SOARING INTO THE FUTURE WITH THE RYSE RECON
The RYSE Recon is an ultralight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle from RYSE Aero Technologies, and it is one of the few personal aircraft you can fly with no pilot's license. Pitched as a buy-and-fly aerial ATV, it carries a single rider plus a payload of roughly 250 lb, runs on zero carbon emissions, and is built around safety, redundancy, and genuine ease of use, which is why it landed on TIME's Best Inventions of 2023 list.
How does the RYSE Recon work?
The Recon flies on six independent electric motors fed by six removable batteries, a redundant layout designed so the craft stays controllable even if a motor or battery drops out. It handles much like an all-terrain vehicle, with a top speed near 63 mph and a flight duration of about 25 minutes per charge. As Robb Report found after flying it, the controls come down to two joysticks, one for altitude and one for speed and direction, learned in a short tutorial.
Do you need a pilot's license to fly the RYSE Recon?
No. The Recon is engineered to qualify under the FAA Part 103 ultralight category, which permits flight without a pilot's license within set limits on weight, speed, and where you can operate. That is the core of its appeal: real personal flight that opens up to a far broader group of enthusiasts, farmers, and ranchers rather than only trained pilots. According to the official RYSE Aero Technologies site, the vehicle is positioned as an accessible, ready-to-use aircraft.
What does the RYSE Recon cost and where is it headed?
The RYSE Recon is priced around 150,000 dollars, and the company has run manned flights and road shows across the United States as it moves toward customer deliveries. With its CES appearances and TIME recognition behind it, the Recon represents one of the more attainable visions of personal flight: a compact, license-free eVTOL that turns the daily commute or the daily farm patrol into a short hop through the air.
Explore personal flight at TheArsenale
Captivated by the future of personal aviation? Browse the full aero collection at TheArsenale, including the Insky Linx personal aircraft, the Ehang AAV autonomous passenger drone, and the Valkyrie private aircraft.
Photo: RYSE AERO TECHNOLOGIES
