Air Methods plans to retrofit more than 400 single-engine helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in its air ambulance fleet with the Skyryse FlightOS hardware and software stack, and will also invest $5 million into the company. The Air Methods investment into Skyryse Series B brings the total amount raised by the company to $205 million.
The Skyryse system uses radar and other sensors to essentially provide fly-by-wire flight control precision and flight envelope protection which provides the benefits of autonomous or semi-autonomous flight to any aircraft. The company is also developing “smart” helipads that automatically transmit ASOS/AWOS type data automatically to FlightOS.
According to the company, “Our system integrates with fly-by-wire technology and is designed to deliver commercial airline level safety to all aircraft. The aircraft is able to conduct multivariate analysis and make the split-second adjustments needed to keep the aircraft within safe flight parameters as they complete their journey.” Skyryse said the technology makes any aircraft easier to fly and brings commercial airline-level safety to light aircraft. The company demonstrated its technology in 2019 aboard a Robinson R44.
Air Methods CEO JaeLynn Williams said, "Skyryse is a cutting-edge technology that will drive a step-change in the safety of rotor and fixed-wing flight not only for Air Methods but for our customers and the entire HEMS industry." Air Methods logged 56 accidents between 2005 and 2017. Industry-wide more than 450 air medical crewmembers have been killed in accidents and the accident rate for air ambulances is nearly three times higher than for other Part 135 charter operations.
Skyryse was accused earlier this year of receiving misappropriated flight control data from a former employee of Moog, Inc. As part of a stipulated agreement entered into in March, Skyryse agreed not to use any Moog data in its possession.
Besides Air Methods, other investors in Skyryse include Fidelity Management & Research Company, Monashee Investment Management, ArrowMark Partners, Venrock, Eclipse Ventures, Cantos, Stanford University, and Bill Ford, the executive chairman of Ford Motor Company.