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Watch: Jetson Founder Tests the Air for Future eVTOL Racing

Jetson's December 2024 video shows a Jetson ONE flying around one 8-meter pylon, not a head-to-head eVTOL race. Here is what the footage shows and what remains unverified.
Entry512 Date Time3 min MechanicCarCody Team
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Not yet. Jetson’s December 2024 video shows founder and CTO Tomasz Patan flying a Jetson ONE around a single 8-meter pylon, with no other aircraft in the air. It is a racing-style preview of what the aircraft could do in competition, not a head-to-head race. Jetson’s description of the clip as the birth of the world’s first eVTOL air racing is promotional framing, not an established fact.

What the December 2024 footage shows

Jetson published the video on December 19, 2024, alongside an announcement of custom pylons for its Jetson Air Games video series. New Atlas reported on the flight the next day and described it precisely: Patan navigated around one pylon, and he was the only aircraft in the air. Because there was no rival aircraft and no second pylon, the clip shows handling and tight turning around a marker, but it cannot show how the aircraft performs against other pilots.

Patan framed the project this way: “We believe Jetson ONE plays a role in changing public opinion on eVTOL.” New Atlas attributes the quote to him and reproduces the wording as published there.

Demonstration versus race

The two terms describe different events. The table below separates what the December 2024 footage contains from what a head-to-head race would require.

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Element Racing-style demonstration (December 2024 footage) Head-to-head race
Aircraft in the air One (Patan’s Jetson ONE) Two or more competing aircraft
Competitors None Pilots racing against each other
Course One 8-meter pylon, per Jetson’s description Not stated in the public sources cited here
Purpose Preview of possible racing use Ranking or winning against rivals
Public record Jetson video and New Atlas report (December 19 and 20, 2024) No ongoing public head-to-head eVTOL race series is established by the sources cited here

Published performance: manufacturer figures

The following values come from Jetson’s official product page, undated and accessed October 8, 2026. They are the manufacturer’s specifications, not results from independent testing.

Metric Figure as published by Jetson
Flight time Approximately 20 minutes
Top level-flight speed 102 km/h (63 mph), software-limited
Aircraft mass 115 kg (253 lb), including batteries
Maximum pilot weight 95 kg (210 lb)

A 20-minute endurance figure is the main constraint for any racing format. No independent source cited here validates it or the speed figure under race conditions.

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Price, order status and delivery

Jetson sells the aircraft through its own order process rather than a dealer network. The order page, accessed October 8, 2026, lists the following:

  • Full price: $148,000 before taxes and other fees.
  • Non-refundable downpayment: $8,000.
  • Estimated delivery: 2028.
  • Availability: The page states that 2026 and 2027 production is sold out.

Jetson’s pricing and order status can change, so confirm them on the order page before making any decision.

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Who can fly it depends on where you are

Operating rules are set by each jurisdiction, and Jetson’s statements cover only the places it names.

  • United States: Jetson states that no pilot’s license is required on its product page.
  • Italy: Jetson’s August 2026 announcement says the aircraft requires VDS registration, a relevant pilot qualification, and medical certification.
  • Other countries: The public sources cited here do not cover them. Check the national aviation authority before assuming any rule applies.
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Scale figures Jetson reports

Jetson has published the following company-reported figures. None has been independently audited.

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  • Pilots trained: More than 85 Jetson ONE pilots, per Jetson’s August 2026 announcement.
  • Orders (March 2026): More than 650 confirmed orders, roughly $100 million in order value, and 100 planned deliveries for 2026.

The March figures and the sold-out 2026 status on the order page are both company statements, and the sources cited here do not reconcile them with independent data.

Is Jetson ONE eVTOL racing real yet?

A racing-style flight has been shown; an eVTOL race has not. The December 2024 pylon clip is the only public racing-style footage the sources cited here describe. Several questions remain open:

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  • Head-to-head racing: No ongoing public eVTOL race series is established by the sources cited here.
  • Independent validation: No independent test confirms the racing performance, endurance, or safety of the Jetson ONE.
  • Competitor comparison: No validated apples-to-apples comparison with other personal eVTOLs exists in the public sources, so this article does not rank the aircraft against them.
  • Course equipment: Jetson’s pylons are custom course equipment. Whether generic drone gates or pylons work with the aircraft is not established.

Jetson’s racing initiative and order figures are worth following, but the clip itself is a preview. The first verified head-to-head race, if it happens, will be the event that answers the question.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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