Skyryse One Achieves Automated Hover

Skyryse says it's a major step closer to certification for its "universal operating system for flight" with "the world's first fully automated hover at the swipe of a finger in a fully-conforming production aircraft." The company's Skyryse One achieved a stable hover Dec. 19 with the single command on a touchscreen, although it had previously been done numerous times in a test article. The helicopter is computer controlled and pilot inputs are through a single control stick, eliminating the complex system of foot and hand controls used in conventional helicopters.

"Until today, every helicopter ever built has taken off using basically the same mechanical controls that Igor Sikorsky used in his first flight 85 years ago," said Dr. Mark Groden, CEO of Skyryse. "This latest accomplishment—following our successful achievement of the world's first fully-automated autorotation, the world's first aircraft flown with a single control stick, and the world's first engine-start with the swipe of a finger—will allow any pilot, regardless of experience level, to achieve a perfect takeoff, every time, with just the swipe of a finger."