As the newly dubbed Vertical Aviation International (VAI) broadens its horizons, the association is managing a full plate of challenges confronting the association’s expanded reach such as infrastructure availability and operating standards.
“We've been trying to make sure we don't lose any current infrastructure that helicopters have access to today,” VAI president and CEO James Viola told AIN. “The second thing that we've been…doing is trying to get a buy-in from the government that all current infrastructure can be used by future [advanced air mobility] vehicles.”
Viola conceded that VAI is not ready to call these efforts a success yet, worrying the FAA’s standards are too restrictive. Importantly, he is concerned that infrastructure standards must build in flexibility to enable service not only in the cities but in rural communities and take into account large and small operations.
“I just think that we're thinking too big with vertiports instead of making them as small as possible so you can service the small communities. We just went a little overboard,” he said. “I've heard people say that they don't like the fact that helicopters can land anywhere and they're going to make sure these vertical aircraft [of] the future can't do that. That’s a bad statement.”
VAI’s infrastructure group has been pushing to prevent overregulation that is designed for large facilities but serves as a barrier to smaller ones. “They want to build a vertiport that’s a JFK [John F. Kennedy International Airport],” and that’s unnecessary for all operations, he said. “They need to be able to land where we need them to land.”
However, there is a reluctance to facilitate smaller facilities because so many parameters involving advanced air mobility (AAM) vehicles—such as eVTOL aircraft—still need to be ironed out. “Governments think that they need to regulate the size of these big vertiports so that they can all use them,” he said.
But with helicopters, that isn’t the case, Viola said, pointing to the differences between a Robinson R22 and a Chinook. “There's a lot of places that are capable [of handling small vehicles], and my concern is that the regulators want to keep you from doing non-standard things. Our job is to be able to do non-standard things safely—things that airplanes can't do—and provide additional capacity to the community.”
The FAA in 2022 issued initial vertiport standards and is expected to issue an advisory circular with guidance later this year or next. EASA also has issued its initial standards.
Whether the FAA and the aviation community at large are ready for these vehicles, Viola said, “We have to be.” But getting the government standards in place is difficult.
Viola pointed to issues that Leonardo has encountered obtaining approvals for the AW609 civil tiltrotor—a process that has been ongoing for well over a decade and has been caught up in powered-lift requirements. “I'd really like to see some progress made by the U.S. on that,” he said.
The FAA last year proposed a special federal aviation regulation for a wide-ranging powered-lift category encapsulating everything from the 609 to eVTOL aircraft. That SFAR would have a 10-year timeframe. VAI asked its members, “How much pushback do we want to do on that?” because there are several concerning items. However, the industry asked not to slow it down because it is a critical rule to pave the way for AAM. “So, they’re going to live with it,” but it may cause difficulties over 10 years.
“It’s possible you can pick off the worst issues one by one through minor changes and exemptions. That’s a process,” he said. “We’ll be working for 10 years to try to fix this stuff.” He cited as an example a requirement in the proposal for dual-pilot aircraft for training. Yet eVTOLs are largely being developed for single-pilot. “How are you going to do that?” he asked.
However, Viola was encouraged that the FAA has a new administrator in place with the confirmation late last year of Michael Whitaker.
“We think he has shaken the tree because people are saying that there are emails that they've been waiting on for 90-plus days that are now getting answered,” he said. “Somebody told them to start responding to your emails.”
This is critical regarding not only projects for eVTOL aircraft and the Leonardo AW609 tiltrotor but also more traditional projects such as the Bell 525. Delays are preventing more efficient, sustainable, and safe aircraft from entering service. “They’re bringing better burning engines, they bringing the capability, they are bringing efficiency,” he said.