Pete Bitar is the founder, President, and CEO of Electric Jet Aircraft (EJA), LLC and AirBuoyant, LLC, and was the Founder, Owner, and Director of the Anderson Innovation Center, a private business incubator in Anderson, IN, as well as Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems (XADS), both of which he sold in 2018.
Bitar is the developer of the VertiPod® family of electric VTOL (EVTOL) aircraft such as the EJ-1 – the world’s first patented Electric Jetpack, and the VertiCycle – a flying electric motorcycle, which recently qualified and competed for the Pratt and Whitney “Disruptor” Prize in the Go Fly Prize competition. The VertiCycle is a primary contender for the $1 million Boeing-sponsored GoFly Grand Prize.
He is the inventor of two patented wind-turbine designs. Bitar and his team at XADS invented Xap technology, a counter-IED system to destroy roadside bombs, as well as other non-lethal weapon systems for the US military. Additionally, he holds a patent for a missile defense system as well as for the EJ-1 Electric Jetpack and the ArcSpear Jet Drone. In total, Bitar has 18 patents to his name.
Bitar has founded and sold several entrepreneurial ventures, mostly of a technical nature, during his business career. He is a consultant in the Aerospace and Defense sector for the Gerson-Lehrman Group, where he has been involved for over 19 years. He also served as a Governor-appointed member of the State of Indiana’s Workforce Innovation Council and co-chaired the Indiana Future of Work Taskforce. Bitar is actively engaged in education, entrepreneurship, and economic development initiatives, serving on several boards related to these fields. He was also the Vice-Chair of the Indiana Aerospace and Defense Council and has been Purdue University - Anderson’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence since 2014. He is currently the Indians State Chairman for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
As Director of Flight Systems at LEO Flight, Bitar is leading the development and further enhancement of his patented clustered electric jets to power the LEO Coupe flying car. His innovative contributions are pivotal in advancing the capabilities and performance of LEO Flight's flagship vehicle, demonstrating his leadership in the field of electric VTOL technology.
Pete Bitar is an Honors graduate of Portland State University in Oregon and served in the US Air Force from 1985-1989, receiving an Honorable Discharge from the USAF Reserves in 1993. He resides in Anderson, Indiana, with his wife and two children.