Florida Campus Police Add a Manned eVTOL to the Patrol Fleet

A university police department in Florida is about to become the first law enforcement agency in the United States to fly a manned electric aircraft on duty. Florida Polytechnic University’s police force has taken delivery of a single-seat eVTOL called “Astro” — a Jetson ONE built by the California-based manufacturer Jetson.

The aircraft is not cleared for patrol work just yet. According to the university, the Federal Aviation Administration is still reviewing the specific use case, with the approval process now in its closing stage.

What the aircraft can actually do

Jetson’s spec sheet keeps things modest. The ONE is a compact machine at 2.7 by 1.6 by 1.22 metres, and its wings fold down to make storage even tighter. It tips the scales at 115 kg with the lithium-ion pack on board.

Key Specs: 115 kg total weight incl. lithium-ion batteries · ~20 minutes flight time · 102 km/h top speed · single seat

Jetson has not disclosed details on the propulsion setup or the battery chemistry. Real-world endurance figures are likewise absent — the 20-minute number comes straight from the manufacturer’s data sheet.

Patrols, storm clean-up and emergency drops

Once airborne, campus officers expect Astro to widen their view of the university grounds and the areas around them. The department also sees value in reaching spots that ordinary patrol vehicles cannot, helping with clean-up after storms and rushing emergency supplies to where they are needed. Regional agencies are expected to join in too, using the aircraft for emergency response and other public safety tasks.

“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. He framed the project as a way to understand how the technology can serve public safety and airspace safety at the same time.

Jetson CEO Stéphan D’haene said the company bumped Florida Poly up its order queue despite a three-year waiting list. The university’s STEM focus and the department’s public safety ambitions matched what Jetson wants to do with the aircraft. “We have always been looking for the use case beyond the recreational intent,” he added.

• First of its kind: first US law enforcement agency to integrate a manned electric aircraft into service
• Dual role: patrol and emergency support, plus a hands-on research tool for students and faculty
• Local timing: the FAA’s eVTOL integration pilot programme includes Florida, and the SunTrax test track sits about four miles away

A classroom on rotors

Astro is not only a patrol asset. The university launched an Aerospace Engineering degree this autumn, and students will get to study new flight technology on a working aircraft rather than a simulator.

The surrounding region is already deep into next-generation aviation. Florida was recently picked for the FAA’s eVTOL and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program, which is meant to fold new aircraft types into national airspace. Roughly four miles from campus, the Florida Department of Transportation runs SunTrax in Auburndale — the country’s first dedicated air test track, where initial eVTOL testing is scheduled to start before the end of this year.