Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter, our weekly look at the biggest stories in emerging aviation technology. From low-altitude drones to high-flying rockets at the edge of the atmosphere, we’ll take you on a tour of the modern flying world to help you make sense of it all.

Now for this week’s top story:

Canada’s Helijet Makes History with Beta eVTOL Order

What happened? Helijet is one of North America’s oldest and largest helicopter airlines and one of the few that offers scheduled passenger flights. Now, the company is flying into the future with its order for Beta Technologies’ Alia-250 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi—the first such purchase by a Canadian air carrier.

Old dog, new tricks: Helijet has been around since the ’80s, but that won’t stop it from embracing technologies at aviation’s cutting edge. The firm, Beta’s first Canadian customer, expects to be the country’s first air carrier to offer passenger and cargo eVTOL flights. Beta’s Alia will complement—not replace—its fleet of Eurocopter AS350 B2s, Sikorsky S76s, Learjet 31As, and Pilatus PC-12s.

Alia is more limited than these designs, with a 250 nm range and 100 knot cruise speed. However, it produces zero carbon emissions and is expected to be far quieter than those helicopters—and cheaper, Beta and Helijet claim. Helijet will deploy it for passenger, cargo, and medical transport services.

Why Beta? Per Helijet, Beta makes for an ideal partner due to its plan to certify Alia for IFR operations. The eVTOL manufacturer also has a footprint in Canada, having opened an engineering and research and development hub in Montreal in March. It also partnered with Canadian flight simulator provider CAE to train Alia pilots and maintenance technicians.

The partners estimate that eVTOL aircraft could serve 4.2 million passengers in the Greater Vancouver area over the next 15 to 20 years, generating some $1.5 billion ($2.1 million Canadian dollars) in advanced air mobility (AAM) business activity. But they’ll need to wait for Alia’s certification, which is expected around 2026.

Quick quote: “With its mature air travel market demographic and existing challenges for conventional transportation between Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, southern British Columbia provides an exciting opportunity to demonstrate the commercial viability and environmental sustainability of AAM in B.C. and Canada,” said JR Hammond, executive director of Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM), the country’s national AAM consortium.

My take: Could Helijet, one of only two major scheduled passenger helicopter airline services in North America (Blade Urban Air Mobility being the other), become one of the region’s biggest AAM player?

Compared to the massive eVTOL investments made by U.S. airlines such as United and Delta, Canadian air carriers have been slower to warm up to the emerging tech. But Helijet could be set up for early success, with a built-in customer base that already seeks short-hop helicopter flights. Replacing some of those trips with air taxi routes shouldn’t harm demand—especially if Alia can offer a cheaper alternative, as the partners claim.

The new aircraft likely won’t fly until 2026. But when they do, Helijet could provide an important litmus test for AAM operations in Canada.

Deep dive: Canada’s Helijet Makes History with Beta eVTOL Order

In Other News…

SpaceX Starship Nears Return to Flight

What happened? SpaceX’s Starship, the largest and most powerful rocket ever built, has been grounded since its April maiden voyage began and ended in flames. But the FAA in September closed its investigation into the explosion, and the agency this week announced it has now completed its safety review—a key portion of the evaluation of SpaceX’s launch license.

Back in action soon? Having completed the safety review, the FAA is now working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) on an environmental review, the final step needed to modify SpaceX’s vehicle operator license, which may take up to 135 days. When that modification is approved, Starship will be cleared for a second test flight.

However, keep an eye on the lingering lawsuit the FAA and SpaceX are battling. If they lose the case, the FAA will need to produce an environmental impact statement analyzing the effect of Starship launches on local wildlife. That process could delay things for months—or longer.

Deep dive: SpaceX’s Starship—the Most Powerful Rocket in History—Nears Return to Flight

Zipline and Cleveland Clinic Plan Prescription Drone Delivery

What happened? Zipline, the world’s largest drone delivery provider, added its fourth major U.S. healthcare partner this year in Cleveland Clinic. The hospital system will work with Zipline to launch prescription drone delivery in 2025, using its new partner’s Platform 2 (P2) delivery system.

How it’ll work: Zipline’s P2 does a couple cool things—among them is the installation of drone “drive-thru” windows that will allow Cleveland Clinic technicians to load the aircraft without leaving the lab. Rather than drop prescriptions using a parachute, like Zipline’s Platform 1 does, P2 will lower a small, autonomous droid that steers itself to a landing area the size of a patio table.

The collaboration makes sense for Cleveland Clinic, which has been lauded for its supply chain and innovative use of technology. Eventually, the partners plan to ramp up with deliveries of lab samples, prescription meals, and more.

Deep Dive: Zipline and Cleveland Clinic Partner on Prescription Drone Delivery

And a Few More Headlines:

• Ireland’s Manna Drone Delivery launched commercially in the U.S. with Halloween deliveries for trick-or-treaters.

• Virgin Galactic completed its Galactic 05 mission, the company’s sixth successful spaceflight in as many months.

• Chinese eVTOL manufacturer EHang said it expects to begin delivering its type-certified air taxi to customers in the coming months.

• Germany’s Lilium, another eVTOL maker, appointed ArcosJet as its exclusive Lilium Jet dealer in the United Arab Emirates, Israel, and Cyprus.

• Tampa International Airport (KTPA) hosted a test flight of Volocopter’s eVTOL for city and state officials.

On the Horizon…

Kicking off things with a pair of developments FLYING covered this week, the FAA and the U.S. Air Force, as well as the state of Utah, have stepped up their AAM efforts.

Starting with the two government entities: The FAA and AFWERX, the innovation arm of the Air Force, are collaborating to share flight data and testing capabilities for eVTOL and autonomous aircraft. AFWERX has awarded millions of dollars worth of contracts to 36 electric aircraft and technology developers, and its learnings could help the FAA meet its Innovate28 goals. The partnership is expected to benefit U.S.-made aircraft in particular.

Regulators in Utah, meanwhile, released an AAM blueprint resembling a smaller, state-level version of Innovate28. The report provides an interesting look at how individual states may initially tackle these new services. While it’s jampacked with guidance, the researchers’ key takeaway was that Utah already has plenty of assets to work with, and it could see fully operational AAM services by 2028.

We’ve got a couple of Congressional updates this week too. The big one is the introduction of the American Security Drone Act of 2023 to the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. The bill, initially proposed in February by Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.), would prevent federal departments and agencies from operating, procuring, or using federal funding to purchase drones made in China and Russia.

Meanwhile, Warner and other legislators this week announced that the Senate passed a measure to limit federal funding for drones made in China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and Cuba—collectively described as the “New Axis of Evil.” The amendment will withhold funding included in the upcoming FAA appropriations package.

Staying at the federal level, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Homeland Security could soon lose the ability to down rogue drones, as their counter-drone authority, established in 2018, is set to expire November 18. Christopher Wray, director of the FBI, said failure to reauthorize the two agencies could leave the U.S. “effectively defenseless” against threats to mass gatherings, airports, and other critical infrastructure.

Speaking of critical infrastructure: In New York’s Capital Region, officials have introduced a bill that would prevent drones from flying near schools and other buildings with that label. The legislation appears after a series of incidents involving drones flying over schools.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Dubai Air Show—November 13-17 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Aerospace Tech Week Americas 2023—November 14-15 in Atlanta
• Advanced Air Mobility Summit 2023—November 20-21 in Lisbon, Portugal
• ICAO Drone Enable—December 5-7 in Montreal
• 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium—February 6-8 in Silicon Valley, California
• Drone Show Korea 2024—March 6-8 in Busan, South Korea
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—March 17-19 in Jerusalem
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 
• Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 80—May 7-9 in Montreal

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Cold, dreary weather is always a threat to derail Halloween festivities, as was the case in Dallas-Fort Worth this year. But for trick-or-treaters in one of the area’s neighborhoods, drones came to the rescue.

“We are taking Halloween to new heights with a fun new way for kids to trick or treat—especially when the weather isn’t very Halloween compatible,” said Andrew Patton, the head of Ireland-based Manna Drone Delivery’s U.S. business.

On Tuesday, Manna drones flew chocolate, candies, and other sweet treats straight to the doorsteps of clamoring children (and adults) in the Dallas-Fort Worth suburb of Northlake. The Halloween-themed deliveries marked the company’s official U.S. launch, first teased in March.

But Manna, which is backed by Coca-Cola HBC and operates one of Europe’s largest drone delivery services, will deliver more than just Kit Kats and Sour Patch Kids.

“After over four years of operations and over 150,000 flights logged in Europe, we are excited to be touching down in the United States to offer the residents of Dallas-Fort Worth a lightning-quick and sustainable home delivery service,” said Patton.

Patton brings some traditional aviation expertise to the table—the Manna executive holds a commercial pilot’s license with 1,900 hours of flight time and multiple jet type ratings. He flies a Yakovlev Yak-50 aerobatic airplane whenever time permits.

Moving forward, residents of Northlake’s Pecan Square community will be able to order drinks and food (including more chocolate and candy) from local retailers Farmhouse Coffee & Treasures and The Touring Chocolatier, as well as from a few “notable national brands.” 

The service will run on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, delivering items in less than three minutes on average, Manna said. Patton told FLYING the company plans to deliver to the yards of all 1,600 households in Pecan Square, rolling out service with a “staggered” approach.

According to the company’s website, when an order is placed through its app, Manna drones take off from a delivery hub, flying at 60 mph (52 knots) at a height of around 200 feet. When they arrive above the customer’s yard, the drones descend to about 100 feet, lowering packages gently to the ground using a tether. That allows it to deliver delicate items such as eggs.

Manna claims that when its drones are soaring at their cruising altitude, they’re perceived as silent by people on the ground. And when descending to complete a delivery, the company describes the aircraft’s buzzing as inaudible to customers indoors.

To kick off its U.S. launch, Manna also partnered with the local Tarrant Area Food Bank, which provides close to a million meals per week to North Texans. The company will make a donation for every flight it conducts this year.

The Start of Something Bigger?

While Pecan Square is Manna’s first and only U.S. drone delivery service area, it’s unlikely to be the last.

Pecan Square was developed by Hillwood Communities and is located near the company’s AllianceTexas Mobility Innovation Zone (MIZ). The MIZ aims to test and scale drone delivery and unmanned aircraft technologies in a real-world environment.

Manna’s Dallas-Fort Worth launch came a few months after it and Hillwood announced the beginning of trials at the MIZ, with the ultimate goal of offering drone delivery to “a select number of Hillwood’s residential developments.” 

The implication is that Pecan Square is only the first site. Per that announcement, Manna plans to eventually offer its service to more than 10,000 local residents.

“Hillwood is the premier developer of best-in-class residential communities in Texas,” Patton told FLYING. “Hillwood’s legacy of technology-forward communities and its investment in next-generation autonomous transportation technology through the AllianceTexas MIZ make it an extremely well-suited partner for Manna as we move into the U.S.”

Another major drone delivery player, Alphabet’s Wing, tested its service at the MIZ’s Flight Test Center in 2021. A year later, it launched a delivery hub at Hillwood’s Frisco Station mixed-use development in partnership with Walgreens. Bell Textron has also demonstrated drone package delivery at the AllianceTexas site.

“Drone deliveries are here to stay, and we’re leaning into this efficient and innovative delivery option,” Chris Ash, senior vice president of aviation business development at Hillwood and the leader of MIZ, told FLYING. “We will continue to build great relationships with more companies to further develop and commercialize this technology that reduces roadway congestion and emissions.”

In August, Wing expanded its Dallas-Fort Worth operations to a Walmart Supercenter in Frisco, which FLYING received an inside look at last month. Israel’s Flytrex has offered drone delivery in the DFW suburb of Granbury since 2022. And elsewhere in the state, Amazon Prime Air last year landed in College Station, adding prescription drone delivery to that service in October.

Manna, meanwhile, has primarily focused on growing domestic operations. Its largest markets are the Dublin suburb of Balbriggan and a few other locations in Ireland—per an interview with Forbes, it has completed thousands of flights per day in multiple Irish markets. According to CEO Bobby Healy, those services are one-tenth the cost of a human driver in a car.

Healy told Forbes the company’s philosophy is to target highly populated U.S. markets, drawing from its experience flying over urban densities of 10,000 people per square mile. Dallas-Fort Worth, one of the fastest-growing metro areas in the U.S., appears to fit that bill. At the same time, Manna is eyeing an expansion into mainland Europe.

“Manna is doing great things in Dublin, and we’re excited to see them make their U.S. debut in Texas and within a Hillwood community,” said Ash. “The AllianceTexas MIZ connects the people, places and ideas needed to propel innovation in surface and air mobility forward. Manna and Wing, another great partner to Hillwood, will continue to benefit from this ecosystem.”

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A few months after the FAA released its Innovate28 plan for scaled advanced air mobility (AAM) operations by 2028, Utah officials have revealed their own plan to integrate delivery drones, electric air taxis, vertiports, and more into the state’s airspace.

At the request of the state legislature, the Utah AAM Working Group, part of the Utah Department of Transportation’s Aeronautics Division, this week released a legislative report and study on the implementation of AAM services in regions such as the Salt Lake City metro area.

The Utah AAM Infrastructure and Regulatory Study is a 58-page framework—similar to the FAA’s Innovate28 and its previously released AAM blueprint—that identifies the benefits, limitations, assets, timelines, and funding mechanisms associated with the state’s adoption of these emerging services. It does not establish any new rules or regulations but simply provides guidance.

The Utah Legislature also called on researchers to review state laws and identify any changes that could be made to speed the development of the state’s AAM operations. But according to the report, Utah already has plenty of potential to support technologies like drones and air taxis.

“Through leadership foresight, from the legislature to state agencies, Utah has positioned itself to embrace AAM,” the report reads. “The state already has significant assets in place that could be utilized in early implementation of advanced air mobility.”

Researchers identified several positive effects AAM could have on the state, the two biggest being a reduction in carbon emissions—since many drones and air taxi designs are electric—and “clear and compelling” economic benefits.

The report suggests that AAM services would create the potential for thousands of high-paying jobs in vehicle manufacturing, maintenance, and vertiport operations. For example, Zipline—which operates drone delivery in Utah through a partnership with Intermountain Healthcare—hires FAA-certificated drone pilots directly out of high school and helps them to pay for college. Utah is also one of seven states where Walmart and delivery partner DroneUp are flying.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) manufacturers could bring further employment opportunities. Two of the U.S.’s largest, Archer Aviation and Joby Aviation, have begun building production plants in Georgia and Ohio, respectively, far from their California headquarters. Both firms expect to produce hundreds of vehicles and thousands of lucrative jobs.

On the other hand, the biggest limitations of AAM may be safety and privacy concerns from Utah residents and impacts on local or migrating animals, according to the report.

Researchers believe that Utah has plenty of readily available assets that could serve the AAM industry with some slight modifications. They note, for example, that the Aeronautics Division is already assisting airports with electrification and vertiport installation. 

The report considers airports, unsurprisingly, to be “prime” locations for AAM operations. It lists South Valley Regional Airport (U42), Skypark Airport (KBTF), and Spanish Fork Airport (KSPK) as potential urban air mobility hubs, adding that local or rural airports could be turned into regional air mobility hubs or drone delivery service centers.

Based on data from the Wasatch Front Regional Council, the report also identifies potential sites for vertiports in communities without airports: underutilized parking garages. Shopping center parking lots, for example, could be transformed into landing pads by rearranging paint and lighting.

Utah’s “excellent” statewide fiber-optic and cellular network coverage should allow drones to easily broadcast data and communicate with remote pilots when flying beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS)—an FAA requirement.

The state’s electric grid, meanwhile, produces around 37,000 MWh of electricity per year to charge eVTOL or other electric aircraft. Utah relies on a shared grid system, which allows it to draw some additional power as demand increases. But its electric substations may require upgrades to support an influx of AAM aircraft. And at first, the state may need to build vertiports selectively based on the capacity of local facilities.

The Roadmap

The report examines what AAM operations in Utah may look like in various phases, zooming in to the next two to three years and zooming out decades from now.

“Everything does not have to be in place on day one,” the report reads. “The prudent approach is to follow a phased implementation plan that allows government and markets to grow one step at a time and adjust as appropriate to shifting market demands.”

Researchers broke down the plan into four segments based on “current industry projections.” The initial phase, which covers the next two to three years, will focus mainly on community outreach and public engagement. It will also involve the initial buildout of infrastructure, such as a statewide unmanned traffic management (UTM) system.

A UTM—and an Aerial Traffic Operations Center for the personnel managing it—is one of the “hard” infrastructure components Utah will need to add to its AAM ecosystem. Its creation, along with the improvement of cellular and internet broadcast receivers, will be one of the more challenging tasks the state faces.

In addition, Utah will require “soft” infrastructure improvements: more personnel, man hours, and expertise to name a few. The designing of aerial corridors, adaptation of land-use planning, and development of AAM policies are also on the agenda.

Phase two of the plan, expected to last three to five years, is primarily aimed at expanding UTM capacity and building the initial vertiport sites, with continued local outreach and engagement. Matt Maass, director of Utah’s aeronautics division, told the Salt Lake Tribune that 2028—which would fall under this stage—could mark the entry of AAM services such as electric air taxis.

The third stage is planned to last seven to 15 years. By this point, Utah hopes to have comprehensive UTM services, including a fully operational Aerial Traffic Operations Center. Vertiport infrastructure and operations should be at a “commercially viable” level, providing capacity for daily commutes.

The final phase, which could stretch from anywhere between 15 and 30 years, will tie everything together. By then, the state should have a fully integrated electric- and hydrogen-hybrid aviation and ground transportation system. This network would connect urban and rural communities statewide, the report predicts.

To get there—or to even advance beyond phase one—Utah will need plenty of funding. As things stand, municipalities looking to add vertiport infrastructure can apply for loans from the state. They can also issue general or revenue-obligated bonds if they expect to make money from those sites. And through a pair of recent House bills, federal financing is now becoming available. More is expected when the FAA is reauthorized.

“Mechanisms to acquire the money needed to pay for the new technologies are already in place, and more funding is anticipated from the federal government,” the report reads. “Most importantly, Utah’s preparation allows the state the flexibility to start at a methodical, yet efficient, pace.”

Researchers suggest the state might consider issuing bonds, appropriating general revenues, or using green revolving funds to help finance AAM projects. Potential funding mechanisms could also include fees (such as for landing, airspace usage, or permitting) and sales or excise taxes (such as on aircraft sales or facility charges).

How Utah Could Get AAM Laws on the Books

Though the report is not meant to create any new AAM rules, the researchers do suggest a few initial steps legislators could take to get the regulatory ball rolling.

For example, they point out that Utah Senate Bill 166, passed last year, defines the term “AAM system” and calls for state preemption of local AAM laws. Legislators could consider adding definitions such as “aerial transit corridor,” “vertiport,” or “UTM” to the rule, the report suggests.

To address property rights concerns, Utah could establish avigation easements, which would essentially give the state the rights to use airspace above private property, with the owner’s permission. The creation of an AAM Program Office and formal processes for licensing vertiports and registering AAM aircraft could also clear up things.

Researchers also say the state should consider requiring all municipalities to add the terms “drone package delivery” and “aerial taxi operations” to their approved conditional use permit lists. This would provide a basis for early AAM entrants to operate legally. Enacting zoning language for takeoff and landing sites and “vertiport overlay zones” could help municipalities further prepare for the birth of a new sector.

“Advanced air mobility is an entirely new transportation system and presents new opportunities and challenges never before encountered by departments of transportation,” the report concludes. “However, national-scale solutions for the entirety of the system do not need to be resolved prior to Utah implementing the first steps and phases toward active operations.”

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The post Utah Provides Blueprint of How AAM Operations Might Look at State Level appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter, our weekly look at the biggest stories in emerging aviation technology. From low-altitude drones to high-flying rockets at the edge of the atmosphere, we’ll take you on a tour of the modern flying world to help you make sense of it all.

Now for this week’s top story:

China’s EHang Earns World’s First eVTOL Type Certificate

What happened? The U.S. was beaten to a key AAM milestone…by a familiar foe. China’s civil aviation authority (CAAC) last week awarded Guangzhou-based EHang the world’s first type certificate for an eVTOL aircraft, dealing somewhat of a blow to U.S. companies working toward that goal with the FAA. At the same time, though, the rising tide could raise all boats, so to speak.

EHang’s milestone: The Chinese manufacturer’s EH216-S—designed for passenger air taxi and tourism services—is now type certified and authorized for commercial operations and scaled production. Amazingly, the first type-approved eVTOL flies autonomously, with no pilot on board. Among the major players globally, Boeing’s Wisk Aero is the only other firm that wants to fly autonomous from the jump.

During a 30-month process, the EH216-S was thoroughly scrutinized and tested, completing more than 40,000 preliminary flights—some with passengers on board. Rivals Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation are the closest to beginning “for credit” testing with the FAA in the U.S.

The playing field: Joby recently began testing its eVTOL with a pilot on board, while Archer appears set to reach that stage next year. Wisk, meanwhile, is looking further out, eyeing commercial operations before the end of the decade. But there’s a high likelihood the next eVTOL type certification also comes from abroad.

Germany’s Volocopter expects to type certify its VoloCity air taxi in time for a commercial launch during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, ahead of Joby and Archer’s initial air taxi routes in the U.S. (planned for 2025). Another German manufacturer, Lilium, is the only eVTOL firm with certification bases established from both the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Quick quote: “For the industry, the first type certificate for an eVTOL aircraft is a major step forward, as it shows that a player has met the expectations around safety, reliability, etc. that the regulator imposes to protect the public. It opens up the commercial market and allows the start of initial commercial operations, assuming operating regulation is also in place. That is an exciting moment for the industry,” Robin Riedel, who co-leads the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, told FLYING.

My take: So…what does this all mean? In my mind, there are two ways to view EHang’s milestone: as a blow to its U.S. rivals, or as a boon for the AAM industry as a whole.

Let’s start with that first perspective. Obviously, the U.S. wants to be the first nation with a robust AAM industry, and type certification is a major step. EHang (for now) is only permitted to fly in China, which should allow the U.S. market to develop concurrently. However, the eastern superpower now has a head start, and it could capitalize by growing its AAM services at a faster rate—especially if other firms obtain the approval EHang did.

Now for the counterpoint: Perhaps a rising tide will lift all boats? The FAA has shown to be more methodical when it comes to AAM regulations, opting for a different process than regulators in the EU and elsewhere. But China has now shown the world that it’s possible to quickly certify an eVTOL, albeit with the caveat that certification does not necessarily equate to safe flight. 

Faced with the pressure of beating out its rival—amplified by Chinese dominance in the commercial drone market—maybe the FAA could take a page or two from its playbook.

Deep dive: China’s EHang Earns World’s First eVTOL Type Certificate

In Other News…

Amazon Makes a Flurry of Drone Delivery Announcements

What happened? After months of radio silence, Amazon provided an update on its Prime Air drone delivery service—four updates to be more accurate. The e-commerce giant said it will add prescription drone delivery in Texas, announced an international expansion, unveiled its latest design, and revealed that its drones will soon be integrated into its massive delivery network.

Back on track? It’s hard to describe Prime Air’s current drone delivery offerings as anything other than a disappointment. After a decade of hyping up the service, Amazon in May said it had completed just 100 deliveries in California and Texas, a far cry from its projections. But with the addition of prescription delivery and an expansion into the U.K., Italy, and another unnamed U.S. city, the company clearly has not given up.

The integration of drones into Amazon’s unparalleled delivery network could be huge. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The firm has an unparalleled lattice of thousands of facilities worldwide, all deliberately built to be close to as many customers as possible. Sounds like an ideal hub for short-range delivery drones.

Deep dive: Amazon Adds Texas Prescription Drone Delivery, Announces International Expansion

Archer Lays Groundwork for Service in the UAE

What happened? The Middle East is quickly becoming a hot spot for eVTOL activity, and Archer is the latest to enter the action. The air taxi manufacturer is working with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) to set up shop in the United Arab Emirates, with plans to build a new headquarters, add manufacturing capabilities, and launch commercial service in Abu Dhabi in 2026.

AAM in the UAE: Archer’s facilities will be located in Abu Dhabi’s Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster, a planned urban community announced last week. The cluster has the backing of Emirati higher-ups and recently inducted Archer rival Joby, which also plans to establish a footprint in the country.

The UAE is pouring millions of dollars into its AAM industry and has also hosted flights from Volocopter, China’s XPeng, and several others. A few firms—including a California-based eVTOL manufacturer—have already set up shop in the country. If all goes according to plan, they and Archer will be some of the first companies to offer AAM services in the Middle East.

Deep Dive: Archer Plans to Launch Electric Air Taxi Flights Across the UAE

And a Few More Headlines:

• Lilium partnered with Houston-based EMCJET to begin selling its Jet Pioneer Edition to wealthy individual customers in the U.S.

• Jetson Aero’s Jetson One personal electric aircraft earned Italy’s first ultralight eVTOL certification.

• NASA unveiled plans for a new 36-acre Berkeley Space Center, located at its Ames Research Center in California.

• The agency also received a lift from SpaceX, which launched the Psyche asteroid mission spacecraft aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket.

• Beta Technologies partnered with FBO and airport management firm Shoreline Aviation to install Massachusetts’ first electric aircraft charging station.

Spotlight on…

Turbulence Solutions

This week, I’m not the only one holding the spotlight. A video posted to X (formerly Twitter) by Austrian startup Turbulence Solutions garnered millions of viewers, who were likely intrigued (as I was) by the firm’s Turbulence Canceling technology.

Turbulence Solutions predicts its tech will reduce the turbulence felt by passengers by as much as 80 percent. In the video, a simulated flight comparison demonstrates how aircraft might behave with and without it. Real-life footage depicting views from an aircraft cockpit and one of the wings shows what the solution will look like in action. The basic idea is to use a combination of sensors, lidar, and flight control software to predict and adjust to turbulence.

Andras Galffy, the firm’s founder, CEO, and head of technology and research, told FLYING the company will first integrate its solution on GA and eVTOL aircraft. Already, the system has been tested on crewed demonstrator aircraft, and Turbulence Solutions recently got its first customer: a manufacturer of 1,300-pound ultralights.

Deep Dive: Startup Looking to Eliminate Turbulence for GA Pilots Goes Viral

On the Horizon…

First, briefly revisiting EHang’s type certification milestone, China’s progress on AAM operations is something to keep an eye on. Electric air taxis are not in the country’s skies just yet. But successful or not, EHang’s commercial flights will give regulators in the U.S. and elsewhere valuable information, which could inform new AAM policies and strategies.

Staying on the topic of AAM, AFWERX, the U.S. Air Force’s innovation arm, is working with the Department of Transportation’s AAM Interagency Working Group to shape regulations for the U.S. market. Already, AFWERX has plenty of expertise with emerging aircraft. And combined with upcoming deliveries of eVTOL aircraft from Joby and Archer, the department could offer a unique perspective on regulations.

Elsewhere, regulators in the U.K. and Australia continue to explore beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations. The U.K.’s Civil Aviation Authority has selected six trials—covering innovations from medical drone delivery to “sky highways”—with the hope that they can inform the regulator’s BVLOS policy. 

The Australian aviation authority (CASA), meanwhile, requested public feedback on a survey designed to collect data on BVLOS drone use. It too will use its learnings to develop a regulatory framework for low-risk operations beyond the pilot’s view.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Intergeo 2023 and Dronitaly wrapped up last week across the Atlantic, but here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Airtec 2023—Wednesday-October 27 in Augsburg, Germany
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—November 12-14 in Jerusalem
• Dubai Air Show—November 13-17 in Dubai, UAE
• Aerospace Tech Week Americas 2023—November 14-15 in Atlanta
• Advanced Air Mobility Summit 2023—November 20-21 in Lisbon, Portugal
• ICAO Drone Enable—December 5-7 in Montreal
• 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium—February 6-8 in Silicon Valley, California
• Drone Show Korea 2024—March 6-8 in Busan, South Korea
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 
• Vertical Flight Society’s Forum 80—May 7-9 in Montreal

Tweet of the Week

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Turbulence can be created in a variety of ways, from flying in the wake of another aircraft to changing speed or direction near fast-moving bands of air, even in clear conditions.

Unsurprisingly, choppiness also occurs due to updrafts or downdrafts created by storms. In recent years, however, there’s growing evidence that climate change is causing more inclement weather—and by extension, more turbulence.

But what if we could get rid of that bumpiness for good? In a viral video that has racked up more than 3.2 million views on X (formerly Twitter), Austria-based Turbulence Solutions gave a sneak peek of its Turbulence Canceling solution, which got its first customer earlier this year. The Vienna startup plans to use a combination of sensors, lidar, and flight control software to reduce the effects of turbulence by measuring, predicting, and mitigating choppiness.

Andras Galffy, founder, CEO, and head of technology and research at Turbulence Solutions, told FLYING the company first plans to integrate its solution on GA aircraft, as well as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for planned advanced air mobility (AAM) services.

“Even without climate change increasing turbulence, especially for light and small aircraft flying low and fast, comfort is a showstopper.” Galffy said. “A very limited number of passengers enjoy flying GA aircraft for comfort reasons. AAM and eVTOL will need to provide turbulence-free ride quality and passenger comfort for returning and recommending customers.”

Galffy, who earned his doctorate in flight control from Vienna University of Technology’s Automation and Control Institute, founded Turbulence Solutions in 2018. But the company appears to have emerged from stealth in 2022, when it began circulating the now-viral video on LinkedIn and posting on Facebook and X.

According to its website, Turbulence Solutions has already obtained a U.S. patent for its solution, with a few others in the application process. It also tested the system on board a crewed demonstrator aircraft, which it used to gather in-flight data, in 2021, Galffy said.

Based on that data, the company predicts Turbulence Canceling will reduce the load felt by passengers by more than 80 percent, though the system is a comfort feature and won’t be required for operation. The company said it will use a feedback and “feedforward” approach, combining dynamic lift control with predictive sensor technology.

The solution’s Turbulence Load Prediction component will provide the “feedforward,” anticipating choppiness in front of the aircraft. Pressure sensors and wind lidar technology will combine to measure differential pressure ahead of the wing, predicting vertical acceleration to an estimated 1 m/s/s degree of error, the company claims.

That system will send feedback to a Direct Lift Control system, which dynamically adjusts wing shape within fractions of a second (as a bird does) to reduce inertia on the flaps and stabilize angle of attack. This component will incorporate flight dynamics beyond wing root moments, including vertical acceleration, pitch, roll, and wing bending. It can be integrated on aircraft with conventional flaps or enable wing morphing.

Galffy contrasted this strategy with conventional turbulence avoidance methods, which often involve pitching the entire aircraft via elevator input. This, he said, is simply too slow of a reaction to avoid choppiness.

How Pilots Handle Turbulence

By and large, pilots know what to do when they encounter turbulence, but existing mitigation strategies aren’t exactly ideal.

Chapter 12 of the Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge introduces the concept of turbulence and educates about its causes and effects. Typically, the initial course of action is to slow to maneuvering speed—fast enough to keep the aircraft in level flight, but slow enough to escape structural damage from choppiness. 

Pilots are required to know this speed, which is specified by aircraft gross weight in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook and is commonly placarded in the cockpit: the heavier the aircraft, the higher the maneuvering speed. 

The strategy is similar to driving slowly on a bumpy road to avoid dents from potholes. For passengers, however, this can cause discomfort or raise concerns about the aircraft’s safety.

Less frequently, pilots will take a different road entirely; that is to say, they will adjust course or altitude to avoid the turbulence altogether. But for large aircraft in particular, rerouting can strain fuel requirements and increase carbon dioxide emissions. And for smaller aircraft traveling short distances at low altitude, it’s a near-impossible task, Galffy said.

In short, there is no simple recourse for pilots who encounter choppiness. On its website, Turbulence Solutions points out that eVTOL designs are also susceptible to turbulence. These aircraft are relatively light but cruise at high speeds, and turbulence could tank customer satisfaction or limit the availability of planned AAM services.

Galffy told FLYING the company has already developed systems to sufficiently reduce turbulence for light and eVTOL aircraft. This year, the startup picked up its first customer: a manufacturer of 1,300-pound ultralights. 

Next up will be adding fail-operational capabilities to integrate Turbulence Canceling on larger models. Galffy mentioned business jets and airliners as potential customers. For now, though, the focus is on a simpler system for GA and eVTOL aircraft, which the CEO said is easier to certify.

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The post Startup Looking to Eliminate Turbulence for GA Pilots Goes Viral appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter, our weekly look at the biggest stories in emerging aviation technology. From low-altitude drones to high-flying rockets at the edge of the atmosphere, we’ll take you on a tour of the modern flying world to help you make sense of it all.

Now for this week’s top story:

Hamas Used Drone Swarms to Overwhelm Israeli Defenses

What happened? After more than two years of fighting in Russia and Ukraine, the world has seen what drones are capable of on the battlefield. Naturally, it raises alarm bells when the technology ends up in the wrong hands, as was the case on Saturday when Hamas launched a terror attack on Israeli civilians, killing hundreds. Casualties have since risen to the thousands.

What Hamas is working with: In short, the terrorist group deployed a swarm of drones in conjunction with land and sea attacks to catch Israel’s defenses off guard. Drone technology from China’s DJI—and reportedly some developed with the help of Iran—was used to hit strategic targets (such as the country’s central base for counter-drone operations) and civilians.

Some of the technology—including powered hang gliders that were used to transport militants over Israel’s billion-dollar border wall—raised eyebrows for current and former intelligence officials, who claim the attacks would not have been possible without Iran’s support. Hezbollah and the Houthis, two other terrorist groups and Iran proxies, could also enter the conflict.

How Israel could respond: In addition to its border wall, Israel deploys counter-drone systems such as the Iron Dome, which is designed to shoot down projectiles over large, populated areas. But these systems were overwhelmed by thousands of Hamas drones, rendering them ineffective. The aerial distraction also enabled attacks on the ground and by sea.

However, with Hamas’ capabilities now known, some experts believe Israel could defend future assaults more effectively. Support from the U.S. may also move the needle. American officials have no plans to put boots on the ground, but the government will send ships, counter-drone technology, and munitions to assist the Israeli Defense Forces.

Quick quote: “Directly comparing the drones of each side is a bit like comparing rifles on each side. The U.S. M-16 was far superior to the AK-47, yet that did not yield a U.S. victory in the Vietnam War, for example […] What matters here is the accessibility of the technology (even in more primitive forms), and how well it is used,” professor Audrey Kurth Cronin, director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute for Security and Technology, told FLYING.

My take: Above all, Hamas’ surprise attack on Israeli civilians validates what we’ve seen in Russia and Ukraine: In the wrong hands, drones can be a force for evil—and an effective one at that.

There are no easy answers here. The drones deployed by Hamas were small, cheap, plentiful, and likely designed or delivered by Iran. The fact that rudimentary technology could be used to such effect (and obtained rather easily from a widely sanctioned country) sets a dangerous precedent. Already, Israel has retaliated against thousands of civilian deaths by deploying its own swarms of drones, which have now killed more than 1,000 Palestinian civilians.

Though Hamas incited the growing conflict, regular people in both Israel and Palestine—through no fault of their own—are now threatened by sudden, deadly drone strikes. And with global superpowers now stockpiling the tiny aircraft, casualties of war may be more severe than ever.

Deep dive: Deadly Siege Marks Hamas’ Most Effective Use of Combat Drone Swarm

In Other News…

Wing Shows Us How It’s Delivered

What happened? If you follow me on X, formerly Twitter (@jack_daleo), you’ve seen me post about Wing and Walmart’s Dallas drone delivery service, which I got the chance to see in action last week at UP.Summit. But for the uninitiated, I posted a deep dive of the operation on FLYING Digital this week—here are the highlights.

How It’s Delivered: One thing that stood out to me—and that a spokesperson made sure to emphasize—was Wing’s ability to fit into Walmart’s workflows. The whole operation is run from a fenced area in the parking lot of a Supercenter, about the size of a tennis court. All Walmart associates need to do is pack orders and walk them over to the Wing staffers.

As for the drone delivery personnel, they didn’t have much to do either. The Wing system takes orders, assigns drones, plots flight plans, performs health checks, and responds to contingencies almost entirely on its own. Soon, the Wing Delivery Network and AutoLoader, which CEO Adam Woodworth detailed at UP.Summit, will add more autonomy to the service.

Deep dive: How It’s Delivered: Wing Gives Us a Glimpse of a Future With Drone Delivery

Archer Nabs Financing for ‘World’s Largest’ eVTOL Production Plant

What happened? Before ferrying passengers to and from airports in Chicago and the New York City metro area in partnership with United, Archer Aviation will first need to produce its eVTOL in numbers. Earlier this year, the firm broke ground on a mass manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia. Now, it’s secured the funding—$65 million from Synovus Bank—to complete it.

Cheap volume: Initially, Archer’s facility is expected to span 350,000 square feet and produce up to 650 aircraft per year. That’s more than any of its competitors are planning to put out. Eventually, the company said the site could grow to 900,000 square feet, churning out over 2,000 Midnight eVTOLs annually.

Interestingly, Archer claims it will be able to do this while keeping production costs lower than those of its competitors. That’s because the firm leverages outside aerospace companies to supply the majority of Midnight’s components. Archer will need an FAA production certificate, which will follow Midnight type certification, to begin using the facility to its full potential.

Deep Dive: Archer Secures $65 Million in Financing for ‘World’s Largest’ eVTOL Production Plant

And a Few More Headlines:

• UP.Summit 2023 in Dallas wrapped up last week, but check out our roundup of the biggest headlines.

• NASA postponed an International Space Station spacewalk after discovering a leak on the orbital complex.

• Personal eVTOL manufacturer Applied eVTOL Concepts will certify its Epiphany Transporter (what a name!) as a light sport aircraft.

• Airspace security provider Dedrone introduced a solution to enable BVLOS drone first responder operations.

• The NFL and other sports leagues are dealing with a new threat: unlicensed drones flying over stadiums.

Spotlight on…

Pivotal

Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Boeing’s Wisk Aero, and other eVTOL air taxi companies are still years away from commercial service. That’s also true for the personal eVTOL space…with the exception of Pivotal, formerly Opener Aero.

Pivotal so far is the only eVTOL manufacturer to actually sell and deliver its aircraft to paying customers in the U.S.—in other words, they own the vehicle outright. For now, a half dozen customers own BlackFly, Pivotal’s preproduction design. But the company last week unveiled Helix, a scalable production model it hopes will become the first personal eVTOL on the market.

I got to fly a BlackFly simulator at UP.Summit in Dallas—the aircraft featured a single seat with joystick controllers on either armrest. That’s it, as far as flight controls go. UP.Summit attendees were also treated to a BlackFly demonstration flight, where the aircraft showed off transitions between vertical flight, hover, and cruise. Helix is expected to include more robust hardware and an upgraded propulsion system that will extend the aircraft’s range of uses.

Deep Dive: Opener Rebrands to Pivotal and Unveils Helix, Its First Scalable Production Aircraft

On the Horizon…

The FAA’s authority was recently extended through December 31, but that doesn’t mean FAA reauthorization is in the rearview mirror. The pressure is still on lawmakers to pass the House reauthorization bill, which calls for measures such as a final BVLOS drone rule and funding for advanced air mobility (AAM)-related activities.

On the topic of AAM, California Governor Gavin Newson signed a bill authored by Senator Anna Caballero (D-Calif.) that would create an AAM and Aviation Electrification Committee for the state. Its job would be to assess current state and federal laws and identify potential changes to ensure safe operations in California. Wisk, Archer, and other manufacturers have facilities in the state; some, such as Joby, plan to fly there.

Meanwhile, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation loosened its drone laws by removing the passport requirement for obtaining a remote pilot certificate. The move lowers the barrier to verification to encompass documents such as a photo ID or driver’s license, which should open the industry to more drone pilots.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. The FAI World Drone Racing Championship wrapped up Monday in Seoul, South Korea, but here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Intergeo 2023—Tuesday through Thursday in Berlin
• Dronitaly—Wednesday through Friday in Bologna, Italy
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—November 12-14 in Jerusalem
• ICAO Drone Enable—December 5-7 in Montreal
• 11th Annual eVTOL Symposium—February 6-8 in Silicon Valley, California 
• AUVSI Xponential 2024—April 22-25 in San Diego 

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I want to hear your questions, comments, concerns, and criticisms about everything in the modern flying space, whether they’re about a new drone you just bought or the future of space exploration. Reach out to jack@flying.media or tweet me @jack_daleo with your thoughts.

The post In Israel and Gaza, Drones Change the Calculus of War appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter…with a twist! This week, I’m on-site in Dallas covering the UP.Summit, an annual, invite-only gathering of 300 of the transportation industry’s most dynamic, groundbreaking, and futuristic technology companies.

Among them are many of the same aircraft you’ve seen me highlight in this column each week, from drones, to electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) designs, to spacecraft that have been to the International Space Station and back.

Among the attendees are former presidents and prime ministers, current state legislators and members of Congress, representatives from the Department of Defense, and CEOs and executives of some of the most disruptive companies in the industry, from Google’s Wing (and partner Walmart) to Volocopter to SpaceX.

Below you’ll find a roundup of the biggest announcements made during the three-day event, including from cutting-edge companies such as Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Sikorsky, Zipline, UP.Labs…and the list goes on and on. Without further ado, here’s what has come out of the event as Day 2 comes to a close:

Jetson Aero got seed funding…from the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am in a move that would come as quite a surprise if you haven’t followed the artist’s evolution over the years. The longtime frontman has invested in many a tech company over the years—and even launched and acquired a few of his own.

Now, will.i.am will attempt to make history by training to fly Jetson’s Jetson One, the firm’s single-seat personal eVTOL aircraft. The artist and entrepreneur would be one of the first on the planet to fly such a vehicle. Read more here.

Joby Aviation put pilots in the cockpit for the first time, advancing to crewed flight testing of its preproduction prototype eVTOL air taxi. Among those considered major eVTOL air taxi players (Archer Aviation, Lilium, Wisk Aero, and Volocopter to name a few), only Volocopter reached that milestone before Joby.

The next step for the manufacturer is “for credit” flight testing with the FAA, using a full-scale production prototype. The hope is for that to take place next year in time for a 2025 commercial launch with Delta Air Lines, beginning with air taxi routes in New York and Los Angeles. For a deeper dive, check out FLYING’s story from earlier this week. Meanwhile…

Archer got the ball rolling with the Air Force after the department paid out $1 million to the eVTOL firm, the first installment of what is expected to be many as part of its freshly signed contracts with AFWERX Agility Prime, worth up to $142 million. The payout was exchanged for a mobile flight simulator, which is now on its way to the Air Force.

The Air Force will train pilots to fly Archer’s Midnight eVTOL using the sim, familiarizing them with the aircraft and providing the company with valuable feedback on the pilot experience. And at an unspecified date, the company is expected to deliver up to six Midnight models to an as yet unnamed air force base. Here’s a deeper dive on that news.

Boeing’s Wisk Aero launched a flight test campaign in Los Angeles, bringing its Gen 5 autonomous air taxi, also known as Cora, to the City of Angels. CEO Brian Yutko said the company is the first eVTOL manufacturer to fly at a commercial airport in Los Angeles. He added that Wisk expects to fly its newer Gen 6 prototype for the first time in 2024.

“We’re flying at a dense urban airport with real-world autonomous operations at work, for the third time within this past year,” Yutko told FLYING at UP.Summit. “This is a step forward not only for our aircraft testing program, but for developing organizational skill at operating autonomous aircraft in complex environments.”

Sikorsky and startup Rain are automating firefighting in a collaboration that saw Rain equip a Sikorsky optionally piloted Black Hawk with its Wildfire Mission Autonomy System, taking the pilot out of the equation. The system automates just about every step of the process, from identification to dispatching to precision targeting of the blazes. Sikorsky’s Matrix autonomy suite beamed commands to the uncrewed Black Hawk.

The partnership hopes to improve response times and lower costs for firefighting companies, which are contending with an unprecedented number of blazes. More on that here.

UP.Labs and Alaska Airlines launched an incubator, with hopes of fostering six startups over the next three years. UP.Labs, a branch of UP.Partners (the host of UP.Summit), will launch the partnership with the airline in 2024.

The project will be called the Airline Venture Lab, and it’ll explore ways to address the greatest areas of friction in aviation, for both Alaska Airlines and the industry at large. Potential use cases include operational efficiency, guest experience, and the business of travel.

Reliable Robotics and the Air Force made a trio of positive findings after completing a large aircraft automation study. The partners found that the airframe they examined (which wasn’t named) could handle system upgrades without impacting remote pilot abilities. 

They also discovered that large, remotely piloted military aircraft can match the efficiency and flexibility of commercial aircraft, without the need to build a new airframe. Finally, Reliable found that its Remotely Operated Aircraft System (ROAS) could achieve the same levels of reliability required by the FAA while flying on larger airframes.

Beta Technologies opened its first electric-aircraft assembly plant in Vermont, which the company said will one day churn out 300 aircraft per year. The facility will build both the company’s eVTOL and its eCTOL (conventional takeoff and landing), which was revealed earlier this year.

The site spans 188,500 square feet and is located on a 40-acre plot of land at Burlington International Airport (KBTV), which will allow it to double in size in the future. FLYING’s Jonathan Welsh has the scoop.

Wing Drone Delivery is now serving customers in the Dallas area through a partnership with Walmart, announced in August. The agreement unites the largest retailer in the world and one of the largest corporations on the planet (Wing parent Alphabet) to deliver a variety of food and convenience items in minutes, straight to customers’ doorsteps, front yards, and more.

I’ll have more on this news Friday when I take a trip to the Dallas suburb of Frisco, where a Walmart Supercenter has been equipped to make Wing drone deliveries.

Personal eVTOL manufacturer Opener rebranded to Pivotal and launched Helix, its first scalable production aircraft. I got the chance to see the firm’s preproduction design, BlackFly, in action during a showcase Thursday morning. The aircraft showed off transitions between three phases of flight: vertical lift, forward cruise, and thrust-borne hover.

Helix will carry over many of the features of BlackFly, but it’s expected to have a more robust propulsion system, greater comfort, and possibly a higher payload capacity. A handful of customers are already flying the eVTOL, making it one of the earliest entries on the market.

Oh, and here’s the company’s BlackFly in action:

Still with me? Here are a few more quick hitters:

Elroy Air now Has 1,000 orders in its backlog for the Chaparral, its heavy-duty cargo delivery drone.

Regent raised $60 Million and partnered with Japan Airlines to develop a system for operations in the country with its all-electric seaglider.

Zipline partnered with Mendocino Farms to deliver sandwiches, salads, and more using its P2 drone delivery system.

And finally, Verge Aero unveiled the X7 Drone, an upgraded design which the company will use to perform drone light shows.

Bonus! Here are a few more photos from my first two days in Dallas:

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The post Flying Cars, Rocket Ships, Self-Piloting Drones and More Abound at UP.Summit 2023 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Correction: The Matrix autonomy suite is a product of Sikorsky, not Rain, as an earlier version of this story stated.

In Maui, firefighting pilots came to the rescue when wildfires decimated the Hawaiian island last month. But they could soon face stiff competition from autonomous helicopters.

Rain, an autonomous aviation startup looking to fight fires with uncrewed aircraft, on Wednesday announced a collaboration with helicopter manufacturer Sikorsky to add the Lockheed Martin subsidiary’s optionally piloted Black Hawk to its fleet. The partnership promises to enable autonomous, rapid response capabilities for aerial wildland firefighting—and reduce the cost of suppressing the blazes.

Rain will use Sikorsky’s Matrix autonomy suite and its own Wildfire Mission Autonomy System to beam mission commands to an uncrewed Black Hawk. These systems integrate with early wildfire detection networks to dispatch the autonomous aircraft, allowing flames to be doused with water within minutes of detection. That’s crucial considering the blazes can spread extremely fast.

“Matrix executes a full mission plan by taking into account mission goals and constraints, aircraft performance, obstacles, weather, and topography,” said Igor Cherepinsky, director of Sikorsky Innovations. “The system is fully integrated with the flight controls, allowing the aircraft to fly with high levels of autonomy in all environmental conditions.”

Rain’s Wildfire Mission Autonomy System gives fire agencies rapid response capabilities to fight ignitions in hard-to-reach areas or varied terrain, increasing coverage. The onboard system identifies and locates fires in real time, develops a suppression strategy, and plans a flight path and drop timing to ensure the suppressant hits its target—all on its own.

Throughout the mission, the system also shares intelligence and plans, giving firefighters situational awareness and oversight.

The Matrix system, meanwhile, is at the core of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Aircrew Labor In-cockpit Automation System (ALIAS) project. The initiative seeks to “exponentially improve” flight safety and efficiency of rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. 

Already, Matrix has been tested on 10 different aircraft, including a demonstration flight on an uncrewed UH-60 Black Hawk last year. The autonomy suite fits into both rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft, as well as existing and new build applications.

Rain and Sikorsky will attempt to use the system to solve a problem that appears to have no answer in sight.

“What we are seeing is a dramatic increase in extreme fire behavior,” said California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection chief Jon Heggie.

Indeed, wildfires are on the rise in recent years, according to the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). But could autonomous aircraft help reverse the course? According to Rain, Black Hawks are a favored helicopter for firefighting fleets because they can weather difficult conditions while carrying heavy payloads—as much as 9,000 pounds using an external sling.

The Black Hawk fleet is also numerous and well-staffed As of January, Sikorsky had produced 5,000 of them, with a wide pool of highly trained pilots and technicians chomping at the bit to fly them.

In a simulation, Rain found that a network of some 200 Rain Stations—which serve as the company’s hangars and ground control facilities—housing uncrewed aircraft like the optionally piloted Black Hawk could one day end catastrophic wildfires in California. The company admitted it’s an ambitious goal, but it hopes to reach the milestone by the end of the decade.

The NIFC also reported that wildfire suppression costs have been on the rise since the 1990s. But the inflated costs have not resulted in fewer blazes—in fact, the opposite is true.

However, Rain estimated that a nationwide network of stations in high and extreme wildfire regions would eliminate between $149 billion and $348 billion in annual costs attributed to fighting wildfires.

At the same time, though, the company’s autonomous model could have the effect of shutting out firefighting pilots from the industry. That day will not arrive soon, since autonomous aircraft are still in development and likely years away from being widespread. It may never arrive at all. But the potential for savings and efficiency could certainly lure some firefighting organizations to uncrewed aircraft.

For Sikorsky—which will reportedly lay off nearly 180 workers in its business segment this fall—the collaboration follows a massive, $2.7 billion contract to deliver 35 CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters to the U.S. Navy in 2026. The manufacturer also nabbed a $650 million Air Force contract to upgrade the capabilities of the department’s HH-60W combat rescue helicopters.

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The post Sikorsky Partners with Startup Rain to Remove Pilots from Firefighting Helicopters appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter, our weekly look at the biggest stories in emerging aviation technology. From low-altitude drones to high-flying rockets at the edge of the atmosphere, we’ll take you on a tour of the modern flying world to help you make sense of it all.

Now for this week’s top story:

Blue Origin Appoints Amazon’s Dave Limp as New CEO

What happened? As rivals SpaceX and Virgin Galactic dominate the commercial spaceflight sector, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has been grounded. Its pace of progress has slowed from a run to a walk to a limp. But perhaps the best way to correct a limp is with a Limp—Dave Limp, senior vice president of Amazon devices and services, to be specific.

Tumultuous tenure: Bezos hired Limp as CEO in part because of his “sense of urgency,” which hints at the billionaire businessman’s aims. Under current chief executive Bob Smith, Blue Origin completed the highly publicized maiden voyage of its New Shepard spaceship, ferrying Bezos and Star Trek icon William Shatner to the edge of the atmosphere.

Since then, the company has stalled. It made a few more commercial flights before a September 2022 crash prompted the FAA to bring down the hammer, grounding New Shepard indefinitely. Smith has also missed out on lucrative NASA and DOD contracts, struggled to launch the New Glenn super-heavy rocket, and faced accusations of a toxic workplace.

Changing of the guard: Bezos is probably hoping Limp is the catalyst Blue Origin needs to right the ship, both figuratively and literally. At Amazon, he was involved with Project Kuiper, a planned competitor to SpaceX’s Starlink satellites, and led ambitious projects such as Alexa, Echo, and FireTV. He also held executive positions with a pair of now-defunct technology firms.

Limp is not an aerospace expert by any means. But Bezos clearly trusts his ability to turn ideas into reality (it’s an open secret that Alexa and Echo were pet projects of his), and do it quickly. He’s certainly an upgrade over Smith, at least according to current employees, one of whom gave the less-than-glowing assessment, “Anything is better than Bob.”

Quick quote: “I’ve worked closely with [Limp] for many years. He is the right leader at the right time for Blue. Dave is a proven innovator with a customer-first mindset and extensive experience leading and scaling large, complex organizations. Dave has an outstanding sense of urgency, brings energy to everything, and helps teams move very fast,” Bezos wrote in a note to Blue Origin employees obtained by CNBC.

My take: When this news came across my radar, one thing in particular caught my attention: Bezos’ repeated emphasis on speed.

Reading too deeply into the public comments of a CEO is a dangerous game, but it’s easy to see why Bezos might prioritize quickness. Since New Shepard was grounded, SpaceX has launched thousands of satellites and ferried astronauts to and from the International Space Station with NASA. Virgin Galactic has now completed space tourism trips in back-to-back-to-back months. United Launch Alliance has made a handful of launches, too.

All of these competitors have leapfrogged Blue Origin—at least for now. Limp’s likely prerogative as new boss will be getting one of the company’s programs (New Shepard, New Glenn, the Blue Moon lander, or the Orbital Reef space station) into orbit quickly. New Shepard, for which the FAA just closed its mishap investigation, seems to be a likely candidate.

Deep dive: Can Blue Origin Course Correct With Amazon’s Dave Limp at the Helm?

In Other News…

Boosters Delivered to Kennedy Space Center for Artemis II Mission

What happened? About one year from now, NASA will send four astronauts around the moon and back. Before then, though, it needs to build the spacecraft that will carry them. That process appears set to begin soon, after contractor Northrop Grumman delivered 10 booster motor segments to Kennedy Space Station

Back to the moon: Artemis III, tentatively planned for 2025, would mark humanity’s return to the moon for the first time since Apollo 17 more than half a century ago. Before that, Artemis II will serve as a litmus test—if it succeeds, the agency will move to the next step. The mission will be flown with the Space Launch System (SLS) super-heavy lift rocket and the Orion spacecraft.

Northrop provided segments for the SLS’s twin solid rocket boosters, which will generate 8.8 million pounds of thrust and help Orion reach 24,500 mph on its way to the moon. Now, the parts are being evaluated and are expected to be stacked in February. NASA also added four RS-25 engines to the rocket’s core stage last week. But concerns the project will fall behind schedule persist.

Deep dive: Booster Delivery Marks NASA Artemis II Moon Mission Milestone

VI&E Solutions, Ace VTOL Look to Add 700 Vertiports in Oceania

What happened? As more electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft designs hit the market, they’ll need a place to land. Enter Volatus Infrastructure and Energy Solutions (VI&E): The vertiport company partnered with eVTOL manufacturer Ace VTOL to build a network of 700 vertiports in Australia, New Zealand, and other countries in the region.

Global dominance? The vertiport industry will rely on the development of another industry, eVTOL aircraft, for scale. But when those wacky-looking aircraft finally hit the skies, VI&E is in position to capitalize. The company is planning four U.S. vertiport projects for 2024 and will look to add more through partnerships with regional aviation real estate developers.

Of greater consequence, perhaps, are the company’s plans beyond the U.S. It has agreements with eVTOL manufacturers, infrastructure developers, and regulatory authorities in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and more. Already, that gives it a global footprint, with which the likes of Ferrovial Vertiports, Groupe ADP, and other rivals will need to compete.

Deep Dive: VI&E Solutions, Ace VTOL Plan to Add 700 Vertiports in Oceania Region

And a Few More Headlines:

• NATO is set to adopt the U.K. Ministry of Defense’s SAPIENT protocol as a standard for counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS).

• VoltAero made what it says is the first flight of an electric aircraft running on 100 percent sustainable fuel…made from wine waste.

• In another milestone flight, Beta Technologies’ electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) aircraft crossed the border from New York to Montreal.

• The FAA announced a $300 million allocation for net-zero goal projects, such as sustainable aviation fuels infrastructure.

• The agency also proposed a rule to limit debris from commercial space vehicles.

Spotlight on…

Horizon Aircraft

[Courtesy: Horizon Aircraft]

Air taxi manufacturers Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Lilium, and EHang share one core tenet: They will only build 100 percent electric aircraft. Horizon Aircraft raises an eyebrow in response.

Rather than go full-electric, the Canadian company built a hybrid eVTOL which relies on a gas-powered range extender that charges its batteries during flight. Like the firms above, Horizon plans to use it for regional air taxi routes, as well as for medical evacuation, critical supply delivery, and commercial cargo services.

The company’s aircraft may not achieve the same emissions reductions as its rivals. But the Cavorite X7, a newly announced model that will replace its flagship Cavorite X5 (pictured above), is expected to have a greater range, speed, and useful load than all of them. Plus, with seven seats, it projects as one of the highest occupancy eVTOL designs out there. Keep an eye on this one.

Deep Dive: Horizon Aircraft Announces Plans for 7-Seat Hybrid eVTOL Design

On the Horizon…

No one likes a government shutdown. But the one currently looming could be a real doozy for the FAA. That’s because Saturday marks the deadline for FAA reauthorization, and a funding bill has yet to pass both houses of Congress. In short, this could be a disaster.

Commercial and passenger airlines will still fly. But air traffic controllers, Transportation Security Administration personnel, and FAA staff will work without pay. What’s more, training for ATC learning the ropes will be put on hold, potentially exacerbating an existing shortage. Airport infrastructure investments, FAA rulemaking, and facility security inspections will all go on pause.

For our purposes, the shutdown would also prevent the passage of key incentives for the drone and advanced air mobility (AAM) industries, which are included in the House FAA reauthorization bill. These include provisions such as a timeline for a final beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone law and permanent rules for AAM operations.

The Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (MOSAIC) proposal the FAA submitted in July is another piece of rulemaking that could be put on hold. Comments on that document will close October 23, less than a month from now (mark your calendars!). But the agency won’t be able to begin the process to address them through rulemaking until a shutdown ends.

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. DroneX 2023 wrapped up Wednesday in London, but here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• Airtaxi World Congress—October 2-5 in San Francisco
• UP.Summit—October 4-6 in Dallas 
• FAI World Drone Racing Championship—October 6-9 near Seoul, South Korea
• Intergeo 2023—October 10-12 in Berlin
• Dronitaly—October 11-13 in Bologna, Italy
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—November 12-14 in Jerusalem

Tweet of the Week

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Hello, and welcome to the Future of FLYING newsletter, our weekly look at the biggest stories in emerging aviation technology. From low-altitude drones to high-flying rockets at the edge of the atmosphere, we’ll take you on a tour of the modern flying world to help you make sense of it all.

Now for this week’s top story:

Joby Picks Ohio Over California for First Manufacturing Plant

What happened? The city council of Marina, California, will be sorely disappointed. The town, home to Joby’s pilot production line, was passed over as the site of the company’s first full-scale manufacturing facility. The plant will eventually produce 500 air taxi units every year and is expected to create some 2,000 jobs. It could one day encompass 2 million square feet.

Scaling up: The Ohio site at the Dayton International Airport (KDAY) will be funded by a $500 million investment from Joby mixed with incentives from state and local groups. It could also qualify for the Department of Energy’s Title XVII loan guarantee program as a clean energy project. Toyota, Joby’s biggest backer, will advise the company on the road to mass production.

The facility won’t be fully operational until 2025. But it will be an invaluable piece of the puzzle for a company looking to get its air taxis buzzing over major U.S. cities such as New York and Los Angeles by 2025. Beyond that, the FAA is eyeing scaled electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) operations in time for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

A blow to Marina: Joby’s Marina facility just rolled out the company’s first eVTOL aircraft production model in June. But while the company reportedly has plans to continue expanding in California, the heartbeat of its manufacturing activities will be in Ohio. Detroit and North Carolina were also considered.

Ohio is considered the birthplace of aviation—the Wright brothers lived and worked there, and Dayton, the site of the facility, is also home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the headquarters of the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), which has been a key partner for Joby.

Quick quote: “We’re building the future of aviation right where it all started, in Dayton, Ohio,” said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby. “The Wright brothers harnessed revolutionary technology of their time to open up the skies, and we intend to do the same—this time, bringing quiet and emissions-free flight that we hope will have an equally profound impact on our world.” 

My take: The Wright brothers would probably cower in fear if they saw Joby’s eVTOL in the skies. But their old stomping ground was likely an ideal choice for Joby.

The Air Force presence is huge. In June, Joby agreed to ship nine eVTOLs to Edwards Air Force Base in California, part of its three-year, $131 million contract with AFWERX, the department’s innovation arm. Don’t be shocked if Wright-Patterson is the next military installation to follow suit.

Outside that, Dayton International Airport gives the company tons of room to work with. The plant is initially slated to take up around 580,000 square feet, but the airfield is big enough for that to nearly quadruple in size as production scales up. Plus, the backing of state and local stakeholders such as JobsOhio doesn’t hurt. For this to work, the local community needs to be on board.

In all, it’s a positive step for Joby, which remains on track to be one of the earliest entrants into the advanced air mobility (AAM) space.

Deep dive: Joby Passes On California, Picks Ohio for First Scaled eVTOL Manufacturing Plant 

In Other News…

Beta Technologies Chargers Headed to the Air Force

What happened? Beta is the alpha when it comes to installing eVTOL chargers on air force bases. The company agreed to send its proprietary system to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, marking the first time the Air Force has deployed the tech at a base. Notably, the chargers aren’t just for Beta aircraft, one of which is also being sent to Eglin—they’ll work on just about any electric vehicle.

You’ve heard of eVTOL…: …but how about eCTOL? That stands for electric conventional  takeoff and landing and is the description Beta applied to its recently launched CX300 electric airplane. Interestingly, that’s the model being sent to Eglin rather than the flagship Alia-250 eVTOL the company has been building for years.

It’s unclear whether that was Beta’s decision or the Air Force’s. But it’s notable that one or the other is interested in experimenting with the eCTOL variant over the original. That could simply be due to timing—the conventional takeoff design is expected to fly before its eVTOL counterpart.

Deep dive: Beta Technologies Will Deliver Electric Aircraft Chargers to Air Force Base

Zipline the Latest Drone Delivery Player to Receive BVLOS Approval

What happened? South San Francisco-based Zipline is the fourth in a string of drone delivery firms to receive FAA approval for operations beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of the pilot. Phoenix Air Unmanned, UPS Flight Forward, and uAvionix are the other three—all four will serve to simplify the BVLOS grant process, according to the FAA.

The rich get richer: If you follow the industry, you know this is a big deal. But if you’re wondering what all the hubbub is about: Since U.S. drone operators are required to monitor the airspace along routes using visual observers, the ability to fly beyond their purview could double or even triple Zipline’s service area. In addition, it cuts costs to make the entire operation more efficient.

Zipline was arguably the undisputed top dog of drone delivery prior to this approval, having completed three-quarter of a million deliveries. Now, it can expand its operations and extend its dominance.

Deep Dive: Zipline Drone Delivery Secures Latest BVLOS Approval in Wave of FAA Exemptions

And a Few More Headlines:

• eVTOL manufacturer Lilium began assembly of the first of seven fuselages for the aircraft it will use to obtain type certification.

• Honeywell and the U.S. Department of Energy are developing hydrogen fuel storage for long-range drones.

• The FAA accepted Universal Hydrogen’s supplemental type certificate bid to convert ATR 72 regional airliners.

• Volatus Infrastructure and Energy Solutions launched a Series A investment campaign headed by Silicon Prairie.

• Japanese eVTOL maker SkyDrive received a preorder for up to 50 aircraft from a Korean aircraft leaser.

Spotlight on…

Land Rotor

I’m tying this feature to the news that Land Rotor is now partnered with eVTOL dealership (yes, like a car dealership) Aeroauto in an agreement worth up to $700 million. The company has a pretty neat looking personal aircraft that is designed to hover above city streets or soar over skyscrapers. However, I think its path to market is even more interesting.

Land Rotor is betting on a very unique idea: the Drone Ride. The concept is simple—at amusement parks around the world, the company will tether its eVTOL to the ground inside a building and allow thrill seeking guests to take it for a simulated test ride.

But the thinking behind it, in my opinion, is borderline genius. Not only does the Drone Ride help familiarize the general public with a novel (and in its view, potentially dangerous) aircraft type. It also allows Land Rotor to essentially crowdsource testing and development: Each ride will give the company data on performance and the health of the aircraft’s components. And because this is all being done in a controlled environment, it avoids the risk regulators seek to avoid with strict regulations around testing. However, that testing won’t count toward FAA certification.

I know, this sounds a little out there, but Land Rotor is very serious about the concept. The company is installing the first drone ride in Orlando, sandwiched between Universal Studios and SeaWorld. Eventually, it expects to have attractions installed worldwide before it begins selling to the commercial market.

Deep Dive: Aeroauto Agrees to Distribute Land Rotor eVTOL in Deal Worth Up to $700M

Mark Your Calendars

Each week, I’ll be running through a list of upcoming industry events. Here are a few conferences to keep an eye on:

• DroneX 2023—September 26-27 in London
• World Aviation Festival—September 26-28 in Lisbon, Portugal
• Airtaxi World Congress—October 2-5 in San Francisco
• UP.Summit—October 4-6 in Dallas 
• FAI World Drone Racing Championship—October 6-9 near Seoul, South Korea
• Intergeo 2023—October 10-12 in Berlin
• Dronitaly—October 11-13 in Bologna, Italy
• World’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Conference—November 12-14 in Jerusalem

Tweet of the Week

Want to see your tweet here next week? Have comments or feedback? Share your thoughts on Twitter and tag me (@jack_daleo)! Or check out FLYING’s media accounts:

Twitter: FLYING Magazine (@FlyingMagazine) / Twitter

Facebook: FLYING Magazine – Home (facebook.com)

Instagram: FLYING Magazine (@flyingmagazine) • Instagram photos and videos

I want to hear your questions, comments, concerns, and criticisms about everything in the modern flying space, whether they’re about a new drone you just bought or the future of space exploration. Reach out to jack@flying.media or tweet me @jack_daleo with your thoughts.

The post Joby Lands in Ohio appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

One of the world’s most prominent aerospace manufacturers is adding its flight control systems to more electric airplanes.

Heart Aerospace, a Swedish manufacturer of regional electric aircraft, on Monday announced it has tapped aerospace titan Honeywell to install its compact fly-by-wire flight control system on the company’s 30-passenger ES-30. 

The system is already in an advanced stage of development on multiple aircraft, including Vertical Aerospace’s electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Honeywell’s dedicated urban air mobility (UAM) business unit is also partnered with eVTOL makers Archer Aviation, Lilium, Hyundai’s Supernal, and other emerging aircraft manufacturers. Heart’s design, in contrast, takes off conventionally from a runway.

“We are thrilled to welcome Honeywell to the ES-30 program,” said Anders Forslund, co-founder and CEO of Heart. “With its long track record in flight controls, they are an ideal collaboration partner for Heart Aerospace as we strive to decarbonize air travel before the end of this decade.”

Added Vipul Gupta, president of electronic solutions at Honeywell Aerospace: “Honeywell’s flight controls provide the ideal solution for Heart’s mission to revitalize and electrify the regional transport market. Honeywell’s all-electric compact fly-by-wire is a ready-now solution based on decades of flight control experience in all aircraft types, and that reduces development time and risk for Heart.”

Heart’s ES-30 has a 30-passenger standard seating capacity and is driven by four electric motors powered by batteries. In its fully electric, zero-emissions configuration, it has a range of about 124 sm (108 nm), doubling to around 248 sm (215 nm) in hybrid-electric mode. The aircraft also has a maximum range of 497 sm (432 nm) with 25 passengers. Each configuration includes typical airline reserves.

The electric design features a Garmin G3000 integrated flight deck, battery systems from BAE Systems, and an electrical power distribution system made by Crane Aerospace & Electronics. It’ll be certificated under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s (EASA) CS-25 large aeroplanes category.

Heart is backed by a $35 million Series A funding round led by Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a consortium of billionaire backers including Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Mark Zuckerberg, and other CEOs, venture capitalists, and politicians.

The round also included United Airlines Ventures, the airline’s investment arm, and Mesa Air Group, which together placed purchase orders for 200 ES-19 aircraft with the option for 100 more. The ES-19 was a 19-passenger that was replaced by the ES-30 in 2022, but Heart reconfirmed United and Mesa’s orders for the new design.

Air Canada and Saab—each of which invested $5 million into the company—are on board as minority shareholders, and the former also placed an order for 30 ES-30s. Heart said it now has 250 firm ES-30 orders with options and purchase rights awarded for 120 more. 

The aircraft is expected to enter service in 2028, around the time the FAA seeks to host advanced air mobility (AAM) demonstrations in the skies over Los Angeles for the 2028 Olympic Games. Archer, whose aircraft uses Honeywell flight control actuation technology, is expected to feature.

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The post Electric Airplane Manufacturer Heart Aerospace Taps Honeywell for Flight Control System appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Whether you’re a fan of them or not, autonomous or remotely piloted aircraft systems will likely become a key segment in aviation. But to eventually remove the pilot from the cockpit in some aircraft—or drastically reduce their role—it will be the FAA’s job to determine which systems are safe and reliable.

As part of that effort, the agency recently hosted a weeklong series of trials of Mountain View, California-based Reliable Robotics’ continuous autopilot solution. The testing and simulation regimen included three flights of the company’s modified Cessna 208 Caravan, which lasted several hours. The demonstrations should give the FAA insight into the integration of remotely piloted aircraft in congested airspace.

“Collaborating with the FAA on demonstrations like this will help enable the future of mobility and the evolution of our airspace to accommodate new aircraft systems,” said Davis Hackenberg, vice president of government partnerships at Reliable. “Watching our system successfully operate in a live test environment is exciting, and we are proud to help pave the way for future integration of large uncrewed aircraft.”

The series of flight tests and simulations demonstrated Reliable’s ability to reroute the aircraft, change speeds on a dime, and fly under simulated weather conditions by updating flight plan routing. An onboard test pilot observed each flight. The system was also tested in simulated Class B airspace, typically defined as airspace surrounding the nation’s “busiest” airports.

Reliable shared aircraft telemetry from the company’s control center through third-party service provider OneSky, which transmitted the data to the FAA’s NextGen Integration and Evaluation Capability (NIEC) research lab. 

FAA air traffic controllers also participated in the testing, soaking up valuable insights to bring back to the NextGen program office as it develops its Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Concept of Operations 2.0. The living document is essentially a blueprint for future UAM services.

The demonstrations were part of the FAA’s UAM Airspace Management Demonstration (UAMD), which aims to showcase emerging urban and advanced air mobility (AAM) concepts to plot future operations. Trials were funded by the agency through Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and took place at Reliable’s control center in Mountain View.

“The flight tests conducted by Reliable highlighted the ability for new aircraft systems to interact with third-party service providers and seamlessly integrate into future airspace environments, and provided critical data for future operations,” said Diana Liang, enterprise portfolio manager at the FAA.

The agency formally accepted Reliable’s Project-Specific Certification Plan (PSCP) for its continuous autopilot engagement system in June. That makes it one of a handful of firms that have made material progress toward type certification of a fully automated flight control system, though it will have a few more significant hoops to jump through before it gets there.

The Flight Path Ahead

Reliable’s autopilot system automates all phases of flight, from taxi to takeoff and landing. It uses redundant hardware and software to automate flight control surfaces and engine controls, as well as redundant voice and data networks for secure air-to-ground connectivity, which enables remote aircraft command and radio management.

The solution includes electromechanically actuated brakes with autoland capability. It also integrates aircraft with airborne detection technology for traffic and terrain avoidance. A precision navigation system, meanwhile, uses sensor fusion techniques common in spacecraft design to bring together inputs from multiple sensors and create a single, unified model.

An advanced autopilot flight management system ties everything together with a simplified user interface, enabling remote supervision of all phases of flight in all operating conditions.

The system is designed and will be certified for a wide variety of aircraft and applications. But the company intends to start by retrofitting Cessna Caravans and launching automated air cargo operations in the U.S.

So far, Reliable conducted flight demonstrations in May for the Air Force through a contract to study the automation of large, multiengine jets. It also has a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) agreement to demonstrate the performance of remotely piloted aircraft for the department.

That campaign followed prior flights with NASA as part of the agency’s AAM National Campaign. These included detect-and-avoid encounter flights of Cessna 172 and Cessna 208 aircraft to help NASA validate the use of existing FAA primary surveillance radars.

Reliable is working to commercialize its technology for Part 23 cargo and Part 25 passenger aircraft. It’s currently going through the process defined in Part 21 and FAA Order 8110.4C for certifying new aircraft, engines, and propellers and is seeking Part 23 supplemental type certification. That means it will certify to well-known airworthiness requirements for normal category airplanes. This is similar to the process used currently for autothrottle and autoland STC development in piloted aircraft.

Notably, the company’s design certification plan will not require special conditions or exemptions. Its solution will not be treated as a new type design—instead, it will leverage existing regulations for normal and transport category aircraft, modifying them slightly.

Reliable is seeking approval for operations across the entire coterminous U.S. plus Alaska, with no exemptions, special conditions, or equivalent level of safety findings. Recently, it’s made a few key executive appointments to improve its chances.

Hackenberg joined the company in May after nearly two decades with NASA. There, he served as AAM Mission Manager and spent many years leading a project to integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace system, among other tasks.

Reliable also brought on Lee Moak and Steve Alterman as strategic advisors in December. Moak served on the Department of Transportation’s Advanced Aviation Advisory Committee and the Postal Service Board of Governors; Alterman led the Cargo Airline Association for four decades as president.

Another important addition was Scott O’Brien as vice president of legislative affairs in October. O’Brien was previously senior director of public policy and advocacy for the National Business Aviation Association and worked on legislative strategy for the organization’s AAM Roundtable.

Other appointments include a veteran engineer of Virgin Orbit, Lockheed Martin, and Paragon Labs as chief engineer, and the former leader of remotely piloted aircraft system integration efforts for General Atomics as vice president of UAS integration.

Reliable recently provided input on the House FAA Reauthorization Bill, lauding the legislation for giving the FAA more authority and resources to advance certification of autonomous flight systems. The bill calls for the creation of an FAA Office of Innovation that will work directly with agency leadership to support innovation, as well as incentives for broader ADS-B usage to prevent midair collisions.

We will see if these provisions remain in the legislation by September 30, the deadline for FAA reauthorization. But if they do, Reliable’s credibility will be on the rise.

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The post Reliable Robotics Demos Automated Flight System in FAA Trials appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

ZeroAvia, a developer of zero-emission propulsion systems for aircraft, said it completed the initial series of 10 test flights of a Dornier 228 twin retrofitted with the company’s prototype ZA600 hydrogen-electric engine.

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia, Natilus Partner To Develop Hydrogen-Electric Cargo Aircraft

The series of tests, conducted at Cotswold Airport (EGBP) in the U.K., included cruise testing aimed at developing projections of the potential ranges the aircraft could cover using the experimental propulsion system. The recently completed flights also set the stage for longer cross-country flights that will be part of the next stage of testing, ZeroAvia said.

After performing the first flight of the Dornier test aircraft in January, with the ZA600 mounted on one wing and a conventional engine on the other, the company has tested a number of performance categories, including altitude, speed, and duration. 

The test aircraft has flown at 5,000 feet, performed an endurance test of 23 minutes, and operated in a range of temperatures from just above freezing to almost 86 degrees Fahrenheit.

• READ MORE: ZeroAvia, AGS Airports Enter Hydrogen Fuel Partnership

“Critically, throughout all phases of testing, the fuel cell power generation and electric propulsion system that are the core components of the novel zero-emission engine performed at or above expectations,” the company said. “The hydrogen-electric engine has matched the power of the conventional, fossil fuel engine on the opposite wing, with the pilots able to fly with thrust generated only from the experimental clean propulsion system in certain tests.”

The post ZeroAvia Completes First Round of Flight Tests with Hydrogen-Electric Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Rotor X Aircraft said it plans to unveil the production prototype of its electric-powered Dragon personal air vehicle, or PAV, during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this July.

The company said the Dragon is easy to fly and can reach speeds of more than 60 mph (52 knots) while carrying a passenger of up to 250 pounds. The aircraft will fly for about 20 minutes on a full charge and a modular design allows battery packs to be removed and installed quickly.

• READ MORE: RYSE Aero Is Taking Reservations for Ultralight RECON eVTOL

The dragon is designed with a number of safety features, including a ballistic parachute, reinforced landing gear, and a system of sensors that enables automated takeoff and landing. Rotor X said the design of the Dragon’s power system, which includes coaxial propellers, compensates and allows the aircraft to land safely if one of its motors fails.

The company said the Dragon, which will be sold as a kit, is meant “for those with an appetite for excitement and adventure.” The kits will be shipped with instructions, a video building guide and the tools required for assembly. Rotor X also said it will offer assistance with assembly and flight training.

• READ MORE: Agricultural eVTOL Makes First Crewed Flight

Rotor X is accepting deposits of $19,500 for customers to reserve a place in line, and said it expects to begin deliveries in September.

The post Rotor X Plans To Unveil Dragon Ultralight eVTOL at EAA AirVenture appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As federal officials, state lawmakers, and agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration tackle the massive aviation industry, they now must also contend with regulating an entirely new sphere of companies, technologies, safety protocols, and more.

A new era of aviation—which encompasses drones, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), advanced air mobility (AAM), electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL), and other new ways to fly— is coming. Now, around the country, federal and state lawmakers are trying to figure out how to manage it.

But with legislation being proposed and passed by the U.S. government and all 50 states, keeping track of them all can be a headache.

Let FLYING be your aspirin. Welcome to our inaugural Regulatory Roundup, a monthly look at the key regulations, laws, and policy proposals making their way through the modern aviation sphere, both in the U.S. and around the world.

Here are the key bills, initiatives, and regulatory approvals from the last 30 days:

At the Top

U.S. federal legislators have been actively pushing for drone and UAS integration in recent weeks, advocating for a pair of bills that could have major implications for the industry’s future.

One bill cosponsored by senators Mark R. Warner (D-Virginia) and John Hoeven (R-North Dakota) has already been introduced in the Senate, according to their official websites. 

The untitled legislation would support additional research and development at the FAA’s seven UAS test sites. Specifically, Warner and Hoeven are hoping to extend federal authorization of those test sites—which is set to expire this coming September—through 2028. 

The pair also want to give the FAA the ability to formally issue grants to contracted test site users, allowing more firms to demonstrate their technology and ability to integrate with the national airspace system (NAS).

Warner previously sponsored the Increasing Competitiveness for American Drones Act, a bill with similar aims in mind, as well as the American Security Drone Act of 2023, which targets restrictions on foreign-made drones like those from Chinese manufacturer DJI. 

Hoeven, meanwhile, has been an advocate for beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) waivers for drone firms in his state.

Modern aviation has been the focus of other U.S. lawmakers as well. Last month, during a House hearing on AAM, Space & Aeronautics Subcommittee Chairman Frank Lucas (R-Oklahoma) stated his intention to reintroduce a bill that previously failed to garner support from Congress. 

The National Drone and Advanced Air Mobility Act, if passed, would create a federal initiative to coordinate UAS and AAM operations within the government and across U.S. agencies. It would also establish a dedicated office and advisory committee to support that initiative, as well as research institutes to study the integration of modern aviation systems.

Representatives Brian Babin (R-Texas) and Zoe Lofgren (D-California) also spoke during the March hearing, emphasizing the need for the U.S. to take the lead on technologies like drones and AAM.

From the States

At the state level, meanwhile, some lawmakers are pushing to limit competition from outside the U.S.

The most glaring example of state officials attempting to stifle the competition came from Florida, where Gov. Ron DeSantis last week began enforcing a rule that grounds drones from “foreign countries of concern” – including China and market leader DJI. He and other lawmakers cited spying as a reason for the ban, though they did not provide evidence of such activities.

• READ MORE: Florida Lawmakers Add to Growing List of DJI Drone Restrictions

Now, local government and law enforcement agencies—some of which have fleets composed entirely of DJI drones—are limited to a list of five approved drone manufacturers. Already, they have begun retiring hundreds of aircraft since the rule took effect, much to their chagrin. 

Some law enforcement members claim that drones from the list of approved firms have caught fire or fallen out of the sky—and one even described them bluntly as “sh—y.”

Other lawmakers have also started to push back on the rule. State senator Tom Wright, a republican from Port Orange, sponsored a bill that would reinstate DJI drones temporarily as agencies look for alternatives to replace them.

In Tennessee, some lawmakers support a ban similar to Florida’s. Last month, state Rep. Michele Carringer and Sen. John Stevens, republicans from Knoxville and Huntingdon, filed a bill that would restrict drone purchases from countries banned under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019—namely, China and Russia. 

But again, some law enforcement agencies are unhappy. Jon Beal, president of the Law Enforcement Drone Association, a collection of current and former officers, estimated that somewhere between 70 and 90 percent of U.S. public safety agencies rely on DJI drones. He also noted that DJI models cost significantly less than their U.S.-made counterparts.

Elsewhere, the Iowa House this week passed legislation that would restrict drones from flying within 400 feet of homesteads or other places housing agricultural animals. 

The law comes in response to animal welfare groups, some of which have used the aircraft to document the treatment and conditions of animals, and it’s the latest in a string of laws designed to criminally punish activists for posting such videos—judges have ruled them unconstitutional.  The bill has also drawn some opposition from local businesses that use drones.

Finally, the Missouri House last week passed its own bill to crack down on drone surveillance. The proposed law would prohibit law enforcement agencies from using drones to gather information related to criminal conduct unless they first obtain a warrant. Exceptions to the law include cases where there is an imminent threat to life, such as using the aircraft to assess fires.

Around the World

Much of the modern aviation legislation from the past month comes from the U.S., but a few other countries have also proposed or introduced new regulations.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), for example, is in the process of amending regulations around remotely piloted aircraft systems to improve safety and enhance integration within the traditional aviation sphere. The updated regulation is expected to be released by mid-2023.

In New Zealand, the government enacted a new bill that will alter the framework of aviation in the country, including drones. The Civil Aviation Bill, which replaces the decades-old Civil Aviation Act of 1990, calls for new policies around airspace security, such as the ability for the government to shoot down drones that it deems are not flying safely.

And last but not least, Dublin-based carrier ASL Airlines Ireland received major regulatory approval from the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to begin commercial drone deliveries under a new provisional operator certificate. The approval, one of just three awarded by the IAA, is a big step toward demonstrating the safety of those operations and could spur regulatory moves down the road.

The post Regulatory Roundup: U.S. Federal Legislators Push for UAS Integration appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Alauda Aeronautics may be ushering in a new era with its release of the Airspeeder MK4, its first crewed flying race car. The company touts the hydrogen-powered car as the world’s fastest eVTOL aircraft, with a top speed of 225 mph. 

Alauda plans to publicly unveil the MK4 at the Southstart innovation festival on March 9. It will begin crewed flight testing this spring, and expects the flying car to race in its Airspeeder Racing Championship next year.

And what will Airspeeder race? Itself. Team entries are open for crews to join the roster in a competition of skill in Alauda flying cars. 

• Read More: ‘Flying Cars’ Compete in Airspeeder EXA Series eVTOL Race

The MK4’s Thunderstrike engine utilizes 3D-printed parts and technology developed for rocket engines. The engine emissions will be pure water, primarily. The MK4 uses a gimballed thrust system and artificial intelligence flight control adjustments for steering, which the company says is far more precise than the tilt-rotor steering used by most eVTOLs. 

Alauda hopes that the technology will go beyond what it touts as the next Formula One. 

CEO Matt Pearson envisions transforming the world as we know it. “In conventional aerospace, there are about as many private jets as there are commercial jets in operation. We believe it could be the same with flying cars one day, with a roughly similar number of commercial taxis and private cars initially,” he said in a statement. 

“Once we can sell you a flying car for the same price as a Tesla, you’ll quickly see the balance shift. Today, private cars outnumber taxis by about 300 to one, so the potential for people to own and drive their own flying car one day is absolutely enormous,” he added. “It’s a very exciting time.” 

More information about the Airspeeder Racing Championship may be found here.

The post Crewed Flying Race Car Debuts in Australia appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Federal Aviation Administration’s Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certificates (MOSAIC) program is a comprehensive effort to modernize the national airspace system (NAS). Through MOSAIC, the FAA seeks to enhance the safety, security, and efficiency of the airspace while also reducing delays and improving the overall air travel experience for passengers. 

Modernizing ATC 

One of the key components of MOSAIC is the modernization of air traffic control systems. The FAA wants to replace its aging radar-based systems with new, more advanced technologies such as Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) and NextGen Data Communications (Data Comm). These new technologies will enable air traffic controllers to have a more precise and accurate picture of aircraft in the airspace, which will allow more efficient aircraft routing and separation.

To improve the overall air travel experience for passengers, MOSAIC seeks to reduce delays and improve flight efficiency by implementing new procedures and technologies such as Performance Based Navigation (PBN) and Airspace Flow Programs (AFP). These new procedures will reduce the risk of collisions and other accidents and enable aircraft to fly more direct routes, reducing flight times and fuel consumption.

• READ MORE: Will MOSAIC Allow LSAs To Do More?

The air traffic control system is critical to airline and passenger safety—and the economy. Air traffic controllers across the United States handle thousands of complex tasks that require constant attention and quick decision-making. Controllers are responsible for the safe and efficient movement of aircraft in the airspace, and they use a variety of tools, including radar, communication systems, and weather information, to do so. However, as air traffic has increased, controllers’ workloads have also grown, increasing concerns about safety and efficiency.

Can AI improve the ATC system?

Artificial Intelligence has the potential to revolutionize the field of ATC by automating repetitive and mundane tasks, improving flight plans, and enhancing both safety and communication. When combined with other advanced technologies, such as ADS-B and NextGen Data Communications, AI systems will be used to process large amounts of ATC data quickly and accurately. They will make decisions and predictions in real-time to improve the overall functionality of the ATC system. 

For example, an AI system could automatically detect and track aircraft in the airspace and generate conflict alerts if two aircraft are on a collision course. When AI is combined with natural language technology, pilot alerts and instructions could be mostly automated, freeing human controllers to focus on other tasks, such as communicating with pilots and coordinating aircraft movements. 

Pilot-to-controller communication should also become more efficient and less prone to errors. Pilots will appreciate faster responses and individual alerts, especially on days when the ATC system is overloaded due to weather events or other issues. 

However, it is important to note that AI is not a magic solution and will not replace human air traffic controllers. AI systems require human supervision, and it will be necessary to have controllers who can intervene and make decisions in situations that an AI system is not able to handle. Additionally, it will take time for the necessary infrastructure and technology to be developed and implemented to make an AI-based system possible.

Unmanned Aerial Systems, Light Sport Aircraft

Another important aspect of the MOSAIC program is the integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace. The FAA is developing regulations and procedures to safely integrate drones into the airspace while addressing security and privacy concerns. This will open up new opportunities for the commercial use of drones, such as package delivery and aerial surveying, while reducing the number of manned aircraft in the airspace and the risk of collisions.

In addition to the modernization of air traffic control systems and the integration of UAS, MOSAIC also includes proposed changes to the rules for light sport aircraft (LSA), defined as small, lightweight aircraft typically used for recreation and training. The new LSA rules will focus on increasing safety and accessibility for pilots and aircraft owners.

The new rules will include changes to the LSA certification process, making it easier for aircraft manufacturers to certify this type of aircraft while ensuring that they meet specific safety standards. This will make it more cost-effective for aircraft manufacturers to produce LSAs, which will in turn make them more affordable for pilots and aircraft owners.

The new rules will also include changes to the requirements for pilots who operate LSAs. The FAA is expected to reduce the minimum number of flight hours required for pilots to fly LSAs, making it easier for individuals to obtain a pilot’s license and allowing more pilots to have access to these aircraft.

New rules are also expected to include changes to LSA operating limitations, allowing pilots to fly them in more challenging weather conditions and at higher altitudes. These proposed rules will make LSAs more versatile and useful for a wider range of applications, such as aerial surveying and photography.

Review and Approval Process

The MOSAIC proposals are part of the FAA’s long-term effort to modernize the NAS. Originally scheduled to be announced in 2022, a MOSAIC notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) is currently scheduled to be ready by August. However, before any new regulations are implemented, once the NPRM is released, there will be a period for public comment, and then a final rule will be published. The specific timing for each step of the process can vary depending on the complexity of the rule, and the volume of public comments received.  

Whatever parts of the MOSAIC proposal that are approved likely will be implemented in phases;  it is expected to be a multi-year process that will continue to evolve as new technologies and procedures are developed. 

The post AI Aims to Enhance Aviation Safety, Reduce Delays appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Autonomous aircraft company Xwing has been selected to participate in a study of how commercial unmanned aerial systems, such as its forthcoming autonomous aircraft, would interact with general aviation traffic and in complex operating environments, it announced Thursday.

The Crosscutting Operations Strategy and Technical Assessment (COSTA) project is spearheaded by the Federal Aviation Administration and also has support from NASA.

Xwing’s partnership with the FAA’s COSTA program is a logical step in bringing his company’s vision for autonomy to life, Marc Piette, Xwing’s founder and CEO, told FLYING. That’s because outside of structured flying operations in and out of airports, operators also use aircraft for things like aerial firefighting, he said. Operators also have to deal with scenarios, such as pop-up TFRs, which means deploying all-around autonomy like Xwing plans to do, which is much more challenging than it seems.

“The challenge of integrating unmanned aircraft in the airspace is so much more than the automation itself,” Piette said. “It’s to ensure that we integrate seamlessly with all the participants of that airspace and follow the rules and can handle the various situations that get thrown at that unmanned aircraft.”

Fighting Wildfires

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), more than 5,000 wildfires occur in California each year.

To help combat this, Xwing says it is essential that U.S. agencies “determine how to leverage new technologies and services to best address and manage natural disasters.” While existing dynamic operations feature manually-operated airplanes, helicopters, and various-sized drones to drop water or fire suppression in a small area, there is room for improvement.

NASA is working with the FAA and other disaster response agencies to figure out how to integrate unmanned aerial systems and deploy an Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) to improve disaster response efficiency.

• READ MORE: NASA Awards Xwing Contract to Develop Autonomous Flight Safety Management System

The FAA’s UTM is a “traffic management ecosystem” for uncontrolled operations that is separate from but complementary to the FAA’s Air Traffic Management (ATM) system. 

According to the FAA, “UTM development will ultimately identify services, roles and responsibilities, information architecture, data exchange protocols, software functions, infrastructure, and performance requirements for enabling the management of low-altitude uncontrolled drone operations.”

Xwing will work with the FAA, the University of Alaska, and the Alaska Test Center for UAS Integration to evaluate information-centric approaches to improve traffic management in fire traffic areas (FTAs).

“This project will provide us with a more holistic view on how best to integrate large UAS in the existing National Airspace System,” Piette said. “Leveraging UAS, we have the potential to make everything from wildfire fighting to oceanic operations more efficient and safer. We believe the data that we collect from these operations will be essential to helping the FAA and NASA bring unmanned flights to more types of operations in the aviation industry.”

• READ MORE: Wildfires Leave Seattle Area Pilots Smoked Out

Checking the Boxes

The program, which is already underway, is set to run through April 2023. Xwing will run the flight operations for the project in Northern California, using Xwing’s autonomous flight technology on its Cessna Caravan aircraft. The flights will have a safety pilot on board.

Additional partners in the project include AirSpace Integration and ATA LLC, which will support flight data management, integrations with other FAA systems, and supporting operational flight trails.

Jesse Kallman, vice president of commercialization and strategy at Xwing, told FLYING that the data that Xwing collects will be used for various reasons. Those include analyzing the response times between air traffic control (ATC) and an autonomous aircraft, how UASs function when nearby other manned operations, and how remote operators use information-centric services to fly in challenging, high-stake operating environments.

• READ MORE: The Thrush 510G Switchback is a Potent Weapon Against Wildfires

“The process is pretty straightforward,” Kalman said. “We’re creating a series of trials, and we’re going to simulate different things. The FAA will control that local area, and we’ll figure out how you give commands to a very large unmanned system operating in and near other aircraft in that area.”

Kallman said the operation would also focus on figuring out how its autonomous technology manages things like pop-up TFRs, and unplanned route changes while interacting with existing air traffic in these sorts of environments.

Ultimately, this will give the FAA the data it needs to develop rules and procedures for its UTM framework. That could mean an evolution of the national airspace, communication procedures, or even right-of-way rules.

For Xwing, the project will help the company with its goals of integrating into the airspace.

“It’s a part of ensuring that we’re checking all the boxes as we are looking to certify this [autonomous flight] tech stack,” Piette said.

The post Xwing Joins FAA Study of Unmanned Systems Traffic Integration appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The eVTOL maker Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) and its backer United Airlines (NYSE: UAL) said the first airport-to-city-center route they plan to serve with Archer’s all-electric Midnight air taxi, currently in development, is Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) to the Downtown Manhattan Heliport in New York (KJRB).

The companies said they expect travel time on the route to be less than 10 minutes in the Midnight aircraft. Travelers familiar with traversing between the city and Newark Airport know the trip can easily take more than an hour during heavy traffic periods. Archer and United said they plan to launch service on initial routes by “electrifying existing aviation infrastructure in and around the New York Metropolitan Area.”

Archer and United said the heliport, located near Battery Park on Pier 6, is the planned site from which their eVTOLS will operate. The companies said their broader plan includes developing an urban air mobility network across the New York metropolitan area.

• READ MORE: Archer Aviation Sets Production Goal of 2,000 Aircraft Annually

Archer said its plan to transport passengers between Manhattan and Newark Airport marks the first time an eVTOL company has named a specific route it plans to serve. The companies said United’s hub at Newark International “is ideally located to serve Manhattan and its surrounding boroughs, as well as communities in New Jersey.”

Blade, a helicopter shuttle service, currently offers a shuttle flight between Newark and Manhattan, which it claims takes five minutes.

“We’re excited to be confirming New York as the first of many routes we’ll be announcing alongside United as we work to build out our national UAM network,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s founder and CEO. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with United and to working closely with state and local government leaders in the New York and New Jersey area as we bring this exciting new form of transportation to life.”

• READ MORE: Archer Aviation Offers a Glimpse of Air Taxi Operations

“Once operational, electric air taxis will fundamentally change how United customers experience comfort, convenience, and efficiency during their commutes to the airport,” said Michael Leskinen, president of United Airlines Ventures. “Archer’s New York to Newark route marks another important benchmark towards providing a carbon-neutral and safe commute that drastically reduces the travel time and produces a fraction of the sound emitted by helicopters.”

Archer’s early launch routes will serve as what the company calls “trunk” routes. Once Archer establishes these primary routes, it will begin adding branch routes that will serve surrounding communities. The companies said they plan to launch the first phase of their network in 2025.

• READ MORE: Joby Pushes Back eVTOL Service Launch Due To Regulatory, Internal Delays

Following certification, Archer will compete in a crowded market with the likes of Joby Aviation, which recently pushed back its launch of its eVTOL services until 2025, and Wisk Aero, which has backing from Boeing. Another rival, U.K.-based Vertical Aerospace, earlier this year said it, too, expects its VX4 air taxi to enter service in 2025.

Besides certification, this new air-transport category will have to clear a number of potential hurdles, including development of vertiports, air-traffic systems and other eVTOL infrastructure, and the need for better batteries.

The post Archer, United Plan Route Between Newark Airport, New York appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

This week, the FAA issued the airworthiness criteria that eVTOL startup Joby (NYSE: JOBY) needs to meet to certify its aircraft. The document outlines the airworthiness standards the FAA deems applicable for Joby’s powered lift design.

Joby’s JAS4-1 eVTOL is designed with a maximum takeoff weight of 4,800 pounds, capable of carrying four pilots and four passengers. It uses six tilting electric engines with 5-blade propellers attached to a conventional wing and V-tail. 

According to the FAA, the Joby Model JAS4-1 has the characteristics of both a helicopter and an airplane and will serve Part 91 and Part 135 operations. 

In October, Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) announced a $60 million upfront equity investment in Joby to provide a ‘multi-year, multi-market commercial and operational partnership’ between the two. Pending certification, Joby would provide a premium home-to-airport shuttle service for Delta’s customers in select launch markets. Delta also said it would expand the investment to as much as $200 million, pending certain performance milestones by Joby.

• READ MORE: Delta, Joby Aviation Partner to Launch Home-to-Airport eVTOL Shuttle

The document has a 30-day comment period for public and industry stakeholders. The FAA said it invited interested people to partake in developing the proper airworthiness criteria for the Joby Model JAS4-1 powered lift by sending written comments, data, or views. 

“The most helpful comments, reference a specific portion of the airworthiness criteria, explain the reason for a recommended change, and include supporting data,” the agency said.

The update comes at an essential time for Joby, who last week said it was delaying the commercial service launch of its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) services until 2025, in part, because of regulatory hurdles.

• READ MORE: Joby Aviation: No Type Certification Delays Expected from FAA’s Modified Approach

Joby CEO JoeBen Bevirt told his company’s investors on an earnings call that the company was waiting on the FAA to publish special federal aviation regulations (SFARs), which are necessary in order for eVTOL companies to have a clear pathway to certification.

The post FAA Reveals Airworthiness Criteria for Joby’s JAS4-1 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.