Hyde County, North Carolina, reported that one of its paramedics used a single-seat Pivotal BlackFly eVTOL on two live 911 calls. In one case, the paramedic arrived about 20 minutes before a ground ambulance and began advanced life support before other crews reached the scene. County EMS officials, Pivotal, and Code Blue Resources described the missions as the first U.S. use of an eVTOL for routine emergency medical response.
Paramedic Quinn Reece flew directly to GPS coordinates near each emergency, carrying a cardiac monitor, airway supplies, and a primary response bag. According to Axios, one call involved a diabetic emergency and the other a cardiac emergency. Reece served as both pilot and the only advanced life-support provider on board.
Before launching live missions, Hyde County EMS, Code Blue Resources, and Pivotal developed eVTOL emergency-response procedures and completed more than 300 training flights.
“Every decision we make is about getting advanced care to our citizens faster,” Hyde County EMS Chief Brook Cox said. “These missions proved that we could overcome distance, reach patients sooner, and redefine emergency response in rural communities.”
Pivotal’s BlackFly carries one occupant, so Hyde County is using it to bring a paramedic and medical equipment to patients rather than to transport patients. Pivotal announced the Hyde County proof-of-concept earlier this year to test whether its aircraft could supplement conventional emergency response. The county also plans to evaluate the aircraft for law enforcement, fire, and emergency-management missions.
“From the beginning, our goal wasn’t simply to prove an eVTOL could respond to a 911 call—it was to prove that Advanced Life Support could reach patients sooner,” Code Blue Resources President Carla Baker said. “This project demonstrated far more than the successful integration of aviation into EMS.”
On June 3rd, I hosted a podcast reviewing eVTOL aircraft that are available today and those still in development. These aircraft currently operate under FAA Part 103, which governs U.S. ultralight aircraft by setting limits on vehicle specifications, operating boundaries, and pilot responsibilities without requiring a pilot license or medical exam. As eVTOLs become more common in our airspace, the FAA will likely need more comprehensive rules for their operation.
In my opinion, the FAA will be playing catch-up as it develops new rules for eVTOL operations. Advances in lightweight materials, more powerful electric motors, and stronger lightweight batteries have outpaced the agency’s rulemaking, much as they did when personal drones became popular. I expect Hyde County EMS obtained a special operational waiver for its EMS eVTOL aircraft.
As I said in the June 3rd podcast, eVTOLs are here. You can find it on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@flightlinesthestories. In the years ahead, the sound overhead may not be the whine of a jet engine or the rumble of a piston-powered aircraft. Instead, it may be the high-pitched hum of multiple electric motors spinning propellers as eVTOL aircraft move into the skies above us.
John Rousch is a columnist, podcaster, and a 58-year veteran educator. He can be reached at 863-273-0522 or johnrousch73@gmail.com. Check out “Flightlines – The Stories Behind the Stories” on YouTube. Website: flightlinestories.com
