Table of Contents
Introduction
You know that your drone can carry small items, but you may wonder if there are drones that can carry humans. The idea of a drone carrying you is an excellent thought because the idea of going to the mall or a restaurant via drone instead of you having to take a cab or drive there sounds like it would be a great thing. Or, even better, the idea of a drone taking you to and from work also sounds like a great thing because you could avoid rush hour and save costs on fuel. So, the thing is, can drones carry a human? Let’s go over that now.
Drones Can Carry Humans But With A Caveat
In a nutshell, some drones can carry humans, but not those you have that can carry up to four and a half pounds, such as the DJI drones. In other words, recreational drones cannot carry humans. Any drone that can carry humans is much bigger than the recreational drone that you have. An example of a drone that can take humans is the Volocopter GmbH. That drone can carry 440 lbs and bring that weight for 16 miles.
For example, a YouTuber known as Casey Neistat flew through the sky on a drone, which was a homemade quadcopter. He was wearing a Santa suit which only made the Christmas spirit more infectious. That video went viral because it is not something you see every day where someone in a Santa suit rides in a drone, let alone anyone rising in a drone.
Neistat also had a flying car, a drone, and he called it Kitty Hawk. Therefore, some drones are capable of lifting humans, such as the Volocopter drone, which is through the German manufacturer, Volocopter GmbH. The Volocopter is a drone that has two seats and can last for about 27 minutes of flying for a range of 16.5 miles. However, that can change when it comes to the weather too. That is the case for a sunny day with light winds. However, if it is windy, rainy, or snowy, that will not be the case. The engine can go as fast as 62mph or 100km/h.
Additionally, the motor is the brushless electric type and can carry up to 440 lbs nut can carry one human at a time. If you want this Volocopter, it will cost you about $250,000, but if you dislike traffic as most people do, it may be worth taking a line of credit out for it.
Another aviation company, The Griff, also makes a drone that can carry humans known as the Griff 300, and the range for this drone to fly is nine miles. It also has around 45 minutes of flying time and a maximum speed of 37mph or 59.5 km/, but that also depends on the weight it carries. However, it can take more weight than the Volocopter as it can hold 500 lbs. Nevertheless, the cost is around the same as the Volocopter. However, Volocopter GmbH and The Griff are not the only drone companies that make drones that carry humans. The first one that established human-carrying drones is Ehang.
Ehang Is The First Drone Manufacturer To Make Human-Carrying Drones
The Chinese company, Ehang, is the first company that creates drones that can carry humans. The company’s establishment happened in 2014, and not long after that, the company released footage of their quadcopter with humans. They call that drone the Ehang 184, and the company used that particular drone to test about 1,000 flights. There was a lot of trial and error when they perfected their drones.
The Ehang 184 has the design to carry one human at a time and can hold someone for around nine and a half miles at a speed of 81 mph or 130 km/h. The cost of this drone is anywhere from $200,000 to $300,000. However, it takes around two to four hours to charge its battery before taking someone somewhere else. So now you know that drones exist that can carry humans. However, you may wonder if it is legal to do that.
Is It Legal To Carry Humans With Drones?
It is not illegal to carry a human into the air by a drone, but it is unlawful for a drone to bring a human who does not have the design and legal requirements. Different aviation laws affect the size and flying purpose of the drone. Therefore, a drone that can carry a human has to be large and has to have the motor qualifications to do so has to pass the legal requirements to do so. Additionally, the one who flies the drone that can carry humans must be a qualified pilot. Therefore, if you want to operate a large drone that brings humans and other large items, you must pass the qualifications. If you have the capabilities to do so, then you can operate those large drones safely and legally.
Will It Become The Norm Eventually For Drones To Carry Humans?
In other words, will flying cars become a reality one day the way you would see in futuristic television shows or movies? It likely will become the norm, but there is no way to predict the timeline of when it will happen. Most of the time, when you see drones carrying humans nowadays, it is for reasons to keep them safe and to rescue them. Rescue operation teams, firefighting organizations, and law enforcement use drones to save people from harm, so those drones carry humans to safety. That is the only time you will see drones taking humans nowadays, but eventually, that will evolve.
Conclusion
If you have a recreational DJI drone, it cannot lift anything heavier than four and a half pounds. Therefore, a recreational drone cannot carry a human. However, larger drones can, and the Chinese company Ehang established those drones years ago and tested them out vigorously. The only drones that you usually see carrying humans rescue them from harmful situations after natural disasters, fires, or other forms of danger. Rescue teams, law enforcement, and firefighters use drones for that reason. However, eventually, drones will be those flying cars that you see in futuristic moves and television shows. Therefore, in time, drones carrying humans will likely be the norm.