The FAA—which so far has published final airworthiness criteria for two air taxi designs, Archer Aviation’s Midnight and Joby Aviation’s flagship model—issued an advisory circular (AC) that would create the foundation for certification of powered lift vehicles, such as eVTOL aircraft. The AC, which lays out acceptable means for showing compliance with FAA Part 21 requirements for special class aircraft, is open for comment for 60 days.

EASA, meanwhile, updated its special condition for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (SC-VTOL) rules to incorporate new requirements agreed upon with the FAA, covering safe flight and landing, handling qualities, and single-point failures.

Simultaneously, the regulators together revised Safety Emphasis Items (SEI) lists—which determine an agency’s level of involvement in aircraft validation projects—for parts 23, 27, and 29. According to the FAA, the partners have reduced SEI requirements and placed greater responsibility on the authority actually certifying the aircraft.

“The FAA and EASA have achieved a significant milestone on the path to certifying eVTOL aircraft,” the FAA said in a statement. “This also marks important progress in our effort to more closely align rulemaking and policy initiatives between the United States and the European Union. We’re committed to ensuring the safety of the flying public both at home and abroad.”

Both the FAA and EASA have announced ambitious initiatives designed to cement their respective AAM industries as the world’s biggest and best. But before tackling challenges such as eVTOL infrastructure, which will require a network of vertiports and electric chargers to support the aircraft, the regulators first need to define clear certification pathways for the novel designs.

The FAA’s new criteria, intended for powered lift designs with maximum weights of 12,500 pounds and a maximum capacity of six passengers, were developed using standards in FAA parts 23, 27, 33, and 35. The regulator said it leveraged its work on Archer and Joby’s type certification applications to develop the standards, claiming they will create a more efficient path to developing the certification bases for powered lift projects.

For example, the FAA will no longer need to publish airworthiness criteria in the federal register for public notice and comment, as it was required to do for Archer and Joby’s aircraft, for designs that use the standards in the AC. Applicants can now propose certification bases that draw from previously approved designs, such as Archer’s Midnight, or use equivalent level of safety findings to adopt existing airworthiness criteria for their own projects.

EASA, which had already published an initial set of standards for VTOL projects, made a few key changes in the second issue of its SC-VTOL criteria. Unlike the FAA AC, it will not be subject to public consultation.

The most notable change is an increase of the maximum certified takeoff mass (MCTOM) from 7,000 pounds to about 12,500 pounds, one of many examples of the regulator adjusting standards or wording to better align with the FAA AC.

Another key provision is the introduction of a requirement around electrical wiring interconnection systems (EWIS), which transmit data and signals across aircraft systems. Manufacturers will need to prove these can be operated without risk.

So far, China’s EHang is the only eVTOL manufacturer in the world to achieve type certification, awarded by China’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC) for the company’s EH216-S in October. Already, the manufacturer has completed commercial demonstration flights and begun mass production.

Things are moving a bit slower in the West, much to the chagrin of U.S. lawmakers and regulators, who don’t anticipate AAM operations at scale until 2028. It’s no secret that Western officials are wary of Chinese drones and electric vehicles, and the country’s growing AAM industry could be a threat to their dominance in that sphere as well.

Monday’s announcements should help accelerate the technology’s growth in the U.S. and Europe. In the coming months, expect the list of eVTOL companies with type certification bases to grow beyond Archer, Joby, and the handful of companies, among them Lilium and Volocopter, collaborating with EASA.

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The post FAA, EASA Release New Certification Criteria for Air Taxis appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Eve Air Mobility—the manufacturer of an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi designed for a pilot plus four passengers—on Monday announced an agreement with Singapore-based aviation firm Yugo Global Industries to study the potential for UAM and eVTOL flights across Southeast Asia.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the partners calls for a specific focus on the infrastructure required to support air taxi operations. The partnership will also explore UAM regulations, the size and capabilities of planned service centers and vertiports, and other aspects of the ecosystem as needed, Eve said.

“We are looking forward to collaboratively working with Yugo to study and help define the UAM ecosystem in Singapore and Southeast Asia,” said Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve. “Our goal is to also understand and define a business model that not only enables eVTOL flights in the region but also advances the overall mobility ecosystem.”

The firm’s new partner, Yugo, is a private aviation network with a global presence but a focus on Southeast Asia. It primarily provides VIP, corporate, leisure and family, medical, emergency, and cargo flights for high net worth individuals, conglomerates, and multinational companies. The firm also works with local air transport operators, such as the Philippines’ PhilJets and Cambodia’s Helistar.

Yugo’s partner fleet comprises rotorcraft such as the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X helicopter and business jets such as the Gulfstream G650ER. It also includes aircraft from OEMs such as Airbus, Bombardier, Dassault, Cessna, Robinson, and Leonardo subsidiary AgustaWestland.

“We strongly believe that Southeast Asian economies will greatly contribute to the development of the eVTOL and UAM industry,” said Thierry Tea, chairman of Yugo. “Our collaboration with Eve will offer valuable insights into the essential requirements for regional air mobility development.”

The MOU with Yugo is the latest bid on the Asia-Pacific market by Eve, which on Monday reiterated its commitment to introducing UAM to the region. The manufacturer has also partnered with stakeholders such as Singapore-based air mobility provider Ascent and vertiport developer Skyports to build the ecosystem that will support its operations in Southeast Asia.

“These types of collaborations and agreements are a critical first step toward pursuing eVTOL flights,”  said Bordais. “We are looking forward to working with Yugo and other key stakeholders as we begin this project.”

Eve in addition said it has begun construction of its first full-scale air taxi prototype, which it expects to begin testing this year. The lift-plus-cruise design uses eight lift rotors for vertical takeoff and landing and one push rotor for cruise, minimizing the number of moving parts compared to tiltrotor eVTOL designs. It’s expected to have a range of about 60 sm (52 nm) and a cruise speed of 100 knots.

Like its competitors in the eVTOL space, Eve is working with a long list of supplier partners that will provide aircraft components and systems, among them Thales, Honeywell, BAE Systems, and avionics OEM Garmin. It’s expected to debut a full-scale cabin mockup at the Singapore Air Show this week.

Eve claims its backlog of 2,850 aircraft preorders is the most in the industry, an assertion backed up by the most recent edition of SMG Consulting’s Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index.

Ahead of the company’s planned 2026 entry into service, the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) in December released proposed airworthiness criteria for the air taxi. These include the regulator’s proposed requirements for how the aircraft is designed and operated. Public comments are expected to close this month, and ANAC may make a few tweaks to the criteria before publishing a final document.

Eve pointed to a few developments in Southeast Asia that could help prepare the region for air taxi services by 2026.

The Philippines’ San Miguel Corporation, for example, expects to open the New Manila International Airport in 2027, while the Overseas Cambodian Investment Corporation (OCIC Group) is building Cambodia’s Techo Takhmao International Airport for a 2025 opening. Both sites are exploring charging stations, flight routes, and other considerations for flying taxis and electric jets to reduce carbon emissions. Singapore could be the next Asia-Pacific nation to look at UAM infrastructure.

“Singapore is the first mover in Southeast Asia for UAM, and this can provide neighboring countries a template to support further ecosystem development in the region,” Eve said Monday in a news release. “For instance, OCIC Group is partnering with [Singapore] Changi Airport and Singapore Airline Engineering, [the MRO subsidiary of Singapore Airlines Group].”

In addition to air taxi services, Eve expects to offer Southeast Asian customers access to a worldwide network of service centers through its relationship with Embraer. It is also developing a range of customer support solutions, including flight operations solutions, network optimization, data management, and eVTOL health monitoring.

In the U.S. Eve is eyeing operations with partner (and investor) United Airlines, with plans to launch in the San Francisco Bay Area in 2026. Further, it is collaborating with Blade Air Mobility to add service to South Florida.

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The post We Break Down the State of MOSAIC By the Numbers appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Now, yes, 20 years later, we’re just getting around to fixing those issues—and in a big, bold way. In fact, the GA industry reacted almost entirely positively to the recommendations published on the eve of EAA AirVenture last summer. The comment period—extended after the government shutdown last fall and buoyed by the appointment of the new FAA administrator, Michael Whitaker—closed Monday. As anticipated, the usual aviation associations weighed in, but with an interesting nuance. Normally, AOPA, GAMA, EAA, NBAA, and NATA either comment completely separately or as one, it seems—but in this instance, GAMA stood apart. It had to, as its membership could not be so neatly addressed by the usual consolidated effort. 

• READ MORE: Comments from Aviation Associations Take On Pros and Cons of MOSAIC 

You see, GAMA represents a broad swath of the general and business aviation manufacturing business—and its interests do not necessarily match those of the pilot and user groups behind AOPA and EAA, in particular, and to a lesser extent NBAA and NATA.

And what GAMA diverged on has definite repercussions for other certification-defining efforts in play—notably, those aircraft seeking approval under the advanced air mobility umbrella, by and large as a new breed of aircraft entirely, the eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft.

Change Is Hard

So, you’ve gotta ask yourself: What’s a bigger flex for the FAA and industry, MOSAIC or the certification basis for eVTOLs? A great number of which—if you read their various timelines and PR—are set to begin darkening the skies late this year and next? 

If we can’t flex the rules to allow for equivalent levels of safety in a four-seat, 250-knot, 3,325-pound “light sport aircraft”—defying the term, really, but so many of these are already in the field and some certificated under EASA—how can we come to grips with those that fly using completely new (read noncombustion) propulsion systems and simplified (read highly automated) flight control regimes? 

I contemplated this question as I piloted (in loose terms) a Corolla down the 405 freeway, paddling my way toward LAX for a painful x-c home last week after a trip to demo a new—yet-traditional Part 23—airplane for an upcoming pilot report. I looked around me at my fellow humans commanding four-seat SUVs of a similar weight to MOSAIC LSAs (a ton or so), inflicting varying degrees of terror upon the drivers around them. I thought, ‘Do I really want all of these [frickin’ idiots] barreling through the skies over the LA Basin alongside me in their personal eVTOLs?’ They can barely manage two dimensions, let alone three…and isn’t SoCal Center already saturated with its current level of traditional fixed-wing and rotor traffic? At least the gates at LAX are saturated, perpetually. Local communities are more in the business of closing airports—Santa Monica—as opposed to opening them, these days.

And therein lies the promise of the MOSAIC NPRM, as EAA and the other signatories have chosen to cautiously embrace it, that’s distinct from the next stage, which is the road map for eVTOL certification on a broad basis. As it stands, the recommendations outline solid, incremental yet meaningful improvements. They meet the SMART goal standard—“A” for achievable with what we know now, and flexible enough to accommodate the future. 

I understand GAMA’s reticence to push all of its member companies into the future, but then again, five of the seven most recently added GAMA members announced this week are involved directly in AAM. The embrace of this future is real, even among those OEMs who have been until recently concerned solely with developing aircraft under the existing certification paths.

One thing seems clear to me: If the FAA and industry can’t wrap its collective brain around the thoughtful progress made by the ASTM’s F37 committee on LSA and its constituents, there’s no way any of us will be in the mindset to bring on the AAM revolution. And with the pushback now coming to a head in the general public regarding self-assessment and oversight—thanks to the Boeing door plug debacle and its cascade of realizations—that internal oversight formed a compelling part of what kept LSA development in check in terms of cost.

And that would be a shame. ’Cause even though the thought gives me pause now, I have a feeling I’ll be ready to pay good money at some point in the not-too-distant future to engage with the masses soon to be zooming above the 405 rather than on it.

The post Can the FAA Flex? appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As the comment period closed on January 22 for the MOSAIC revamp of the light sport aircraft approval process, several signatories backed EAA’s take—and the FAA must address the proposal in light of ongoing quality and oversight issues at Boeing.

EAA submitted its response Monday, cosigned by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, National Business Aviation Association, and the National Air Transportation Association, with broad support of the measure, including several key areas to refine or expand.

“We support and strongly encourage the agency to commit the resources needed to continue to move this proposal forward and implement these changes,” said the consortium in the EAA statement. “Doing so will further enhance the safety, utility, and commercial viability of general aviation by fostering new aircraft designs and further stimulating the development of new technology.” 

Those elements include: 

• Removal of exclusions on aircraft class, expanding from the currently limited list of airplanes, gliders, powered parachutes, weight-shift control, and lighter-than-air, to add rotorcraft and powered lift and allow for new classes as technology advances
• Removal of the maximum takeoff weight of 1,320 pounds for land-based aircraft (1,430 for water-based aircraft)
• Raising the maximum level flight V_H speed from 120 to 250 kcas
• Allowing for alternative powerplants, controllable pitch props, and retractable landing gear
• Raising the maximum stall speed V_S1 from 45 to 54 kcas—in fact, the consortium would like to see a speed raised to 58 kcas or as high as 61 kcas
• Raising the maximum seating capacity from two to four seats, with the allowance for sport pilots to have up to three passengers

The final two items are apparently where the EAA/AOPA/NATA/NBAA consortium and GAMA diverge in some specifics, with GAMA opposing the allowance of a higher stall speed than 58 kcas, as well as the expansion of sport pilot privileges to allow for carrying up to 3 passengers.

FLYING reached out to GAMA for its comments, and they responded with the following statement, along with its general support for those submitted by EAA/AOPA/NATA/NBAA.

“GAMA supports the key aspects of the MOSAIC proposal to increase the size, performance and scope of aircraft that can be flown by sport pilots and issuance of a special airworthiness certificate in the light-sport aircraft category with the objective of improving safety, functionality, innovation, and availability of small general aviation aircraft. However, there are areas of the proposal regarding new and complex design and expanded operations of light-sport aircraft which are not fully supported by operational safety data alone and require additional consideration and understanding on how FAA intends to implement with the appropriate mitigations for risk.”

“In addition, GAMA believes FAA could more fully realize the intended objectives and benefits of this proposal by applying a consistent safety continuum approach across all small aircraft airworthiness and certification processes.” In translation, the association seeks further investigation of that risk before broadening the remit of the light sport model. The association notes that it was unable to gain consensus across its membership in the risk mitigation inherent in the proposal—given its inclusion of OEMs that build everything from LSA to Part 25 and 29 category aircraft.

Now, the FAA must sift through the recommendations and comments from a broad range of industry users and transform into action those elements that a consensus of the general aviation community has supported, as FLYING has observed.

Allowing for internal oversight is a key element that has propelled the development in LSA under ASTM. The transition to the certification program under the NPRM needs to acknowledge that in the face of increased public outcry on FAA oversight of similar types of self-assessment, such as Boeing and certain other OEMs of Part 23, 25, and 29 aircraft enjoy.

Who Do They Represent?

EAA in its letter acknowledged its 290,000 members and 900 local chapters of pilots, aircraft builders, and kitplane/vintage/warbird enthusiasts, while AOPA mentions its 300,000 “individuals who collectively operate 85 percent of all general aviation aircraft in the United States.” NATA reflects the operational side of GA, representing “nearly 3,700 aviation business locations across a broad cross section of the industry,” including fractional and Part 135 operators, and FBOs, MROs, and flight training providers. NBAA notes 11,000 “business and professional members involved in business aviation.”

• READ MORE: MOSAIC Questions Linger in Light Sport Aircraft Community

GAMA was formed to “foster and advance the general welfare, safety, interests, and activities of the global general and business aviation industry,” with more than 150 member companies represented, according to the association. Those constituents also include FBOs, pilot and maintenance training facilities, and fleet operators.

The EAA consortium comments may be read here. GAMA’s comments may be reviewed here.

The post Comments From Aviation Associations Take on Pros and Cons of MOSAIC appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

China’s DJI, the market leader in consumer drones since 2015, this week announced that its recently unveiled FlyCart 30 model is now available globally. The company kicked off sales in China in August. But the international expansion marks its true entry into the drone delivery space.

Prior to last year, DJI made drones almost exclusively for hobbyists or industrial customers. Most of these are camera drones, equipped with features such as high-definition lenses and video recorders. Others are designed for surveillance and inspection, with thermal or infrared sensors, mapping software, and advanced communications systems.

Despite the Chinese government’s alleged involvement in DJI, the company’s ascent has largely been organic, fueled by its reputation for low cost, high quality products. Its drones have been used to film high-profile TV shows such as Game of Thrones, The Amazing Race, Better Call Saul, and American Ninja Warrior, and have developed a following among American users. They’ve also been discovered on the battlefield in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, often in modified forms.

DJI’s presence in the U.S. has drawn the ire of lawmakers, who have decried the company’s products as “TikTok with wings” and leveled accusations of spying, without concrete evidence. Bans at the federal and state levels have taken aim at it and other Chinese manufacturers. In December, lawmakers successfully included sweeping restrictions in the recently passed defense policy bill.

However, with the exception of a few states, the restrictions only hamper DJI at the federal level. American companies will still be able to purchase the buzzing aircraft, though the manufacturer will compete for business with established U.S. players such as Zipline and Google parent Alphabet’s Wing.

The Specs

DJI says FlyCart 30 can be deployed for a variety of use cases: last-mile delivery, mountain or offshore transportation, emergency rescue, agriculture, construction, surveying, and more. This week’s announcement did not list a price tag, but the model is on sale in China for $17,000.

FlyCart 30 is a multirotor design featuring eight blades connected by four shared axes. Carbon fiber propellers, powered by a pair of built-in-house batteries, provide lift. Measuring 9-by-10-by-3 feet, the model enters the market as one of the largest short-range delivery drones.

Despite its size, the drone tops out at about 45 mph (39 knots). With both batteries installed, it can carry a 30-kilogram (66 pound) payload over a distance of about 8.6 nm, remaining airborne for only 18 minutes. In emergency single-battery mode, the payload rises to 88 pounds but range is cut in half.

However, FlyCart 30 is more durable than the average delivery drone. It has an IP55 rating, meaning it protects against dust and moderate rain, and can fly in winds as fast as 27 mph. The drone can also operate in temperatures as high as 122 degrees or as low as minus-4 degrees Fahrenheit—its batteries heat themselves, maintaining performance even in the freezing cold.

In addition, the drone’s propellers are optimized to fly at up to 19,600 feet agl, or up to 9,800 agl with a 66-pound payload—far higher than the 400-foot altitude occupied by most delivery drones today. This will allow FlyCart 30 to serve China’s mountainous landscape and hard-to-reach locations in other countries.

For beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flights, FlyCart 30 can communicate with a remote controller as far as 12 miles away. But its unique Dual Operator mode extends that range by allowing pilots to transfer control of the drone with the push of a button.

During flight, a suite of sensors and visual systems can detect obstacles in multiple directions, in all weather conditions, day or night. A built-in ADS-B receiver alerts crewed aircraft of the drone’s approach. And in case of emergency, an integrated parachute can deploy at low altitude for a soft landing—or the drone can automatically pick an alternate landing site.

FlyCart 30 comes in two configurations, both of which can fold down for transport in a “standard-sized vehicle.” In cargo mode, payloads are placed in a 70-liter case built from material commonly found in the reusable packaging industry. Capable of being installed or removed in under three minutes, the case includes weight and center of gravity sensors to prevent swaying in the air.

Customers can also opt for winch mode, which is ideal for deliveries to inconvenient landing sites. A winch crane can carry up to 88 pounds of cargo, releasing it automatically at the delivery location on a 65-foot cable. Augmented reality projection is used to guide the cable to the landing point.

A FlyCart 30 purchase comes with the aircraft, batteries, charging hub with cables, and DJI’s RC Plus remote controller. In addition, FlyCart can be linked with the company’s DeliveryHub software, which provides operation planning, status monitoring, team resource management, and data collection and analysis.

Viewable on the RC controller is Pilot 2, another software that displays real time information on flight status, cargo status, battery power level, and more. Pilot 2 also alerts operators of potential risks along the flight path and generates alternate landing points in the case of extreme weather or other abnormal conditions. From the controller, users can even view flights live through the drone’s first-person view gimbal camera.

The Outlook

DJI has held the pole position in consumer drones for nearly a decade. The company could continue to bring in billions of dollars in annual revenue by specializing in that area. But the launch of drone delivery signals the firm’s ambitions run deeper.

Rather than selling exclusively to individual hobbyists, DJI can now reach enterprise customers such as retailers or medical organizations. That segment is less susceptible to macroeconomic swings and could help the company stabilize revenue. Skydio, the largest consumer drone company in the U.S., recently shuttered its consumer business entirely, electing instead to pursue enterprise customers.

Working in DJI’s favor is its already established international network of dealers and customers. The firm has become a trusted brand in the consumer drone space, and many companies and organizations—which could become drone delivery customers—are already familiar with DJI systems and interfaces. Some of them already use the company’s other drones.

A potential concern, however, is FlyCart 30’s niche. The drone doesn’t fit neatly into a single category: its limited range and flight time suggest it will hone in on the last mile, but its size and weight make it better suited to deliver heavy cargo rather than food and groceries. Medical payloads could be a good fit (DJI has said as much) but the company would need to compete with Zipline, whose drones can fly 190 miles on a single charge. As of January, Zipline has completed nearly 900,000 deliveries worldwide.

In addition, FlyCart 30’s 143 pound empty weight with both batteries installed would exceed the FAA’s limits for small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS). To fly in the U.S., DJI would require type certification or an exemption to Section 44807 of Title 49 of U.S. Code. The European Union and New Zealand, two other emerging drone delivery markets, have similar rules.

DJI may be able to overcome those restrictions in other foreign countries, but breaking into the U.S. market could be challenging. For years, American lawmakers have targeted it and other Chinese manufacturers with bans, though these only restrict the technology at the federal level. However, a few states have already shown willingness to pass their own bans.

Further, U.S. lawmakers are pushing legislation that would extend DJI bans to the consumer level, restricting hobbyists and potentially even businesses from flying the drones. But DJI has made one thing very clear: Global scale, not regional, is the objective.

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The post China’s DJI, Facing U.S. Bans, Launches Global Sales of Delivery Drone appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Now for this week’s top story:

Historic Cargo Flight With Uncrewed Cessna Caravan

What happened? You’ve never seen a Cessna like this before—in fact, the world hadn’t, until this week. On Monday, Mountain View, California-based Reliable Robotics released footage of its November flight of a 208B Caravan, modified with its remotely operated aircraft system to fly without a pilot in the cockpit. The company claimed the feat is an aviation first.

How it works: Reliable’s uncrewed, FAA-approved flight—operated remotely from a control center 50 miles away—lasted about 12 minutes. But while the jaunt was relatively brief, it helped validate the firm’s technology, which automates all phases of flight from taxi to takeoff to landing. Control surfaces and engine controls, for example, are adjusted automatically.

A continuous autopilot system equipped with advanced navigation technology prevents common causes of aviation accidents, such as controlled flight into terrain or loss of control in flight. However, redundant voice and data networks allowed the modified Cessna to be commanded remotely. Other models could be equipped with the system too, since it’s aircraft agnostic.

Has automated aviation arrived? Well, not quite. Reliable and other automated flight systems developers still need to certify their tech, but they’re getting closer. The FAA in June accepted Reliable’s formal certification plan, which relies on existing regulations for normal and transport category aircraft and contains no special conditions or exceptions. In addition to test flights with the regulator, the company has demonstrated its system for NASA and the U.S. Air Force.

But it’s looking beyond defense use cases. Reliable plans to start a fully owned Part 135 airline subsidiary for automated commercial cargo flights. It’s also working with ASL Aviation Holdings to automate its fleet of more than 160 aircraft, which service Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia.

Quick quote: “This milestone accelerates dual-use uncrewed flight opportunities, increasing aviation safety and enabling us to bring a broad range of autonomous military capabilities into denied environments,” said Colonel Elliott Leigh, director of Air Force innovation arm AFWERX and the department’s chief commercialization officer.

My take: Automated flight systems are still in the early stages of development, but there is potential down the line for them to become ubiquitous. Some, such as autolanding, already are. Fully automated flight is another story.

Reliable is working with Textron Aviation and Textron eAviation to convert more Caravans, which are some of the most widely used turboprops in the world. Others such as Xwing and Merlin are building similar tech. But their success will depend on safety. Some believe automated systems will be more effective than pilots at reducing the risk of accidents. For now, though, humans have demonstrated the capacity for safe, routine, commercial flights—and automation simply hasn’t.

The cargo sector, which removes the risk of carrying humans, will likely be the first to adopt automated flight. That’s where Reliable is looking first. Others, who are eyeing the passenger segment, may need to wait on regulations and certification.

Deep dive: Reliable Robotics Completes Historic Cargo Flight—With No One on Board

In Other News…

Ampaire’s Modified Cessna Breaks Endurance Record

What happened? Historic Cessna flights pique your interest? How about another one: A Cessna 337 Skymaster equipped with hybrid-electric propulsion made a 12-hour, 1,375-mile trip. Ampaire, the maker of said propulsion system, believes the feat to be an endurance record. The previous high-water mark? Another Ampaire flight in 2022.

How about hybrid? Impressively, Ampaire’s Electric EEL demonstrator touched down with more than two hours of battery and fuel reserves remaining. That should be reassuring for the company—it claims the EEL offers a greater payload, cuts more emissions, and can be certified faster than hydrogen-powered designs. But hydrogen still has the advantage of range.

Ampaire went with hybrid propulsion because it believes it can take advantage of hydrogen fuel efficiency while weaving in the benefits of an all-electric system. Its designs are projected to reduce emissions less than the latter, but they’ll add greater range and payload while requiring less infrastructure. Plus, Ampaire believes it can certify its flagship model in 2024.

Deep dive: 12-Hour Hybrid-Electric Flight Sets New Endurance Record

This Strange Aircraft Could Come to Your Local Public Safety Agency

What happened? The funky-looking aircraft above is called Hexa—and it’s now on sale. Lift Aircraft, the manufacturer behind the unique, single-seat design, announced it will allocate five aircraft for public safety customers such as police and fire departments, emergency medical services, and first responders. Eventually, it’ll be available for personal use.

Anyone can fly: Lift enters the market with a unique proposition: an aircraft that anyone can learn to fly within an hour. Hexa qualifies as a Part 103 ultralight, which means the FAA doesn’t require a pilot certification to fly it. That may be a boon for public safety agencies, which could fly it for firefighting, supply drops, or air ambulance services without needing a licensed pilot.

Lift’s vision is for customers to one day walk into a vertiport, train for less than an hour, and leave flying their own personal eVTOL. The company actually has an agreement with helicopter tour operator Charm Aviation to bring Hexa to downtown Manhattan. But public safety customers will get the first crack at it.

Deep Dive: Lift Aircraft Sells Outlandish, Ultralight Personal eVTOL to Public Safety Agencies

And a Few More Headlines:

• NASA’s Voyager 1 probe can’t phone home, and it could take engineers weeks to fix the problem.

• Sean Cassidy stepped down as head of safety for Amazon’s drone arm, where he served as its main liaison to the FAA.

• The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) will collaborate with Google to decarbonize aviation.

• Textron Aviation announced a carbon offset program for its turbine aircraft customers.

• Air taxi startup AIBot chose Honeywell to develop the flight controls for its autonomous eVTOL design.

Spotlight on…

Maeve Aerospace

Dutch manufacturer Maeve Aerospace broke onto the scene in 2021 with its concept for a 44-passenger, all-electric regional jet. This week it came out with an even more ambitious design.

Maeve on Monday unveiled the M80: a hybrid-electric model for up to 80 passengers that it says fuses the performance of a jet, the efficiency and economics of a turboprop, and the emissions reduction of an all-electric aircraft. That combination is an attractive proposition—if the company can make it happen.

The M80 is scheduled for arrival in 2031, which should give Maeve plenty of time to refine its unique architecture. The secret sauce is the aircraft’s engine: It runs on electric battery packs and an aviation fuel of the operator’s choice, including power-to-liquid (PtL) and other forms of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Combined with a redesigned airframe, the engine can reduce emissions to near zero and fuel burn by 40 percent—which, according to Maeve, will keep trip costs low.

Plus, airports won’t need to install electric infrastructure to welcome the M80. The aircraft’s batteries are only needed for takeoff and climb. In cruise, an altitude optimized thermal engine takes over, which allows the aircraft to charge its own batteries during descent, Maeve said.

Deep Dive: The Efficiency of a Turboprop, the Performance of a Jet: Meet Maeve’s M80

On the Horizon…

Will the FAA ever be reauthorized? The answer is almost certainly yes, but it may not happen soon.

On Tuesday, federal lawmakers extended the deadline for reauthorization to March 8, just a few months after it was stretched to December 31. The second extension will keep the agency funded into the new year. However, industry stakeholders are getting antsy about the long-term outlook. Reauthorization would secure the FAA funding for the next half-decade, but it would also introduce new standards for air traffic control, pilot retirement, and advanced air mobility (AAM). For now, though, Senators continue to quibble over certain provisions.

Simultaneously, lawmakers are working to bolster American defenses against rogue drones. The State Department this week hosted its first counter-drone policy forum workshop, which brought together stakeholders from the governments of the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Attendees shared their countries’ respective goals and challenges. For the U.S., that could be useful—according to reports, federal authority to down drones expired last month.

Also in the works is a bipartisan bill called the NASA Talent Exchange Program Act. The legislation would assign NASA employees to temporary aerospace industry positions, and vice versa, creating new linkages between the regulator and other stakeholders.

Across the pond, we’ve got a trio of updates from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Perhaps the most notable is the launch of an Innovative Air Mobility Hub for stakeholders to exchange information on technologies such as air taxis and drones.

The European regulator also published what should become a key document for eVTOL aircraft firms: the first standards (and limitations) on eVTOL noise. Since electric air taxis are expected to fly over people in crowded urban areas at low altitude, keeping noise to a minimum will be crucial. Among other provisions, EASA will require operators to measure noise during takeoff, overflight, approach, and hover.

And finally, there’s been a leadership shakeup at the top of the agency. EASA named Luc Tytgat as acting executive director in September following the departure of Patrick Ky. But this week it picked Florian Guillermet, director of France’s air navigation services provider, as a permanent replacement.

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:

• 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

Tweet of the Week

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The post You’ve Never Seen Cessnas Like These Before appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Having a passenger in the back seat gives the learner/pilot the opportunity to practice and apply weight-and-balance calculations and to experience what a heavier airplane feels like. It can be an eye-opening experience.

Many flight schools have a culture that encourages flight students to observe lessons from the back seat. This is a privilege, not a right. Back-seaters, pay close attention to what is happening. Respect the concept of a sterile cockpit on takeoff and landing, and follow directions like “keep your seat belt on, and let us know if you see pertinent traffic.” You can learn a lot by observation.

When I taught at a college, I required my learners to fly a dual lesson with a back-seat observer before I sent them to the stage check with the chief instructor, because he outweighed me by a good 100 pounds. I wanted them to get used to having that extra weight on the right side of the aircraft. The learners who didn’t practice with that extra weight remarked how surprised they were by the way the airplane flew with him on board.

Parent as Passenger

When the learner is a teen, it is not uncommon for them to want their parents to come along on a flight. This is doable as long as the parents respect the boundaries of the teaching environment. They are there to observe. If the parent keeps interrupting the process by asking their child, “Do you understand that?” it becomes disruptive and puts both the learner and instructor in the awkward position of having to ask and/or tell the parent to stop the behavior. 

Children in the Back Seat

Sometimes it goes the other way when the parent is the learner, and they put their children in the back seat. Depending on the age and temperament of the child, this can be a good thing—like sharing a learning experience and generating an interest in aviation in a teen—or a bad thing, like when the kids misbehave and distract their parent, or the parent is more interested in getting photos of the kids than doing a flight lesson. More often than not, these “family flights” are a review lesson for the learner. I have noticed that the sound of the engine often lulls the children to sleep, and once that happens, the parent relaxes and learning can take place.

CFIs Need to Ask the Learner

If you are the CFI, ask the learner—the person paying for the flight—if they are OK with having someone in the back seat to observe. Don’t just assume. Some learners will be fine with it. Others will be reluctant. Their reasons vary.

When I was working on my commercial certificate in a Part 61 program, another commercial candidate declined to allow a back-seat observer, unless they agreed to help cover the cost of the flight. He pointed out he was working multiple jobs to pay for his training and didn’t think it was fair to be essentially paying for someone else’s lesson by observation. He took a lot of heat for his position, but he stood firm. As I was also working multiple jobs to pay for training, I understood where he was coming from.

• READ MORE: On Being a Passenger

I thought about this when, as a CFI candidate, I was offered the chance to observe during a night flight. I asked the learner, who was ostensibly paying for the aircraft, if I could contribute to part of the cost. He was mildly uncomfortable with this idea. The FARs did not prohibit this, as they permitted the cost of a flight to be shared. There was discussion. There was haggling. We settled on $20 for gas money and a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints cookies (it was that time of year).

Sometimes you don’t have a choice when it comes to carrying passengers, such as when you are a commercial pilot and getting paid to fly someone someplace in a single engine aircraft, such as doing a scenic flight for your flight school. You are responsible for the safety of the flight, not necessarily the behavior of the passengers, but it is helpful if you give the, gentle warnings about things that could harm them – I mean in addition to showing them how to latch and unlatch the seat belts, where the fire extinguisher is, and how to open the doors and egress the aircraft. I am talking about the dangers of looking through the viewfinder of a camera. It is almost guaranteed to get them airsick, resulting in a condition known as “calling  pterodactyls” which often results in the necessary deployment of a receptacle and extended cleaning of the aircraft. Pro-tip: hold the camera at arms length and don’t look through the viewfinder. You’ll thank me for it.

Tips for Managing Passengers

• Remind the passengers that you are PIC.
• Be very clear on the role of the back-seat passenger. They will observe and help look for traffic.
• Take your time with the safety briefing and use the checklist.
• Verify the passengers are wearing seat belts and know how to work the latches.
• Inform your back-seat passenger that if they hear a radio transmission or if your hand goes up, they need to be quiet because that means you need to talk.
• If someone becomes frightened or uncomfortable, be ready to terminate the flight.

The post Always Remember to Mind Your Passengers appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

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

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 Helijet Brings Electric Air Taxis to Canada appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

EHang, an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxi manufacturer, on Friday obtained Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) type certification for its EH216-S, making it the first eVTOL aircraft in the world with such an approval. Type certification will allow EHang to operate the self-flying, two-passenger aircraft on commercial transportation and tourism routes in China.

The approval is a major milestone for urban air mobility (UAM) providers worldwide, proving that a major player can (in theory) adhere to rigorous safety standards. EHang said the certificate will open up commercial operations and allow it to independently design, develop, and manufacture aircraft.

In the U.S., eVTOL manufacturers must obtain individual production and airworthiness approvals following type certification. If operating the aircraft themselves, they also require a certificate for commercial air carrier operations.

“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,” Robin Riedel, who co-leads McKinsey’s Center for Future Mobility, told FLYING. “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.”

Similar to electric air taxis from U.S. manufacturers, the EH216-S—which has a 22 sm (19 nm) range, 80 mph (about 70 knots) cruise speed, and 485-pound payload—will be used for passenger transport, as well as tourism, logistics, and medical use cases. 

But unlike its U.S. counterparts (with the exception of Boeing’s Wisk Aero), the aircraft will fly autonomous without a pilot on board.

“Embracing the [type certification] as our springboard, we will launch commercial operations of the EH216-S unmanned eVTOLs, prioritizing safety above all,” said Huazhi Hu, founder, chairman, and CEO of EHang. “This will enable us to steadily progress toward our strategic goal to be a UAM platform operator and commit to our mission to enable safe, autonomous, and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone.”

What It Means

The Chinese regulator formally accepted EHang’s type certification application for its passenger air taxi in 2021. Since then, the company has worked to complete a set of objectives—tailored to the aircraft’s specific features—laid out by the regulator. In February 2022, CAAC published the “special conditions” for EH216-S, providing a basis of compliance for those objectives.

Over the past 30 months, EHS216-S underwent extensive lab, ground, and flight testing across China—and elsewhere—to test features such as flight performance, structural strength, and system functionality. The process scrutinized the entire aircraft, as well as its components and equipment, to test for faults or defects.

EHang said it has completed more than 40,000 test flights of EH216-S, including public demonstrations with passengers on board. Those efforts culminated in a final type certification flight test campaign for CAAC in August, clearing the runway (or vertiport) for approval.

The company’s Unmanned Aircraft Cloud System (UACS) was also approved by the regulator in August. The UACS will oversee EH216-S flights and support aircraft operations and management.

There is little publicly available information about China’s certification process for eVTOL. But in a 2022 interview with Vertical magazine, an agency official explained that China will first certify autonomous or remotely piloted designs before turning to aircraft with an onboard pilot.

AutoFlight is China’s other major autonomous eVTOL player, while Aerofugia, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker Geely, earned the first type certification basis for a piloted eVTOL in April. In June, Chinese regulators released early rules for uncrewed flight operations in the country.

The official said cargo logistics and “special missions” such as firefighting will be the earliest eVTOL use cases (the latter may be a nod to EHang, which develops the EH216-F specifically for fighting blazes in urban high-rises). Passenger flights would come next. But EHang, which could launch as early as this year, may be an exception.

UAM infrastructure in China is largely being constructed by eVTOL OEMs, with some airports leasing existing space for them to take off and land. Automotive OEMs are exploring solutions such as ground-based battery charging, while digital infrastructure will be built and operated by a Chinese state-owned company, open to public use. CAAC’s Aircraft Airworthiness Certificate Department and Air Traffic Management Bureau, meanwhile, is developing a standard system for eVTOL landing pads.

Regulators in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere could look to CAAC’s certification process, China’s UAM infrastructure strategy, and EHang’s ultimate success or failure as a litmus test. If the country can get those operations humming quickly, other nations could take a page from its playbook.

“CAAC’s experience and expertise in conducting the EH216-S airworthiness certification provides a significant reference for the global aviation industry and plays a pivotal role in shaping regulations, standards, and norms for unmanned eVTOL airworthiness certification, serving as a crucial benchmark for the industry worldwide,” EHang said in a press release.

Hu told CNBC the company will look to expand operations overseas as soon as next year. The EHang boss added that the type certification milestone simplifies the process for commercial operational approvals in regions such as the U.S., Europe, and Southeast Asia. But the firm will need to wait for foreign authorities to establish a process for mutual regulation of its CAAC approval.

“One interesting question is what standards and requirements different certification agencies apply [for eVTOL operations],” said Riedel. “Not only will that determine the level of reciprocity across agencies in the medium term, but also the level of safety the public can expect from these vehicles…However, the Chinese market is large, and a Chinese player could easily spend the first years growing there without the need to expand into other geographies.”

EHang will now ramp up manufacturing at its Yunfu production facility in China’s Guangdong province. Hu said the company is still settling on its first service location, and he declined to provide an official timeline for entry into service. 

However, the firm is well positioned for success whenever that happens. It has more than 1,200 EH216-S preorders per SMG Consulting’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Reality Index, which tracks eVTOL manufacturers’ progress toward commercial operations. 

Those include customers in Japan, Malaysia, and Indonesia, where Prestige Aviation agreed to buy up to 100 aircraft, EHang’s largest preorder yet. Recently, the firm delivered five aircraft to Shenzhen-based tourism operator Boling, with another 95 deliveries on the books.

In addition to the EH216-S and its firefighting variant, EHang produces Falcon B drones for enterprise customers in industries such as logistics and public safety. It’s also developing the larger, four-passenger VT-30, designed for a 185 sm (about 160 nm) range.

The Playing Field

The EH216-S’s type certification is undoubtedly a major tipping point for the eVTOL industry, which up to this point had yet to produce a design regulators deemed airworthy. But there are several other players in the U.S. and elsewhere playing catch-up.

U.S. manufacturers Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation have each secured certification bases with the FAA and broken ground on scaled manufacturing facilities. Both companies are looking to ferry passengers to and from airports in 2025—beginning with cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles—in partnership with major airlines.

Joby’s most recent milestone was the start of flight tests with a pilot on board, a key step toward “for credit” testing with the FAA and type certification in 2025. For Archer, which expects to obtain the approval in late 2024, it was the launch of its $142 million contract with the U.S. Air Force.

Meanwhile, Wisk—which, like EHang, will fly autonomously from the jump—has no timeline for type certification, though the FAA accepted its application. The firm is working on its G-1 certification basis and G-2 means of compliance paperwork, and it recently reached an agreement with Archer to become its rival’s exclusive autonomy provider.

Volocopter, based in Germany, is expected to launch commercial operations following the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and will likely be the first to market after EHang. Another German competitor, Lilium, began assembly of its seven-seat Lilium Jet in September and is the only eVTOL manufacturer with certification bases from both the FAA and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), its counterpart across the Atlantic.

Like Wisk, U.S.-based Beta Technologies is looking a bit further out. It appears to be more focused on its conventional takeoff and landing design that it hopes to certify in 2025, a year before its Alia-250 eVTOL. Meanwhile, the U.K.’s Vertical Aerospace has struggled to keep pace, with delays and a recent crash pushing its type certification target back to 2026.

Type certification is certainly not the end-all and be-all for the eVTOL industry. Some players could even benefit from allowing UAM regulations, infrastructure, and demand to catch up with the tech. However, an early launch could give EHang valuable insights from seeing its service in action—an advantage no other firm has.

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The post China’s EHang Earns World’s First eVTOL Type Certificate appeared first on FLYING Magazine.