Livingston County couple test-flies personal eVTOL aircraft in Livonia

WatchLivingston County couple test-flies personal eVTOL aircraft in Livoniaby Daniel Finkelstein

7VIEW ALL PHOTOSChad Panipinto flies above his property in Livonia, Monday, Oct. 19, 2026. (WHAM)Comment on this story0CommentShare storySharetopics: EVTOLElectricUltralightTest-flightLivoniaFAAPanipintoTariffsLivonia, N.Y. (WHAM) — Chad Panipinto and his fiancée, Tanya Stefanella believe their Yivtol S-Zero may represent the future of personal transportation. It's an ultralight aircraft, which does not require licensure under FAA regulations.

"Once you get up in it and understand it and take control, it's totally different," Panipinto told 13WHAM.

Panipinto bought the aircraft, which arrived from China last month – he and Stefanella say they're among the first owners in the country – second, to someone in Tennessee.

The electric aircraft can fly for roughly 50 minutes on a full charge, reaching a top speed of 65 miles per hour, and climb to up to 1,500 feet – a height, Panipinto admits, he wouldn't dare try.

Stefanella likened flying the aircraft to playing a video game.

"I swear, it's just like a simple joystick," Stefanella said. "I mean, and looking at a controller or a screen, I mean, it is piece of cake."

Asked how flying the aircraft feels, Panipinto said: "It's like you're sitting in the middle of a blender. A blender. A ninja blender."

Both hope the futuristic tech will one day become more accessible.

"In my opinion, it definitely is because we have heard about this, seen it in movies, been waiting for it, and it actually is here. So it's only a matter of time before it becomes more economical for the general public," Stefanella said.

But for now, the futuristic mode of transportation comes at a hefty price tag. In all, they've spent about $250,000 on the aircraft, and add-ons.

"If you pay $120,000 for that machine, I think tariffs are about 30 to 38 % right now," Panipinto said. "Then you got sales tax. Then you got shipping 8,800. You know, and then any extra batteries or anything like that, or propellers, like I said before, it it just keeps going up from there."

Panipinto says once he feels more comfortable venturing beyond his property, he wants to fly to his farm in Geneseo, and then closer to the holidays, decorate the aircraft with some lights and take a flight dressed as Santa Claus.