Florida Polytechnic University Police to Evaluate Jetson ONE Electric Aircraft

Florida Polytechnic University has taken delivery of a Jetson ONE single-seat electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for its police department, which plans to assess potential applications in public safety, emergency response and aerospace research.

Jetson Inc., the California-based manufacturer, announced the selection on 20 October, describing the aircraft as the first electric flying patrol vehicle intended for law-enforcement operations. Named “Astro” and registered as N911FP, the aircraft was delivered earlier this summer, according to the company.

The university’s police department intends to explore uses including campus monitoring, access to areas that are difficult to reach by road and the rapid delivery of emergency supplies. It also plans to work with regional law-enforcement agencies to investigate possible applications in emergency response.

Police chief Aaron Murray and a number of other officers have completed pilot training, and the university has obtained Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 91 approval for its intended operations.

The Jetson ONE is a compact, single-seat electric aircraft originally developed for personal recreational flight. The company said its platform had been validated in May 2025 and that the university’s aircraft had been equipped with police lighting. However, the announcement did not detail the aircraft’s operational limits, the specific missions it will undertake or how it will be integrated into routine police procedures.

Alongside its public-safety role, Astro will be used as a practical research and education platform for students and faculty. Florida Polytechnic University introduced a new aerospace engineering degree programme in autumn 2026, providing an opportunity to study emerging aviation technologies in an operational setting.

The project is taking place as Florida explores the integration of advanced air mobility aircraft. The state has been selected to participate in the FAA’s eVTOL and Advanced Air Mobility Integration Pilot Program, while the SunTrax facility in Auburndale includes infrastructure dedicated to advanced air mobility testing.

The university’s evaluation could provide practical experience in operating a personal eVTOL within a public-sector environment, and serve as a valuable example use-case of the aircraft in a situation where other types of police air vehicle may be less viable. This includes not just policing and monitoring, but also rapid delivery of supplies, emergency transportation, and accessing locations where bulkier aircraft would be unsafe to use.

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