FutureFlight

Community engagement and discussions regarding public acceptance and the social impact of advanced air mobility (AAM) will be key research priorities, according to a report published this week by the government-backed UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

A U.S. Air Force (USAF) officer recently conducted the first remotely piloted flight of an eVTOL aircraft under the direct control of the government. Capt. Terrence McKenna, who is a reserve pilot and test and experimentation lead with the USAF’s Afwerx Agility Prime program, participated in remote-pilot-in-control exercises on Kitty Hawk’s Heavyside vehicle in December, according to this just-published Air Force report.

Avolon is a major airliner leasing group, so last year, when it committed to adding up to 500 of Vertical Aerospace’s four-passenger VX-4 eVTOL aircraft, it got the attention of the mainstream air transport sector. Major scheduled carriers Japan Air Lines and Brazil’s Gol have already signed up to lease large numbers of these prospective additions to the group’s portfolio.

EASA this week published the latest edition of its European Plan for Aviation Safety (EPAS). The document—which summarizes what the European regulator sees as safety development priorities between now and 2026—embraces several aspects of the advanced air mobility sector, including electric and hybrid-electric propulsion and the use of machine learning technology.

The UK government is offering £4.5 million ($6 million) in funding to strengthen the supply chain for power electronics, machines, and drive (PEMD) technology to be used in aviation applications. Grants of between £50,000 and £1 million are being offered by Innovate UK through the agency’s Building Talent for the Future 2 competition for which entries open on January 12.

In the advanced air mobility sector, 2021 has been the first year to see significant numbers of sales commitments for new eVTOL and eSTOL aircraft. While the solidity of these largely provisional order commitments remains in question, it has been eye-catching to witness major airlines including United, American, Virgin Atlantic, Japan Airlines, SkyWest, Azul, Gol, and Republic Airways signaling their intention to incorporate new aircraft carrying just a handful of passengers into their fleets.

EASA this week issued a notice of proposed amendment (NPA) intended to make it easier to certify, manufacture, and operate new types of aircraft—including new eVTOL models—that are not fully taken into account by existing regulations.

2021 has been a year in which four leading eVTOL aircraft pioneers, seeking to bring urban air mobility to Main Street, filed lucrative flight paths via share flotations on Wall Street. Following in the footsteps of Joby, Archer, Lilium, and Vertical Aerospace, Embraer subsidiary Eve on December 21 confirmed that it intends to merge with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Zanite and seek a New York Stock Exchange listing in the second quarter of 2022.

With hydrogen increasingly gaining favor as an attractive fuel option for aircraft more attention is turning to how it can be supplied in sufficient volumes, and also how it can be produced in a way that supports the industry’s zero-emissions objectives. The aviation sector needs firm assurances that supplies will be cost-effective and meet the so-called ‘green hydrogen’ mark for being environmentally sustainable, taking account of the full production process.

The regulatory framework to govern training requirements for pilots of eVTOL aircraft is still evolving, as are the rules under which the new electric vehicles will be operated in commercial service starting around 2024. Many observers of the regulatory process anticipate the deployment of exemptions to existing rules in the early phase of operations; that’s not to say, however, that work isn’t being done to develop more specific requirements tailored to differentiating performance characteristics of the new aircraft.