way I’m getting on that thing and doing 120MPH at any altitude.
Damn, GTA Online in real life huh
Great. Now I’ll have some flying a-hole blow up my car in real life when I’m bringing a box of pens to the office. He’ll say it was justified because I was transporting business supplies.