eVTOLs/Urban Mobility

Electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) developer Archer Aviation announced today (June 5) it has received its FAA Part 135 Air Carrier and Operator certificate. This allows the company to legally operate its aircraft, including the developmental Midnight model (after it is certified), “for hire.” Archer said it would use the authority “to refine its […]

Electric air taxi manufacturer Joby Aviation announced completion of its pre-production flight test program and is now shifting its focus to obtaining air certification using its prototype aircraft. In a press release issued Thursday, Joby noted its two pre-production aircraft collectively conducted more than 1500 flights, covering a distance of more than 33,000 miles, with […]

Archer Aviation, developer of the Midnight electric vertical takeoff and land (eVTOL) aircraft, reported today it has successfully completed battery-pack drop tests. Archer considers the milestone a major step toward similar “for credit” testing with the FAA. At the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) the batteries were dropped from 50 feet to simulate “extreme […]

Three years ago, the Massachusetts state senator representing Cape Cod proposed a blanket $1,000 landing fee for all GA aircraft at every airport in the state. In contrast, last week, an aircraft showed up at Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC) that drew gushing praise from local press and multiple state officials—and was not charged a […]

Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operation of unmanned and autonomous systems (UAS) operations took a big step forward today (March 13). The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Transportation (DoT) filed a memorandum on the FAA’s efforts to establish a regulatory framework for such operations. According to the memo, “Nationwide […]

Signature Aviation and BETA Technologies have teamed up to install electric charging infrastructure at airports along the eastern seaboard. The partnership was announced in a March 7 press release noting that the global fixed-based operator (FBO) and electric aerospace company have already installed the first charging station at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport with plans underway for […]

Yesterday, Sikorsky revealed plans to build, test and fly a large-scale hybrid-electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) tilt-wing demonstrator. Dubbed HEX (for “hybrid-electric”), the project is expected to be the first of a series of large, next-gen VTOLs featuring varying degrees of electrification and advanced autonomy technology “for optionally-piloted flight,” Sikorsky said in a statement. […]

Beta Technologies announced today (Feb. 15) it has teamed with global FBO network Avflight and Golden Triangle Regional Airport (KGTR) in Columbus, Mississippi, to “inaugurate” the first aircraft charging station in the state. Burlington, Vermont-based Beta flew its fixed-wing prototype all-electric ALIA aircraft to the airport and plugged in to the newly commissioned airside charger, […]

Urban air mobility hopeful Archer Aviation announced today (Feb. 7) that final assembly on three conforming examples of its Midnight eVTOL aircraft is set to begin in the coming weeks. Piloted flight testing is expected to begin later this year. “For credit” FAA flight testing toward commercialization of the Midnight will use the three airframes. […]

Archer Aviation announced yesterday (Jan. 31) it has completed Phase 1 testing on its Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The phase took three months to accomplish, “significantly” less than the time it took Archer to reach this point with its full-scale prototype Maker model. Archer said it has upgraded the Midnight’s battery […]