LOS ANGELES, CA — In a landmark event that stunned the global aviation community, tech magnate Elias Morrow, CEO of AstraVolt Industries, unveiled what he called “the future of flight available to everyone.”
The reveal of the AstraVolt E-1 SkyRunner, a fully electric aircraft priced at just $79,999, has already been hailed as the most disruptive moment in aviation since the first commercial jet.

But while the presentation astonished the world… what happened moments after Morrow flipped the final switch left the entire industry in disbelief.

A Reveal Surrounded by Secrecy, Hype, and Global Curiosity

For weeks, cryptic teasers from AstraVolt hinted at an explosive announcement. Drone footage of a sleek silver wing, leaked battery patents, and a countdown that appeared unannounced on the company’s homepage had analysts scrambling for clues.

Speculation ranged from:

a next-generation drone taxi,

an electric helicopter,

or a new battery system for EV cars.

No one predicted an aircraft — certainly not one priced lower than most luxury cars.

The unveiling took place at AstraVolt Aerodrome, a private airfield outside Los Angeles repurposed from an old military base. Over 2,000 guests filled the hangar, including military officials, aerospace engineers, airline CEOs, and journalists from around the globe.

The atmosphere was electric — literally and figuratively.

“The Future Should Fly Quietly.” — Elias Morrow Steps Forward

Lights dimmed. A hush fell over the crowd.

Then, to thunderous bass and rising orchestral strings, Elias Morrow walked onto the stage.

Morrow — often described as equal parts visionary and provocateur — wore his signature black jacket and calm confidence.

He spoke without teleprompters.

“For 120 years, the skies have belonged to fuel.
Starting today… they belong to electricity.”

The hangar doors slid open. A cool breeze swept through the crowd.

And there it was.

The AstraVolt E-1 SkyRunner — A Machine That Shouldn’t Exist

The aircraft glided into view like something out of a science fiction film.

A seamless carbon-fiber fuselage

Forward-swept wings designed for hyper-efficiency

A translucent canopy

Three whisper-quiet electric turbofans

And a charging port no larger than a phone jack

The plane appeared impossibly smooth — as if it had been carved from a single piece of metal.

Applause broke out, but quickly faded into stunned silence as Morrow announced the price:

“Seventy-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars.”

Gasps echoed across the hangar.

The number rivaled the price of a mid-range SUV — not an aircraft.

One aviation analyst whispered, “That can’t be right. That’s… impossible.”

The Specs That Should’ve Taken Another 30 Years

AstraVolt’s engineering team took the stage and outlined features the industry had considered decades away:

 Range:

610 miles on a single charge — triple what analysts expected.

 Battery System:

The new AstraVolt ArcCell, a graphene-lithium hybrid battery capable of recharging from 0–80% in 18 minutes.

 Noise Level:

Just 17 decibels — quieter than a library.

 Cost:

75% cheaper to operate than small fuel-engine planes.

 Lifespan:

Projected battery cycle life of 16,000 flight hours.

The crowd was already in disbelief when Morrow announced the most audacious feature of all:

“Every SkyRunner can take off from a 90-foot strip — or vertically from a driveway pad.”

Vertical takeoff.

In a consumer-priced electric aircraft.

Engineers in the crowd stood from their seats, stunned.

The Moment Everyone Held Their Breath — The Final Switch

For the last part of the reveal, Morrow invited global livestream viewers — more than 18 million — to witness something that would “change aviation forever.”

He placed his hand on a covered control panel.

“This is the moment,” he said, “when the world enters its next chapter.”

He lifted the protective casing.
A glowing blue master switch appeared.

He pressed it.

The SkyRunner came alive.

The wings flexed.
The engines hummed — so quietly the crowd leaned in closer just to hear it.
Soft blue lighting traced the fuselage.

Then the aircraft floating platform beneath the plane retracted.

And the E-1 SkyRunner… hovered.

Not a drone.
Not a prototype.
A full-size, two-seat aircraft hovering silently in midair.

People screamed.
Laughed.
Cried.
Recorded.
Even hardened engineers stared as if witnessing a miracle.

But nothing could prepare them for what happened next.

THE SHOCKING MOMENT — An Unplanned Malfunction That Changed Everything

Halfway into the hover demonstration, a warning alarm flashed red on the display panel behind Morrow.

A technician shouted, “Abort! Abort demonstration!”

The crowd stiffened.

The aircraft dipped.
A strange vibration rippled down the carbon-fiber fuselage.
One of the side thrusters flickered.

A split-second of panic jolted through the hangar.

Security moved.
Engineers ran toward the craft.
Livestream chat exploded.

Morrow raised a hand, signaling everyone to stop.

He stepped forward — toward the aircraft.

Ignoring shouts from his staff, he touched the fuselage with two fingers, eyes locked on the thruster’s flickering turbine.

Then—

The turbine stabilized.

An engineer yelled from the control booth:

“Override successful! The system’s correcting itself!”

In real time, the SkyRunner recalibrated.

The thrusters brightened.
The shaking stopped.
The aircraft lifted again — smoother, steadier, and quieter than before.

Then, with a soft metallic whisper, it touched down gracefully on the runway.

The crowd erupted in applause so loud the hangar shook.

Morrow stepped back to the microphone.

His face carried a mix of adrenaline, excitement… and something else.

A knowing smile.

What Actually Happened? AstraVolt Engineers Explain

During the post-event Q&A, lead engineer Dr. Lira Mendoza explained the shocking mid-air glitch.

“It wasn’t a failure,” she said.
“It was… a self-test.”

According to her, the aircraft had automatically triggered an internal system stress test because it detected an unusual micro-pressure drop — something too subtle for humans to notice.

In an instant, the SkyRunner activated:

Turbine stabilization

Battery rerouting

Emergency thruster balancing

Weight compensation algorithms

All automatically.
In less than 1.2 seconds.

Dr. Mendoza concluded:

“The E-1 SkyRunner saved itself.”

A collective gasp filled the room.

The Shockwave Spreads Across the Aviation Industry

Within hours, headlines worldwide exploded:

“The First Plane That Can Diagnose Itself Midair”

“A $79,999 Aircraft That Competes With Military Tech”

“AstraVolt SkyRunner Breaks Every Rule in Aviation”

Airline executives called emergency board meetings.

Military officials reportedly contacted AstraVolt for private demonstrations.

Small aircraft manufacturers panicked.

One analyst said:

“This isn’t just a disruption.
It’s extinction-level for old aviation models.”

Aviation Authorities React — Cautious but Amazed

The International Aviation Regulatory Council (IARC) released a statement:

“We have never seen a consumer aircraft correct a flight stability error autonomously with this level of precision.”

They confirmed that a special certification committee would be formed immediately.

Unofficially, insiders say the agency fears:

a revolution,

a regulatory crisis,

and the need to rewrite aviation standards for electric aircraft.

A Final Twist — Morrow Drops One Last Bombshell

Just as reporters thought the presentation was over, Morrow returned to the stage.

“One more thing,” he said, echoing his now-famous phrase.

The room fell silent.

“The SkyRunner you saw today… is the weakest model we’re releasing.”

Chaos.

Journalists shouting questions.
Reporters dialing newsrooms.
Engineers whispering frantically.

Morrow raised a hand.

“We have three more models coming,” he said, smiling.
“And one of them… doesn’t need a runway at all.”

With that, he walked offstage.

Leaving the world breathless.
Leaving competitors terrified.
Leaving aviation entering a new era.

And leaving one haunting question suspended in the air:

If the $79,999 electric plane is the weakest one…
what in the world is coming next?

Special Events Mark IEEE Honor Society’s 120th Anniversary

Hackathons and fireside chats will be part of the festivities

Amy Michael

01 Oct 2024

3 min read

Amy Michael is the program manager for the IEEE–Eta Kappa Nu honor society.

The winners of IEEE-HKN’s Outstanding Chapters display their awards at the 2024 Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association conference held in Tucson, one of the events that celebrated the honor society’s 120th anniversary.

IEEE-HKN

On 28 October 1904, on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Eta Kappa Nu (HKN) was founded by a group of young men led by Maurice L. Carr, whose vision was to create an honor society that recognized electrical engineers who embodied the ideals of scholarship, character, and attitude and to promote the profession.

From its humble beginning until today, HKN has established nearly 280 university chapters worldwide. Currently, the honor society boasts more than 40,000 members. Having inducted roughly 200,000 members during its existence, it has never strayed from the core principles espoused by its founders.

“Eta Kappa Nu grew because there have always been many members who have been willing and eager to serve it loyally and unselfishly,” Carr said in the “Dreams That Have Come True,” article published in the 1939 October/November issue of the honor society’s triannual magazine, The Bridge.

In 2010, HKN became the honor society of IEEE, resulting in global expansion, establishing chapters outside the United States, and inducting students and professionals from the IEEE fields of interest.

Today the character portion of HKN’s creed translates into its students collectively providing more than 100,000 hours of service each year to their communities and campuses through science, technology, engineering, and mathematics outreach programs and tutoring.

Hackathons, fireside chats, and more

In honor of its 120th anniversary, IEEE-HKN is celebrating with several exciting events.

HKN’s first online hackathon is scheduled to be held from 11 to 22 October. Students around the world compete to solve engineering problems for prizes and bragging rights.

On 28 October, IEEE-HKN’s Founders Day, 2019 IEEE-HKN President Karen Panetta is hosting a virtual fireside chat with HKN Eminent Members Vint Cerf and Bob Kahn. The two Internet pioneers are expected to share the inside story of how they conceived and designed its architecture.

The fireside chat is due to come after a presentation for the hackathon winners, and it will be followed by an online networking session for participants to share their HKN stories and brainstorm how to continue the forward momentum for the next generation of engineers.

The three events are open to everyone. Register now to attend any or all of them.

“My favorite part of being an HKN member is the sense of community.”— Matteo Alasio

HKN has set up a dedicated page showcasing how members and nonmembers can participate in the celebrations. The page also honors the society’s proud history with a time line of its impressive growth during the past 120 years.

IEEE-HKN alumni have been gathering at events across the United States to celebrate the anniversary. They include IEEE Region 3’s SoutheastCon, the IEEE Life Members Conference, the IEEE Communication Society Conference, the IEEE Power & Energy Society General Meeting, the IEEE World Forum on Public Safety Technology, and the Frontiers in Education Conference.

A gathering of the alumni of the Eta Kappa Nu San Francisco Chapter that took place in October 1925 on the top floor of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company’s building.IEEE-HKN

IEEE-HKN’s reach and impact

The honor society’s leaders attribute its success to never straying from its core founding principles while remaining relevant. It offers support throughout its members’ career journeys and provides a vibrant network of like-minded professionals. Today that translates to annual conferences, webinars, podcasts, alumni networking opportunities, professional and leadership development services, mentoring initiatives, an awards program, and scholarships.

“When I joined HKN as a student, my chapter meant a great deal to me, as a community of friends, as leadership and professional development, and as inspiration to keep working toward my next goal,” says Sean Bentley, 2024 IEEE-HKN president-elect. “As I moved through my career and looked for ways to give back, I was happy to answer the call for service with HKN.”

HKN’s success is made possible by the commitment of its volunteers and donors, who give their time, expertise, and resources guided by a zeal to nurture the next generation of engineering professionals.

Matteo Alasio, an IEEE-HKN alum and former president of the Mu Nu chapter, at the Politecnico di Torino in Italy, says, “My favorite part of being an HKN member is the sense of community. Being part of a big family that works together to help students and promote professional development is incredibly fulfilling. It’s inspiring to collaborate with others who are dedicated to making a positive impact.”

HKN is a lifelong designation. If you are inducted into Eta Kappa Nu, your membership never expires. Visit the IEEE-HKN website to reconnect with the society or to learn more about its programs, chapters, students, and opportunities. You also can sign up for its 2024 Student Leadership Conference, to be held in November in Charlotte, N.C.