The creator of the "Hummingbird", Rafi Yoeli of Isreal considered this machine to be a safe and truly simple-to-operate personal Vertical Take Off & Landing vehicle. It was inspired by an original 1950's idea from the Hiller Company. The design was based on the use of a ducted fan, powered by four small internal combustion engines. The operator, standing on top, controled the vehicle by merely shifting his or her weight. A ballistically deployed emergency parachute unit was available as an optional extra.