Aviation International News reports that Archer Aviation plans to launch electric air taxi services across the Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin metropolitan areas. The proposed network would use Archer’s four-passenger Midnight eVTOL aircraft for flights lasting 10 to 20 minutes. The aircraft has yet to receive FAA type certification, and as the article notes, “Archer’s announcement did not say when the Texas air taxi services will start.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Tag: Advanced Air Mobility
Archer Demonstrates Midnight eVTOL in San Francisco Bay Area Flights
AeroTime reports that Archer Aviation has completed a series of piloted demonstration flights over the San Francisco Bay Area using its Midnight electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The flights, part of Archer’s “No Roads” tour, included operations at Oakland International Airport and tested the aircraft’s capabilities in increasingly complex airspace. As AeroTime notes, the tour aimed to demonstrate Midnight’s ability to operate in “an urban area with a busy air corridor,” highlighting the potential for electric air taxis to ease transportation congestion in major metropolitan areas.
Full Story (Aerotime)
Beta’s Electric Alia Completes Medical Missions Across North Carolina
Aviation International News reports that Beta Technologies’ all-electric Alia CX300 is being put to the test for real-world medical and emergency-response operations in North Carolina through the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program. The demonstration included more than 16 missions this month, with AIN noting that the “electric airplane connected Raleigh-area hospitals with the Outer Banks.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Vertical Aerospace Opens Valo Assembly Centre, Eyes 1,000 Aircraft a Year
Aerospace Global News reports that Vertical Aerospace has opened its new Aircraft Assembly Centre at Cotswold Airport, where it will begin manufacturing its Valo production eVTOL. Visitors to the opening saw a full-scale Valo mock-up and “a full flight demonstration of the prototype VX4 in the bright Cotswold skies.” The facility is designed to support production of up to 1,000 aircraft annually.
Full Story (Aerospace Global News)
Video
Vertical Aerospace’s Aircraft Assembly Centre
Vertical Aerospace; YouTube
Advanced Air Mobility Integration into Multimodal Transportation Systems Virtual Collection Published
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AAM could expand passenger and cargo transportation through novel aircraft serving urban, suburban, and rural communities. Its success, however, will depend on effective multimodal integration with surface transportation, infrastructure, operators, and data systems to support seamless, reliable, accessible, and resilient door-to-door journeys. This virtual collection highlights the AIAA Journal of Air Transportation contributions and their aerospace-focused perspectives on integrating AAM into the broader multimodal transportation system.
PAL-V Reaches Key EASA Certification Milestone for Flying Car
Aerotime reports Dutch flying car developer PAL-V has moved another step closer to bringing its aircraft to market after receiving European Production Organization Approval (POA) from EASA. PAL-V called the certification a “significant step toward bringing certified FlyDrive mobility solutions to market” and says it is the first FlyDrive developer within Advanced Air Mobility to secure the approval, placing it “well ahead of both American and Chinese initiatives within the sector.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Archer’s Midnight Demonstrates Regional Flight Capability in California
Vertical Mag reports, “Archer Aviation has announced the completion of a piloted roundtrip journey with its all-electric Midnight aircraft on July 30, departing from Salinas Municipal Airport and landing at Monterey Regional Airport before making the return flight.”
Full Story (Vertical Mag)
Full Story (Vertical Mag)
Eve 100 eVTOL Prepares for First Transition Flight Ahead of Farnborough
Aviation International News reports, “Eve Air Mobility is preparing to make the first low-speed transition flight of its Eve 100 eVTOL in the coming weeks. This milestone, which Eve predicts will happen shortly before the Farnborough International air show in July, will precede a full-speed transition at 90 knots later in the year.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Eve Advances eVTOL Program After 59 Successful Test Flights
Aviation International News reports, “Eve Air Mobility has closed out a key phase of its eVTOL flight test campaign, accumulating 2 hours, 27 minutes, and 33 seconds of flight time across 59 uncrewed flights at Embraer’s test facility in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil.”
Full Story (Aviation International News)
Call for Technical Experts for Standards
FROM THE INSTITUTE
AIAA is now the Committee Manager and US TAG for ISO TC20/SC 16 Uncrewed Aircraft System which leads international standardization in the field of advanced air mobility and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). The committee is looking for technical experts to support its work in developing International Standards to provide a framework and guidance for government, public and private stakeholders involved in the safe and effective design, procurement, deployment and operation of Counter UAS equipment intended to be deployed in all fixed, mobile and transportable civilian environments. Experts in the field of cybersecurity aspects specific to UAS are also encouraged to particiate.