The police department at a US University has bought a Jetson ONE, a single-seat electric aircraft that takes off and lands vertically. The aircraft, nicknamed Astro, was unveiled on 20 October, when the university said it paid just under $150,000 for it (about R2.5 million) and plans to use it for campus patrols and emergency response once the US Federal Aviation Administration gives final approval.

We looked at it and thought, remove the police branding and give it to us as a personal chopper, please…

The Jetson ONE looks like a large drone with a seat in the middle. It has an open cockpit, eight electric motors and an aluminium and carbon fibre frame, and it is flown with a joystick. It weighs about 55kg empty, carries a pilot of up to about 95kg, and reaches a top speed of around 100km/h. Flights last about 20 minutes on a charge, less at higher speeds, and it cannot fly in the rain.

It’s classed as an ultralight aircraft in the US. California-based maker Jetson says the aircraft is now flying on four continents, and more than 125 pilots have been trained, and that it has completed what it calls the world's first eVTOL commute to work.

Demand is already ahead of supply: chief executive Stéphan D'haene said Jetson moved the university's order ahead of a three-year waiting list because of its public safety purpose and engineering focus. Besides patrols, the university plans to use Astro for teaching and engineering research.

Yeah, we still want one to beat that Cape Town traffic.

Jetson's announcement describes the delivery as an expansion of the Jetson ONE beyond recreational flying, and says the officers, including the police chief, are fully trained. WFTV reported that the university is in the final stages of seeking FAA approval. The Aviation Hub listed the practical limits: a 20-minute flight time, no flying in rain and, for now, a single trained pilot.

Campus police in Florida are not really the story here. The interesting part is what a machine like this could mean for getting around. Tesla's flying Roadster demo was one thing, but a personal electric aircraft that takes off from a parking bay is the version that makes you look at the N1 at 7.30 am and wonder.

In theory, 20 minutes at about 100km/h covers a commute like Bellville to the Cape Town CBD, Umhlanga to Durban or Midrand to Sandton, no robots, no taxis cutting in, no load-shedding-dark intersections. It is a long way from your driveway, of course.

At R2.5 million with a three-year wait, a single seat, open air and no flying in the rain, it is a toy for the few for now. Anything like it here would need approval from the South African Civil Aviation Authority, and flying over a city brings a stack of airspace rules that were not written with a commuter in a flying armchair in mind.

The battery tech, the price and the red tape would all have to move a long way. But as an idea, a small, quiet electric aircraft that could one day take the pressure off our roads is one we would happily back. What about you: would you fly one to work?

You might also like our piece on Eskom's first public EV chargers, Starship reaching orbit, and electric trucks testing SA routes.

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