Recent Updates

We choose to build aircraft for many reasons. There are elements of challenge to the project, of course, learning to master the details of project management while keeping the emotions in check. (As best we can.) At the end of which we find ourselves basking in our glory or deeply concerned for our sanity; sometimes […]

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei returned from the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday, setting a new record for the longest single spaceflight in history by an American. Vande Hei launched on April 9, 2021, for a mission total of 355 days, 15 days longer than the previous record. According to NASA, he completed approximately […]

FedEx says it will start testing an autonomous hybrid eVTOL that can carry up to 500 pounds as far as 300 miles. The company said the trials with the Elroy Chaparral will start in 2023 and begin the process of getting certification for pilotless delivery. “We look forward to continued testing and learning throughout our […]

The U.S. Senate has passed legislation designed to establish an interagency working group to promote advanced air mobility (AAM) in the United States. The Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act (S.516) calls for the Department of Transportation to create a group to “plan and coordinate efforts related to the safety, infrastructure, physical security, cybersecurity, […]

Airbus Helicopters has begun testing autonomous takeoff and landing capabilities at sea for its VSR700 unmanned aerial system (UAS/drone). According to the company, the test campaign used an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) based on a modified Guimbal Cabri G2 equipped with the autonomous take-off and landing (ATOL) system developed for the VSR700. The VSR700 is […]

Joby Aviation says it’s taken a big step toward certification of its eVTOL aircraft with the first submission of its novel staged approach to the process. Rather than present the finished aircraft for certification, Joby is conducting the first ever “area-specific certification plan” for the tilt rotor design. The first plan covers cabin safety and […]

NASA has officially extended flight operations for its Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, through September, according to an announcement from the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) on Tuesday. Ingenuity, which travelled to Mars onboard the Perseverance rover, recently completed its 21st successful flight. The rotorcraft’s future flights will focus on supporting Perseverance as it explores the Jezero […]

Embraer is approaching 2,000 pre-orders of its Eve eVTOL thanks to an order for up to 200 aircraft announced Wednesday. The order by Global Crossing Airlines brings Eve’s backlog to 1,785 aircraft. The order was revealed in a securities filing and the company said it will deliver the aircraft in 2026. The company has yet […]

There’s an old military pilot saying that goes, “Never fly the A model of anything!” While test pilots will argue the idea, the typical squadron pilot wants an airplane that does what it is supposed to do and does it without breaking down—that’s understandable. But for those of us flying “experimental” aircraft, it can be […]

Simulator technology and aviation training company CAE has partnered with Joby Aviation to develop and qualify flight simulation training devices for Joby’s electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. According to the companies, the project will leverage “core simulation technology Joby has been developing for the past five years.” Joby, which plans to both manufacture […]