FutureFlight

At the Vertical Flight Society's Electric VTOL Symposium, Joby Aviation's head of product, Eric Allison, indicated that commercial flights might be able to start ahead of the 2023 timeline established by Uber's Elevate program.

Jay Merkle, executive director of the FAA's UAS Integration Office, told the Vertical Flight Society's Electric VTOL Symposium that the first of the new-generation advanced air mobility aircraft could be certified in 2021. It seems likely that this will be a fixed-wing, conventional, or short takeoff and landing design.

The Vertical Flight Society's Annual Forum & Annual Technology Display will be held as a virtual event from May 10-14. The group signed up 36 new corporate members in 2020 and just signed a new training partnership with the U.S. Army.

A new white paper jointly published by disabled flying advocacy group Aerobility and advanced air mobility trade association CIVITA Global calls on regulators, as well as developers of eVTOL aircraft and supporting ground infrastructure, to consider accessibility needs at the early stages of planning.

Front-running eVTOL aircraft developers Joby Aviation and Lilium are both reportedly in line to raise significant funding via a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company.

Through the new EU-backed Air Mobility Urban-Large Experimental Demonstrations program, 17 companies and organizations from across Europe and the U.S. are looking to demonstrate the viability of using eVTOL aircraft for roles such as passenger and freight transportation, police surveillance, and emergency medical support.

Airbus Helicopters has start flight testing new technologies around hybrid and electric propulsion, autonomous operations, and noise reduction. Its Flightlab facility is supporting work on new helicopters, as well as fixed-wing and eVTOL aircraft designs.

A consortium involving eVTOL aircraft developers Embraer, Vertical Aerospace, and Volocopter, as well as air traffic management specialists Skyports and Atech, will conduct simulated operations connecting London's Heathrow and City airports.

UK-based Hybrid Air Vehicles says it could be close to securing a large investment that, along with a new booking for charter services, could reinvigorate its prolonged efforts to bring the Airlander airship into commercial service.

A report in FlightGlobal this week showed what is purported to be a significant redesign of Eviation's Alice all-electric aircraft in which three sets of pusher-configured propellers have been replaced by a pair of forward-facing motors. Separate reports say Eviation may be moving its flight test operations to Arlington Municipal Airport in Washington state.