Florida campus police deploy manned eVTOLs
The Florida Polytechnic University Police Department is the first law enforcement agency in the USA to integrate a manned electric aircraft into its operational service. The vertical take-off aircraft is "in the final phase of the approval process," according to the university.
Image: Florida Polytechnic University
The eVTOL named “Astro” from US manufacturer Jetson is being used as a patrol aircraft. According to Florida Polytechnic University, the device is still under review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for this specific use case and the approval process is reportedly in its final stages.
In the future, the eVTOL is expected to enhance the department’s ability to monitor the campus and surrounding areas, access locations difficult to reach with conventional vehicles, assist in clean-up efforts after storms, and deliver emergency supplies quickly when needed. The university police also plan to collaborate with law enforcement agencies across the region to use Astro in supporting emergency responses and other public safety measures.
The vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft in question is the single-seat Jetson ONE model. According to the datasheet, the device measures 2.7 x 1.6 x 1.22 metres, with wings that can fold to even more compact dimensions. Manufacturer Jetson specifies the total weight as 115 kg, including lithium-ion batteries. These support a flight time of approximately 20 minutes. The maximum speed is 102 km/h. The company has not provided further details about the propulsion system or the batteries.
“Advanced air mobility is a technology on the rise, and we can either choose to be proactive or reactive as it develops,” said Aaron Murray, the University’s police chief. “We want to stay at the forefront of this technology and understand how it can be used to advance public safety and airspace safety altogether.”
Stéphan D’haene, CEO of Jetson, adds that his California-based company prioritised the order of the Jetson ONE aircraft by Florida Poly despite a three-year waiting list — due to the university’s focus on STEM and the police department’s goal of ensuring public safety. Both align with Jetson’s vision for the future of safe flight. “In our business plan and in alignment with our mission, we have always been looking for the use case beyond the recreational intent,” D’haene said. “We believe that this project is so important and aligns so much with what we want to do that we made it a priority.
Beyond its applications in public safety, “Astro” is also intended to serve as a practical learning and research tool for students and faculty at the university. This autumn, the university introduced a new degree programme called “Aerospace Engineering,” providing students with the immediate opportunity to study new flight technologies in a hands-on environment, according to an accompanying statement.
Central Florida is already at the forefront of developing new air mobility solutions. For this reason, the US state was recently selected to participate in the Federal Aviation Administration’s “eVTOL and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program”. The programme aims to integrate next-generation aircraft into the national airspace. Conveniently, just four miles from Florida Polytechnic University, the nation’s first dedicated air test track is located, where initial eVTOL tests are set to begin by the end of this year. The so-called SunTrax facility in Auburndale is operated by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT).