Pivotal CEO Ken Karklin exits; board member takes interim helm

Ken Karklin has left his role as chief executive of Pivotal, the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft company backed by Larry Page, after more than four years. Mike Ross, an aviation executive who joined Pivotal's board in November 2025, will lead the company on an interim basis. The transition comes as Pivotal continues sales of its Helix personal aircraft and advances its BlackFly model for defense and emergency response.

Pivotal's Helix, which entered the market two years ago, is a single-seat eVTOL priced near $200,000 and requires no pilot's license to operate. The company's BlackFly model, built for defense and emergency response, completed its first real-world emergency deployment last month in North Carolina, arriving roughly 20 minutes before a parallel ambulance dispatch. BlackFly has logged more than 10,000 flights to date.

Pivotal is also part of the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, which expands testing of such aircraft nationwide. Ross, who joined the board in November 2025, brings aviation executive experience to the interim role as the company prepares to launch its fourth-generation Helix aircraft.