Personal eVTOL from LIFT Aircraft, USA

LIFT Aircraft HEXAprice, release date and specs

LIFT lets members of the public fly the Part 103 HEXA-U themselves at its experience center in Austin, Texas. In December 2025 it said it had started FAA type certification of a commercial HEXA-C, and in September 2026 it took part in the launch of TxDOT's FAA-sponsored eVTOL pilot program, Project Nexus.

LIFT Aircraft HEXA single-seat multicopter parked on a ground cart at Sun 'n Fun 2024
LIFT Aircraft HEXA single-seat multicopter parked on a ground cart at Sun 'n Fun 2024. Photo: ZLEA, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

How far it has got

  1. Prototype
  2. Testing
  3. Certifying
  4. Certified
  5. Delivering

Testing: flying as a test aircraft.

You can't buy a HEXA, but you can book a session and fly one yourself in Austin, Texas.

You can book a $199 training session and introductory flight in Austin, Texas, and fly the HEXA yourself. LIFT does not sell the aircraft and keeps a waitlist for other cities.

Watch it fly

Video from LIFT Aircraft on YouTube. It loads only when you press play.

Key facts

  • Members of the public fly it solo after short classroom and VR simulator training at LIFT's Austin, Texas, center.
  • LIFT does not sell the HEXA. Its business is pay-per-flight experiences, starting at $199.
  • In December 2025 LIFT said it had started FAA type certification for a commercial HEXA-C aimed at air-taxi and autonomous use.
  • HEXA flew demonstrations at World Expo 2025 in Osaka (April 2025), and LIFT appeared at the September 2026 launch of TxDOT's Project Nexus eVTOL pilot program.
  • Flights are short: typically 8 to 15 minutes, depending on pilot weight and weather.

Price and how to order

Cost to fly
Not for sale; flights from $199
Where the number comes from
As of October 2026, LIFT's website offers about two hours of training plus an introductory flight in Austin for $199, and its FAQ lists Beginner flights at $249. LIFT says it is not selling aircraft to the public.

Do you need a license to fly the LIFT Aircraft HEXA?

LIFT says the HEXA-U flown at its experience center operates under FAA Part 103, so customers need no pilot certificate or medical certificate. Part 103 restricts it to one occupant flying for recreation or sport, under 254 lb empty weight, at no more than 55 knots (63 mph), between sunrise and sunset, away from congested areas and crowds, and outside controlled airspace near airports unless ATC approves. Floats and emergency safety devices are excluded from the weight limit, and LIFT says it uses floats and smaller 10 kWh battery packs to stay within it. LIFT's planned HEXA-S light-sport version would require a pilot certificate.

Specifications

Type
Personal eVTOL
Maker
LIFT Aircraft (USA)
Seats
1
Takeoff
Vertical
Power
Electric
Drives on roads
No
Top speed
63 mph (55 knots) Part 103 limit; about 45 mph in Beginner mode
Flight time
Up to 15 minutes with reserve (8 to 15 minutes typical); introductory flights last 3 to 5 minutes
Empty weight
432 lb (196 kg) per evtol.news; LIFT does not publish a figure. Part 103's 254 lb limit excludes floats and safety devices, and LIFT says floats and smaller battery packs keep the HEXA within it.
Also worth knowing
18 propellers and electric motors; floats for water landings; joystick control with automated takeoff and landing; planned HEXA-S (up to 90 mph, 25 minutes) and HEXA-C (close to 40 minutes, IFR-capable) versions share the airframe
First flight
Full-scale uncrewed flight July 2018; first crewed flight in late 2018 (sources give October or 1 November 2018)
Official site

Questions people ask

How much does the LIFT HEXA cost?

LIFT does not sell the HEXA to the public. Flying one costs $199 for a training session and introductory flight in Austin, Texas, per LIFT's website, and its FAQ lists longer Beginner flights at $249. An earlier Founder's Series ownership offer at $495,000 no longer appears on LIFT's site.

When can you buy the LIFT HEXA?

You can't buy one, but you can book a flight now in Austin through LIFT's website or app. Other cities are on a waitlist, and LIFT has given no date for private ownership.

Do you need a pilot's license to fly the LIFT HEXA?

No. LIFT says the HEXA-U that customers fly is an FAA Part 103 ultralight, so no pilot's license is needed. You complete LIFT's short ground and simulator training first, and flights are daylight-only over uncongested areas.

Has the LIFT HEXA actually flown?

Yes. HEXA has flown with a pilot since 2018, and LIFT reports thousands of HEXA-U flights, including public sessions at SXSW 2025 and in Austin.

Sources

  1. LIFT Aircraft: Homepage (Austin flight experience) (October 2026)
  2. LIFT Aircraft: FAQ (October 2026)
  3. LIFT Aircraft: Press release, LIFT Aircraft initiates FAA type certification process for new commercial edition of HEXA (December 2025)
  4. LIFT Aircraft: News (TxDOT eIPP Project Nexus launch) (September 2026)
  5. DroneLife: LIFT Aircraft begins FAA type certification for commercial HEXA eVTOL (December 2025)
  6. Electric VTOL News (evtol.news): LIFT Aircraft HEXA (July 2022)
  7. Cornell LII: 14 CFR 103.1 Applicability (ultralight vehicles) (October 2026)

Last checked October 17, 2026. Makers revise prices and dates often; confirm with LIFT Aircraft before paying a deposit. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

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