Jeff Bezos and Matt Chasen
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos sits in the Hexa rotorcraft and chats with Lift Aircraft CEO Matt Chasen, standing alongside the craft, during Amazon’s MARS conference in March. (Lift Aircraft Photo)

A year after its unveiling, Lift Aircraft says more than 13,000 people have signed up so far for rides on the Hexa passenger drone that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos checked out at a conference months ago.

  • Bezos had Hexa’s 18 rotors turning at Amazon’s MARS conference in March, turning heads in the process. Now LIft Aircraft — founded in Austin, Texas, by Matt Chasen, a former Boeing engineer and veteran entrepreneur — is letting experts fly the 432-pound, electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing craft for a series of beta tests. (Check out Lift’s Facebook video to get a review from Colin Guinn, a drone industry expert who’s advising Lift.)
  • Lift has built and tested three working Hexa prototypes, and it’s introducing an ownership program that would let backers purchase the aircraft and accessories for a cool $495,000. The arrangement has some legal twists that give Lift a role in operating the craft, so you’ll want to read the fine print carefully — and probably consult with a tax specialist and/or a lawyer.
  • The 13,000 signups are for joyrides that Lift plans to provide during a 25-city tour that’s due to kick off next year. A ride lasting several minutes will cost $149 to $249, depending on which early-bird special is available. Lift says flight slots are sold out in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dallas and Austin — but for what it’s worth, Seattle and Portland are still in play.

 

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