Since its founding in 2016, Xwing has steadily grown into an industry leader in autonomous aviation technology. Although Xwing has a part 135 cargo operation, Joby confirmed that this was not part of the deal, with the latter having received its own part 135 certificate just over two years ago.

Xwing’s Superpilot software has already been used to conduct 250 autonomous, ground supervised flights, logging more than 500 auto-landings to date in a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan. Xwing also became the first company to receive an official project designation for the certification of a large unmanned aerial system (UAS) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in April 2023, and the first to receive an Air Force Military Flight Release earlier this year. The company is targeting to certify its autonomous system for civilian use by 2025.

In January and February 2024, Xwing participated in the U.S. Air Force’s Agile Flag 24-1 Joint Force exercise, where its aircraft covered around 2,800 miles (4,500 kilometers) and landed at eight public and military airports, demonstrating the ability to integrate autonomous aircraft into the national airspace system.

Airborne DAA

Xwing is developing a suite of systems, including vision-based systems that can identify other aircraft, landing surfaces, and obstacles. This reduces the overdependence on satellite-based navigation, and helps to augment it when it is operational and available.

Together with electronic conspicuity methods, vision-based sensors and the algorithms used to blend the inputs are indispensable for effective detect and avoid (DAA) systems needed to support autonomous and ground-supervised aviation.

Joby founder and CEO JoeBen Bevirt stated that Joby’s first certified aircraft will have a pilot on board. However, a future generation of autonomous aircraft will be needed to unlock the company’s vision for clean and affordable aviation at scale.

In a comment to Vertical, Joby stated that any tools that help reduce the burden on pilots through automation will be beneficial for the company’s near-term piloted operations, as these advancements can enhance pilot efficiency, reduce workload, and streamline flight operations.

Some technologies that will be part of DAA include ACAS Xr, which is an evolution of airborne collision avoidance systems (ACAS) found on nearly all commercial and many general aviation aircraft today.

The system offers improved traffic conflict resolution by using automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data. Unlike the current ACAS II, which only gives vertical avoidance maneuvers, ACAS Xr will also give lateral avoidance maneuver commands.

RTCA steering committee SC-147 and EUROCAE working group WG-75 SG-2 are currently working on establishing the standards for ACAS Xr for rotorcraft and advanced air mobility (AAM) applications. On its website, EUROCAE states that the target publication date for this standard is the end of 2025.

Xwing uses multiple sensors, including radar and optical cameras, to supplement ADS-B data. These inputs help refine traffic conflict resolutions and, crucially, are also indispensable for detecting non-cooperative targets. Some of the research areas could include the performance of these optical systems under various light conditions, susceptibility to glare, and how to handle possible unexpected sensor non-availability due to bird strikes, etc.

Radar detection also has some challenges, such as “ghost targets” from ground clutter, arising from radar returns from objects on the ground or the terrain itself. The trade-off between filtering this nuisance ground clutter while not reducing the detection range or excluding genuine returns is also one of the main lines of research.

The software must also be well-designed to ensure that a target “seen” by the different sensors is not erroneously designated as multiple targets. There is also research in progress to see how to take into account wake turbulence from a potential intruder in the avoidance solution, another consideration in highly complex and dynamic airborne environments.

It is to be seen which solutions Xwing/Joby will adopt. What is almost certain is that they will use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods. This will be continuously augmented and updated with test flight data and eventually, with feedback from real-world commercial operations once the system obtains certification.

Ground DAA

The ground DAA ability is also essential for safe operations. Xwing uses a blend of multiple sensors, including LIDAR, optical cameras, and ADS-B where available from participating aircraft and airport vehicular traffic. This ground DAA capability should detect any obstacle in the aircraft’s path to avoid ground collision.

Although they are not frequently catastrophic as airborne collisions, ground incidents involving ground maneuvering aircraft cost hundreds of millions of dollars to the industry per year, according to International Air Transport Association (IATA) data.

Another important factor is that although installing multiple sensors is one solution to provide redundancy and the possibility of blending different sources, AAM applications must keep the added weight to a minimum and, specifically for battery-powered aircraft, the energy draw must be minimized so as not to impinge on the range and payload capabilities of the vehicle.

Revenue opportunities

Certifying these systems on smaller feeder aircraft and eVTOLs could be a potential gateway to having them available for larger commercial aircraft in the coming years. These can become a potentially lucrative source of income in the form of commercializing this intellectual property (IP) to third parties.

Military applications are also a prime source of potential revenue, and Joby has stated that the acquisition of Xwing is expected to accelerate existing and potential future contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense.

Col. Elliott Leigh, AFWERX director and chief commercialization officer for the Department of the Air Force, stated that “autonomous systems are increasingly prolific in the private sector, and bring potentially game-changing advantages to the Air Force as well. We created Autonomy Prime to keep up with this shift and to stay engaged as a partner while this technology evolves, so that we can adapt and evolve along with the private sector, maintaining our competitive advantage.”

It is possible that revenue streams from military contracts can arrive earlier than from commercial operations, as military certification can proceed at a faster pace. The military has several use cases, such as moving cargo in a high-risk environment, without involving a human pilot and crew for the airborne phase.

In cases where high-volume logistics operations would be needed, such as in disaster relief operations, these would not be as limited by flight crew rest requirements where a ground supervisor pilot would be able to monitor multiple flights.

While an essential component for its own current aircraft and future projects, the potential of delivering DAA and control subsystems to external customers will be a welcome business endeavor, as well as hopefully inject funding to continue the development and certification of Joby’s S4 eVTOL and future aircraft.

The post What Joby’s newly acquired autonomy company brings to the eVTOL developer appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Frank Wallace, the company’s executive vice president, grew up in a U.S. Air Force family at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, and served 14 years in the U.S. Army. A significant amount of his time was spent on the ill-fated Boeing-Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche program, of which he was the deputy project manager at its culmination. “I was the unfortunate guy that had to shut it down,” Wallace recalled. While that program never came to fruition, it opened doors for Wallace that would prove beneficial in the years to come.

The post Ace in the Pack appeared first on Vertical Mag.

While its core missions can range from combat assault transport, heavy rotary wing aerial delivery, air evacuation, and tactical recovery of aircraft personnel (TRAP), the unit can be assigned further tasks when deployed in theatre. This includes operations from Navy ships, rapid insertion/extraction of troops, and aviation delivered ground refueling (ADGR) to fixed- or rotary-wing platforms.

Highlighting its capabilities when it comes to ADGR, a single CH-53E can impressively provide 4,000 pounds (1,815 kilograms) of fuel from each of its auxiliary tanks. It can also be configured with two tactical bulk fuel delivery systems (TBFDS), each carrying 5,000 lb (2,270 kg) of fuel. This amount of fuel, depending on the CH-53E’s transit time to either its home base or an airborne tanker, can refuel two Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters simultaneously, or three Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning IIs at a forward arming and refueling point (FARP).

Warhorse has deployed the CH-53E to multiple combat theatres, such as operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, and Iraqi Freedom. Warhorse has also performed multiple deployments to Okinawa, Japan, in support of the Unit Deployment Program (UDP) and more.

In May/June 2023, HMH-465 returned from a tri-site deployment, which saw half the squadron executing UDP 23.1 in Okinawa, one quarter of the squadron supporting the 31^st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in Okinawa, and one quarter supporting the 13^th MEU during a Western Pacific deployment.

The squadron currently has 16 aircraft reporting on the flight line and roughly 30 pilots — a third of those being initial accession helicopter second pilots (copilots). It will take them about 12 to 18 months to earn their helicopter aircraft commanders (HAC) designation.

The remaining 23 are HACs with designations ranging from fully-qualified weapons and tactics instructors (WTIs) to basic aircraft commanders. The squadron also has 20 crew chiefs and nine aerial gunners/observers.

Both pilots and crew chiefs train for about six months at Heavy Marine Helicopter Training Squadron 302 (HMHT-302) at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River, North Carolina. Upon completion, those individuals will receive orders to Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 16 and will be assigned to one of the four HMH squadrons at MCAS Miramar in San Diego, California.  

Detachment to Arizona

Between May 13 to 23, 2024, HMH-465 flew five of its CH-53Es from its home base in San Diego to the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona. Supporting the Super Stallions was a total of 125 personnel made up of about 25 pilots, 80 maintainers, and 20 support staff. This is roughly 50 percent of the total squadron.

The detachment focused on helicopter air-to-air refueling (HAAR) and combat search-and-rescue (CSAR)/TRAP training with joint partners of the U.S. Air Force (USAF), specifically the 357^th Fighter Squadron (FS) and 79^th Rescue Squadron (RQS). In total, HMH-465 flew 145 hours over 11 days, with about 50 of those hours at night to enhance squadron flight leadership and pilot and aircrew proficiency for desert operations in the surrounding areas of Davis-Monthan.

TRAP/CSAR

Personnel recovery operations are slightly different between the USAF and USMC, with the USAF performing CSAR and the USMC performing TRAP.

Units that perform CSAR are specifically manned, equipped, and trained to execute those procedures as one of their primary mission set. These squadrons are well suited and trained to fight their ways into contested areas to recover isolated personnel.

Meanwhile, the USMC trains to recover personnel or aircraft in more permissive environments. This doesn’t mean those environments are free of hostiles, but rather the airspace is likely less contested.

“During our expeditionary operations, we partnered with real and simulated joint assets for a combat search-and-rescue mission,” Capt. Mike “Dirty” Simasek, squadron WTI and lead planner for one of the recovery events, told Vertical during a visit to Arizona.

The mission involved multiple Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt IIs from the 357^th FS, escorting two CH-53Es to a pre-briefed area/landing zone to rescue a downed A-10 pilot. The A-10s had to eliminate simulated enemy air defenses enroute for the CH-53Es to safely recover the downed pilot.

“Planning and flying with the A-10s granted us the opportunity to execute a detailed trigger-based timeline against a simulated peer threat in support of the Marine air-ground task force [MAGTF] commander,” Simasek said. “Both platforms are designed to support ground forces, and discussing our tactical training procedures [TTPs] made us realize the similarity in our mission focus. We both enjoy flying low and close to best support the ground combat element, day or night.”

HMH-465 Commanding Officer Lt. Col. Andrew “Chet” Baxter said working with the A-10s on the Tucson detachment afforded HMH-465 pilots and aircrews with exposure to the greater joint force and how they do business.

“In this case, the execution of CSAR as opposed to TRAP improved our understanding, proficiency, and TTPs for conducting TRAP,” Baxter said. “In this scenario, the CSAR evolution took place in a hostile environment with a robust air defense system that had to be mitigated before we could push in to the objective area to recover the isolated personnel.”

He said it’s possible that these A-10 squadrons could request support from CH-53Es in a real-world situation, or vice versa. The joint training served to provide a broader understanding of Marine Corps’ heavy-lift assault support capabilities to the USAF.

Helicopter air-to-air refueling

A benefit of deploying to Davis-Monthan was witnessing Lockheed Martin HC-130J crews of 79^th RQS plan and execute HAAR procedures in aid of CSAR missions. The 79^th provides personnel, supplies, and/or airborne refueling to add range to the dedicated rescue helicopters in theatre.

The Marines were able to see how the 79^th works through CSAR planning to ultimately enhance their own capabilities and understanding of how to perform TRAP. HMH-465 also performed HAAR training flights with the 79^th RQS. For hours, the teams gathered around a map to teach one another the nuanced differences of each services’ mission set.

Two dedicated HAAR flights were carried out in the Arizona desert during the day. The CH-53E performs HAAR at 115 to 120 knots (215 to 225 kilometers per hour) — close to the stall speed of the HC-130J — and takes about 3,000 to 8,000 lb (1,360 to 3,630 kg) of fuel per aircraft.

“The USMC is adapting to become more capable at integrating with joint partners in a wide array of mission sets,” Baxter said. “HMH-465 personnel getting experience in planning and execution with USAF partners was an invaluable experience to just understand how they think, plan, fly and fight.”

Back to Okinawa, Japan

HMH-465 is slated to deploy in support of the UDP at MCAS Futenma in Okinawa, Japan, and the 31^st MEU under the 1^st MAW later this year.

Baxter said the squadron’s top priority is to maximize the combat readiness of the pilots and aircrews through challenging and realistic training opportunities. Gaining qualifications and proficiency for the maintenance personnel is also important to ensure they are capable of maintaining readiness while deployed.

“Further enhancing each Marine’s warfighting proficiency will be paramount to ensure that upon arrival for deployment, the squadron is capable, lethal, and ready to support the MAGTF,” Baxter said.

Aiding this vision, the squadron will perform one final training det to Naval Air Facility El Centro in California later this summer before deploying to Japan. During that two-week period, the squadron will focus the majority of its flying at night to maximize night warfighting proficiency prior to deployment. This will ensure its aircrews are highly proficient and capable in the most challenging environments.

The CH-53E is well suited for the upcoming deployment as it is the only rotary-wing aircraft that can perform its mission set. No other helicopter in the Department of Defense (DOD) can perform the heavy-lift mission. Deployments like the upcoming one are significantly different compared to traditional combat deployments in that the majority of operations are unit level training. 

HMH-465 will support other units on the island, for example, by providing ADGR to USMC F-35B Lightning IIs. The unit will remain on standby for a litany of contingencies should they arise, including combat operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.

“If we had to go today, we would absolutely be ready,” Baxter said. “However, we will use the remaining time to gain more experience for our junior pilots, aircrew and maintainers to ensure we are at peak readiness upon arriving.”

Using this time to train will be beneficial as the HMH-465 are expecting to lose a few experienced pilots and crew chiefs this summer.

“The good news is each of those individuals we are losing has done a fantastic job training their replacements and the future generation of heavy-lift assault support professionals,” Baxter said.

The CH-53E’s ability to support mass combat power is second only to its ability to conduct heavy-lift external operations and deliver with precision in austere environments. As the USMC shifts its focus to the Pacific as part of Force Design, the CH-53E will be vital in performing key mission sets throughout the first and second island chain.

Training detachments like the one in Arizona display the squadron’s ability to integrate the unique capabilities of the Super Stallion with other forces and assets. Baxter said the HMH-465 is always looking for ways to improve.

The CH-53E has had a long and storied history, and “while we seek to adapt and change, we are most effective when we are proficient at our core mission skill sets,” Baxter said.

He said being able to conduct large force tactical flights under low-light level conditions, culminating in challenging objective areas and precision landings in zones with significant brownout, is the standard that they train to every day.

“My squadron knows our top priorities are to be ready to support the MAGTF commander and to always support the infantry,” Baxter said. “The MAGTF is a team concept and the team is at its best when each of the key players is capable of performing its role to provide a combined arms effect against the enemy.”

Recovering Chinooks in Afghanistan

Joining the USMC in 2006, Baxter started flying the CH-53E in 2009 and has since flown roughly 2,600 hours in that type alone. He has deployed three times to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and once to MCAS Futenma in Okinawa, Japan.

“Of my three [Afghanistan] deployments, my most memorable mission was executing a TRAP of a RAF CH-47 in March 2014,” Baxter said. “The CH-47 had to make an emergency landing into a farmer’s field in Marjah. A repair in the field wasn’t permissive due to enemy threat, so the call was made for us to lift it externally and deliver it back to Bastion.”

While there had been multiple CH-53E external lifts of CH-47s and other aircraft throughout Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Afghanistan, Baxter said this was the first and only one conducted at night under low-light level conditions. It may have also been the heaviest up to that point, weighing about 31,600 lb (14,300 kg).

“We were given about 24 hours to plan the entire mission, conduct a confirmation brief, and execute,” Baxter said. “The most memorable part of the mission, besides conducting the lift, was seeing all of the varying agencies, people, and assets that came together to make it happen. The number of TACAIR, escort and strike aircraft in the overhead was remarkable. Additionally, we had a solid contingent of security and reclamation personnel on deck, but once we started pulling power and lifting the CH-47 off the deck, all eyes were on us. The lift went well and we were able to safely deliver the CH-47 back to Bastion, in hopes that it would one day fly again.”

Baxter holds every instructor qualification and flight leadership designation that a CH-53E pilot can have. From 2016 to 2019, Baxter was an instructor at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One (MAWTS-1) in Yuma, Arizona, which is responsible for hosting, developing, and executing WTI twice a year. “In 2018, we hosted RAF CH-47 QHTI pilots and crew chiefs to participate in WTI with us. It was an incredibly memorable experience with both teams learning a great deal from one another,” Baxter said. “I have had many opportunities to plan and execute with the RAF during my OEF deployments and I have a great appreciation for their professionalism and warfighting spirit.”

The post A True ‘Warhorse’ appeared first on Vertical Mag.

It’s the latter that has become the core around which HMC has built its business over the last 35 years, as it works to both protect the park, and provide access to it for scientists and researchers who seek to secure its long-term health.

The operator began life in 1989 as a maintenance company, established by pilot/mechanic Gary Freeman together with a business partner. However, it quickly evolved into operations — originally in the aerial filming business. Its proximity to the Everglades — and the ability of vertical lift to provide access with as little environmental disruption as possible — mean that while it is a true utility operator, its workload was always destined to be dominated by the national park.

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The oil-and-gas slump of 2014 had a significant negative impact on the leasing sector, said Clark McGinn, a former executive at Waypoint Leasing and CHC Helicopter, who today works as an independent consultant. Combined with the Covid-19 pandemic, this “hit the demand for leasing helicopters to the energy sector for nearly a decade.”

However, HAI Heli-Expo at the end of February showed “a much more buoyant helicopter market than we’ve seen over the last five or six years, with record footfall and number of exhibitor stands,” McGinn said. The past six months has brought a return to equilibrium, he said, with Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine having pushed oil prices upwards.

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This gargantuan underwater fire hose is aimed across a system of shoals and sand bars around three miles (five kilometers) wide and six miles (10 kilometers) long, resulting in sea conditions that have wrecked over 2,000 ships and earned the Columbia River Bar the grim moniker of “graveyard of the Pacific.”

It is one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world, and navigating an 1,100-foot (336-meter) long cargo vessel capable of carrying 13,000 shipping containers through its clutches is a task for which only a few have the skill and the local area knowledge to accomplish safely. Gary Lewin began doing precisely that in 1983, as a marine pilot of the Columbia River Bar. He now serves as the administrative pilot.

The post Passing the Bar appeared first on Vertical Mag.

In fact, legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate last year would have enabled firefighters to be carried aboard surplus military and other restricted category aircraft while engaged in wildfire suppression missions. However, objections from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and unrelated political wrangling meant that the version of the legislation that made it into the FAA Reauthorization Act in May was greatly reduced in scope.

Section 360 of the FAA Reauthorization Act directs the FAA to conduct rulemaking to allow firefighters to be carried aboard restricted category aircraft. However, it specifically excludes surplus military aircraft, which account for the majority of helicopters in the restricted category fleet. The effective consequence of the law is to create a special dispensation for Lockheed Martin Sikorsky’s S-70M Firehawk, which costs as much as $25 million to acquire new, versus a few million dollars for a refurbished military Black Hawk.

This outcome does not reflect the original intent of the lawmakers who introduced the legislation, but that’s not due to any superior lobbying efforts by Sikorsky. Instead, it embodies the FAA’s reluctance to change its stance on restricted category aircraft, filtered through a Congressional process that allotted more time and attention to other priorities. In this article, Vertical unpacks the regulatory barriers to carrying firefighters aboard surplus military aircraft, the recent effort in Congress to overcome them, and why that attempt ultimately failed — at least for now.

Restricted category recap

Vertical has reported extensively in the past on the legal hurdles to carrying firefighters aboard restricted category aircraft. These are aircraft that do not hold a standard category type certificate, but are certificated by the FAA for a limited number of special purpose operations, such as dropping water on fires.

Historically, many restricted category aircraft have been surplus military aircraft that have not had to demonstrate compliance with civil aircraft standards for certification and continued airworthiness. After the Vietnam War, many former military helicopters such as Bell UH-1 Hueys found their way into aerial firefighting under the restricted category, and today ex-military Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks and Boeing CH-47 Chinooks have become essential components of the U.S. wildland firefighting arsenal.

Because restricted category aircraft are not required to meet all civil airworthiness requirements, the FAA minimizes the risk they present to the public by imposing certain operating limitations, which are spelled out in 14 Code of Federal Regulations 91.313. Among other things, restricted category aircraft may not carry persons or property for compensation or hire. Other than flight crewmembers and trainees, they are also prohibited from carrying any person who does not perform an essential function in connection with a special purpose operation for which the aircraft is certificated, or who is necessary to accomplish the work activity directly associated with that special purpose.

For a restricted category helicopter that is certificated for water dropping, a firefighter may be carried on board to perform an essential function such as hooking up a water bucket. However, the FAA affirmed in a 2018 legal interpretation that a restricted category aircraft cannot legally transport firefighters for ground firefighting, even if a water dropping operation is performed along the way.

Notably, many aircraft that would otherwise fall into the restricted category are operated as public aircraft, meaning by or exclusively for a government entity for an approved governmental function. Public aircraft may legally carry qualified non-crewmembers “whose presence is required to perform, or is associated with the performance of, a governmental function” — a more liberal definition that can include ground firefighters.

However, even an exclusive contract with a government entity such as the U.S. Forest Service does not automatically confer public aircraft status. In an advisory circular (AC) re-issued in 2018, the FAA states that civil operators under contract with a government entity must obtain from that entity a written declaration of public aircraft status before conducting public aircraft operations (PAO). “Contracting government entities must be aware that PAO performed by civil operators create a significant transfer of responsibility to the contracting government entity, and that most FAA oversight ceases,” the AC states.

Because surplus military helicopters can offer better performance at a lower cost than comparable standard category helicopters, many state and local government entities have decided that the advantages of using them for missions including transporting firefighters justify them taking on the associated oversight responsibility. In 2018, the federal Bureau of Land Management also issued a PAO declaration for a contracted restricted category UH-60A Black Hawk after the FAA made it clear that the helicopter could not legally transport firefighters without one.

The Forest Service, as the nation’s largest contractor of firefighting aircraft, routinely makes PAO declarations for aircraft engaged in dropping water or fire retardant. When it comes to transporting firefighters and other government personnel, however, it prefers to leave oversight responsibility with the FAA. “As in years past the agency continues to use the standard category helicopter fleet for passenger transport,” a Forest Service spokesperson confirmed to Vertical.

Historically, surplus military aircraft were perceived as less safe than standard category aircraft due to looser certification requirements and lax record-keeping, but that’s no longer necessarily the case. Even the first version of the Black Hawk, the UH-60A, was developed to meet higher standards for redundancy and crashworthiness than some of the older standard category helicopters transporting firefighters today, and most surplus military helicopters come with complete maintenance documentation (which the new owner must then keep up to date).

While the Forest Service is beginning to modernize its contract helicopter fleet through its Multiple Award Task Order Contract (MATOC) system, most standard category helicopters are still more expensive and carry less payload than surplus UH-60A and L-model Black Hawks. Meanwhile, Sikorsky has declined to pursue FAA certification for its modern S-70M Black Hawk in the standard category, instead obtaining a restricted category special airworthiness certificate for the model in 2021. The S-70M is physically identical to the S-70i that is operated as a public aircraft by some agencies including Cal Fire, but has different technical publications associated with its restricted category certification. It is marketed as the Firehawk when modified for aerial firefighting.

Congress steps in

Champions of surplus military Black Hawks have long maintained that there is a strong case to be made for carrying firefighters aboard these high-performing, cost-effective, widely available helicopters, and they found a receptive ear in Congress. In May 2023, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly (D) and Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis (R) introduced the Wildfire Response Aviation Modernization and Safety Act, which directed the FAA to allow the transport of firefighters on board a restricted category aircraft while on a mission to suppress a wildfire.

In a press release announcing the act, Lummis declared it “just makes sense” and “will allow us to use every safe aircraft at our disposal to get firefighters to wildfire areas to save lives, homes and property.” The act as originally introduced applied to aircraft type certificated in the restricted category and made no reference to surplus military aircraft.

The FAA made it clear in comments to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation that it didn’t think carrying firefighters aboard restricted category aircraft — including surplus military aircraft — was a good idea. By the time the Senate introduced its FAA Reauthorization bill in June 2023, the Wildfire Response Aviation Modernization and Safety Act had morphed into Section 339 of that bill.

Section 339 still created a pathway for firefighters to be carried aboard restricted category aircraft by designating firefighters as essential crewmembers for wildfire suppression missions. However, it directed the FAA to conduct formal rulemaking to enable it, and specified that the agency could impose upon these operations the same aircraft maintenance, inspections and pilot training requirements that apply to Part 135 air taxi operations. Additionally, Section 339 added a provision specifically excluding surplus military aircraft, defined as “any aircraft of a type that has been manufactured in accordance with the requirements of and accepted for use by, any branch of the United States Military and has later been modified to be used for wildfire suppression operations.”

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives was working on its own FAA Reauthorization bill. The House bill addressed the transport of firefighters aboard restricted category aircraft in Section 866, which was very similar in language to Section 339 in the Senate bill. To the prohibition against surplus military aircraft, however, the House bill added the qualifier, “unless such aircraft is later type-rated by the Administrator.” The language was imprecise — aircraft are type certificated by the FAA, not type rated — but the intent seemed to be to enable the use of surplus military aircraft with FAA restricted category type certificates, which encompasses most of the surplus military helicopters currently used in the U.S. for wildfire suppression.

The FAA still wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea of allowing restricted category aircraft to transport firefighters. In a letter to the ranking members of the Senate Commerce Committee and House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in January 2024, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg reiterated the FAA’s concerns around Section 866.

“The Department [of Transportation] understands the critical need for the services of firefighters across the country, but their safe transportation is paramount,” Buttigieg wrote. “While the House bill would allow the Administrator to include Part 135 maintenance, inspection, and pilot training requirements in the required rulemaking enabling firefighter transport, this does not address the underlying discrepancies in the aircraft certification basis that are also essential for passenger safety, exposing firefighters to additional risk.”

Ultimately, the Senate language excluding surplus military aircraft prevailed in the form of Section 360 in the final version of the reauthorization bill, agreed to by the House and Senate. In a last-ditch effort to preserve the original intent of their legislation while also addressing safety concerns, Senators Kelly and Lummis on May 7 introduced an amendment that would have enabled the use of certain surplus military aircraft to transport firefighters. Specifically, the amendment made eligible aircraft manufactured after 1970 and equipped with redundant hydraulic systems and two engines with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) — criteria tailored toward the Black Hawk.

By that point, however, the Senate was mired in disagreement over a provision in the final bill that added five new slots for flights out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Senate leaders ultimately blocked voting on any amendments rather than risk derailing the legislation in its entirety. Thus, the FAA Reauthorization Act passed with Section 360’s blanket exclusion of surplus military aircraft intact.

Enabling the S-70

What restricted category helicopters suitable for transporting firefighters remain once surplus military helicopters are excluded? Essentially just new S-70M helicopters, plus some older S-70s originally built for the export market, including a few operated by Firehawk Helicopters.

“This new authorization opens new opportunities for Firehawk usage and increases its availability to fight wildfires,” a Sikorsky spokesperson told Vertical. “The ability to bring firefighters onboard the newest configuration and closer to the fight will be a game-changer in our customers’critical missions of saving lives and preserving properties.”

The FAA is now mandated to conduct rulemaking within the next 18 months that will enable these aircraft to transport firefighters to and from the site of a wildfire, while imposing whatever aircraft maintenance and pilot training requirements the FAA deems necessary to ensure their safety.

The FAA already has a significant rulemaking backlog, and Section 360 of the FAA Reauthorization Act will add to it. In his January 2024 letter to ranking members of Congress, Buttigieg pointed out that “the FAA anticipates that it will be challenging to develop a rule for which the benefits exceed the costs,” given the agency’s safety concerns with such a rulemaking. When contacted by Vertical, the FAA declined to elaborate, stating only: “We will comply with the requirements of the Reauthorization Act.”

Meanwhile, when asked whether it will re-evaluate its position toward transporting firefighters aboard restricted category aircraft once FAA rulemaking opens the door to carrying them aboard S-70 helicopters, the Forest Service did not provide a direct answer. The Forest Service classifies Black Hawks as Type 1 heavy helicopters, and it has generally avoided Type 1 helicopters for personnel transport ever since seven firefighters were killed and three more seriously injured in the “Iron 44” crash of a standard-category Sikorsky S-61N helicopter in 2008.

However, this stance changed in fiscal year 2023, when “a team of agency Subject Matter Experts reviewed and considered operational safety factors associated with Type 1 Standard Category passenger transport resulting in the eventual drafting of the contract requirements as found in the Helicopter Support Services Multi-Award Task Order Contract,” a Forest Service spokesperson told Vertical via email. The agency has since awarded several Type 1 contracts to Precision LLC for missions including passenger transport using standard category Airbus AS332 L1 helicopters, which are comparable to the Black Hawk in performance.

“To maintain operational resiliency, we contract a diverse fleet of helicopters, evaluating aircraft proposed in response to government solicitations against contract requirements and evaluation criteria,” the spokesperson stated. “As of 2023 we have awarded multiple indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity helicopter contracts and are in the process of evaluating another. The requirements in future solicitations will be determined based on our need, funding, and in alignment with our current policy.”

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“Archer is encouraged to see the FAA and EASA draw closer to harmonization of eVTOL certification standards … and believes that achieving full harmonization would be a tremendous benefit to the flying public, as well as the eVTOL industry,” said Billy Nolen, Archer’s chief regulatory affairs officer.

Those at Beta Technologies noted that both the FAA and EASA have been “working tirelessly on harmonization to ensure the best path forward for the industry, both in their regions and on the whole.” The company considers the recent update “a big step toward a mature, harmonized regulatory framework.”

In mid-June, four aviation associations — the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), Airlines for Europe (A4E), and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) — stated support for more U.S.-EU coordination on aviation safety and innovation priorities that was announced during the 2024 FAA-EASA International Aviation Safety Conference.

“Promoting regulatory efficiencies on both sides of the Atlantic is particularly important as new entrants join the system,” the group stated. “The developing landscape around advanced air mobility is an opportunity ripe for increased transatlantic coordination that will ensure global scale without negative effects on civil aviation safety and efficiency in a resource-constrained environment. We also support an open market for these products, which would reinforce the competitiveness of this segment of our aviation sectors.”

Kyle Martin, GAMA’s vice president of European affairs, echoed these thoughts, explaining that his organization has advocated for harmonization from the start.

“Seeing that progress is being made gives eVTOL companies in the U.S. and Europe, and also those located outside these jurisdictions, confidence that they will be able to enter both markets and don’t have to choose,” he said. “We don’t want to be manufacturing different versions of products for different markets for any type of aircraft. We don’t do that for fixed-wing or helicopter models and we should not do that for eVTOLs.”

He added that while the long-term goal is complete harmonization, this will take time as the FAA and EASA starting places are quite different.

Delving into the progress

The FAA and EASA released three separate new draft documents related to eVTOL certification on June 10, which reflect the ongoing harmonization efforts. The documents are subject to public consultation.

The FAA published two documents, one an advisory circular on type certification for powered-lift vehicles. It includes changes to final certification rules the FAA has agreed to for the Joby Aviation S4 and Archer Aviation Midnight eVTOL aircraft.

“It also includes ‘essential’ and ‘increased’ performance approvals, setting two different thresholds for safety depending on how the aircraft will be used,” Martin said. “This aligns with EASA’s ‘basic’ and ‘enhanced’ categories.”

Passenger eVTOLs will need to meet “increased” performance standards, for example, the ability to maintain level flight to a planned destination or alternate landing after a critical change of thrust.

The FAA also released a draft safety continuum, with four certification levels for powered-lift aircraft weighing up to 12,500 pounds (5,700 kilograms). The levels address aircraft that will carry up to 19 passengers, with relation to functional design assurance levels (FDAL). The eVTOLs being certified by Joby and Archer, for example, will carry a pilot and four passengers and therefore fall under Level 2A (FDAL 10^-8) for commercial operations, similar to Part 23 fixed-wing aircraft.

However, at this point, EASA is maintaining a 10^-9 safety requirement for all eVTOL commercial passenger operations, not 10^-8.

On this point, Martin noted that “this is the first time FAA has put out safety numbers for powered-lift aircraft. Although they are different now, someday they will be harmonized. Again, it will take time. EASA has always generally been more conservative than the FAA with regard to safety, and they have different precedents. For example, single-engine commercial helicopter operations have never been allowed over European cities.”

EASA’s draft document

For its part, EASA released a second issue of its special condition for small-category VTOL-capable aircraft. The agency stated “this new issue provides additional flexibility and better alignment with recently approved regulations (e.g., Commission Implementing Regulation 2024/1111) and means of compliance (MOCs) already publicly consulted.

“An MOC associated with the new high-level performance-based requirement VTOL.2517 addressing ‘Electrical Wiring Interconnecting Systems’ will soon be subject to public consultation, along with an update of the current MOC VTOL.2555 for ‘Recorders.’ In addition, a further revision of the special condition is planned in the short term to implement further alignments between EASA and FAA.”

One specific EASA alignment with the FAA is an increase of the maximum takeoff weight to 5,700 kg (12,500 lb) from 3,175 kg (7,000 lb) in SC-VTOL Issue 1. Also in alignment with the FAA, EASA now requires “the prevention of single failures resulting in a catastrophic effect.” There are also added safety features to address a ditching incident, including watertight compartments and the automatic activation of flotation devices.

Martin considers the takeoff weight harmonization very positive because it enables certification of larger aircraft with either greater passenger capacity or greater range with additional battery capacity. He noted that it also aligns with a long-standing weight threshold between normal category CS/Part-23 and commuter category aircraft.

Overall, Martin said GAMA is pleased with the overall harmonization efforts of the FAA and EASA, recognizing that the feedback process is an important part of the process.

“It’s a good start,” he said. “We are going through our usual process, where we and experts at our member companies analyze the three documents. There are 105 pages in total. When we hear from our members, we will consolidate and submit feedback by the deadline of Aug. 12.”

The FAA states that it “has been working with international regulators for several years on harmonizing our approaches to advanced air mobility certification and integration, and this work is ongoing. It is a priority for both the FAA and EASA, and we have technical teams dedicated to this effort. Additionally, we joined the National Aviation Authorities Network, which consists of the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand, to harmonize our certification criteria and integration plans. We also have cooperation agreements with Japan and Korea.”

The post Narrowing the gap between U.S., European eVTOL certification regulations appeared first on Vertical Mag.

In an effort to increase safety and encourage modern aircraft technology, the agency began its phased modernization approach by setting aside 13 of its 128 exclusive use line items (roughly 10 percent) under MATOC for aircraft manufactured after 2000. Of those, three are for type 3 aircraft, five are for type 2 aircraft, and five are for type 2 aircraft transitioning to type 1 aircraft.

Two of the awardees were Hillsboro Aviation and Helicopter Express, in no small part due to their forward thinking and planning.

The post Burning Issues appeared first on Vertical Mag.

“The only thing in common between the two helicopters are the wipers,” said Renaud Guillermet, head of the Sécurité Civile’s mountain rescue sector. “When I fly the D3s, I totally forget about the EC145 C2. It’s when I get off the machine, when I see the Sécurité Civile’s yellow and red paint scheme and the radar nose that it comes back to me. I was flying a descendant of our venerable BK117.”

In France, the Sécurité Civile is responsible for rescue and other public safety missions. Its air group operates a large fleet of aircraft, which includes about 20 Canadair CL-415 and Dash 8 water bomber planes and three liaison planes. Its helicopter fleet includes 40 EC145s and H145s spread across 27 bases in mainland France, as well as overseas departments during the busy season. Each year, Dragon crews carry out about 20,000 rescue missions and 23,000 winch operations. The Sécurité Civile’s range of missions is wide, but it is the mountain work where the crews particularly stand out.

The Sécurité Civile has been using the EC145 C2s since the early 2000s, with the twin-engine aircraft born in Donauwörth, Germany, having gradually replaced the famous red Aérospatiale Alouette IIIs. With a more powerful and faster twin-engine, bigger cabin space, and advanced avionics that allow for instrument flight, the EC145 C2s had certainly brought great progress compared to the venerable Alouette. But the helicopter still suffered from inadequacies, particularly in high mountain missions.

“The so-called economic recovery plan decided after the COVID crisis in 2020 translated into ordering four H145 D3s for the air group, two of which were optional,” Guillermet said. “The first helicopters were delivered at the end of November 2021 and their operational commissioning was announced in June of the following year.”

In 2018, Guillermet had the opportunity to evaluate the H145 D2 in flight, highlighting in a report the advantages of the aircraft for Sécurité Civile’s missions. The D2 kept the four-blade rotor of the EC145 C2, but it carried the Fenestron installed at the end of an extended fuselage tail boom. It also had full authority digital engine control (FADEC) for its two Safran Arriel 2E turbine engines.

“During my evaluation flight, there was as much difference at the time between the C2 and the D2 as between the Alouette III and the C2. It was exactly the helicopter we needed,” Guillermet said. “With it, it was possible to go on an IFR [instrument flight rules] flight, winch in the mountains, fly back under NVGs [night vision goggles], return to IFR and reach a hospital — all with a crew of only two people, a pilot and a mechanic.”

The Sécurité Civile is the only agency in France today to fly single pilot at night for complex operational missions. When the EC145 C2s began to show their age, the unit pleaded to renew to the H145 D2s rather than renovate its existing C2s. The decision to modernize the fleet with the D3s was an even better solution since its new five-bladed main rotor further improved the aircraft’s performance at altitude.

The Alouette III remained in service for half a century, and in doing so, instilled in the minds of high-ranking civil servants the idea that such longevity was normal. The replacement of the EC145s after 20 years was a surprise for the team. Sécurité Civile signed a contract in 2023 to completely renew its 40-helicopter fleet. Three aircraft will be delivered this year, with deliveries expected to continue at a rate of eight per year from 2025.

The first aircraft delivered were assigned as a priority to Annecy and Grenoble, two large cities in the French Alps in charge of high mountain operations. The first base covers Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps and Western Europe rising 15,770 feet (4,810 meters) above sea level. The base provides detachments to Chamonix every other week, alternating with a Gendarmerie helicopter, and Courchevel, depending on the season.

The second aircraft is turned toward the Ecrins alpine massif and arms a detachment at Alpes d’Huez. At the start of 2024, the possession of four H145s only guarantees the availability of three aircraft, with the fourth being under scheduled maintenance. Priority is given to Grenoble, which permanently has two H145s, while Annecy juggles with one H145 and one EC145.

“The transition from the EC145 to the H145 opened new horizons for us,” Guillermet said. “The former can be tricky to maneuver at high altitude due to its 17 knots crosswind limitation. You can easily reach the limit of maneuverability in yaws. Only a highly clever person would be able to predict the crosswind at a winching point in the high mountains.”

Meanwhile, the D3’s high-performance Fenestron and extended tail provides a better yaw authority, raising the limit to 30 knots of crosswind. Another essential point is the comfort of the five-bladed rotor. Guillermet said the new helicopter “provides greater comfort, less vibration and better stability when hovering.”

The performance gain is just as spectacular. From the Chamonix base, the Sécurité Civile crew may be required to intervene on Mont Blanc.

“With the C2, we were able to carry out the missions but with a very reduced payload. We could, for example, extract a single person with 10 minutes of fuel remaining,” Guillermet said. “With the H145, you can pick up five people at once with 45 minutes of fuel remaining. This is an increase of 400 kilograms [880 pounds] in payload. For a helicopter that weighs 3.3 ton when taking off from the base, this is a 15-percent gain.”

While the crew is still carrying out the same mission scope with the D3s, for certain altitude ranges, the new helicopters allow them to work in much better conditions, increasing their safety margins. This is important for a base that’s essentially focused on high mountain operations.

The ergonomics of the new aircraft are also considered to be much superior than the EC145, and the Helionix avionics, as intuitive as it is pleasant to use, win all the votes of the crews.

“Autopilot offers us extremely useful modes that work perfectly,” Guillermet said. “When I was a pilot in the Navy, it was impossible to hover at night on the sea in the absence of ground reference without a good autopilot. Hovering at night on dry land is also good with an automatic pilot. Meanwhile, I can concentrate more on winching safety.”

He said the Helionix also offers new modes, such as a ground trajectory control mode (GTC), which adjusts its reference to match what the pilot is doing, as well as an integrated mission mapping system.

While the H145 D3 may be an improvement for pilots, it nonetheless remains a BK117, according to the terms of the certification authorities. It therefore does not require additional type qualifications for pilots already qualified on the EC145 C2, but simply a three-week training course to understand all of its particularities.

This included completing a module of around 20 flight hours, which was initially carried out at Airbus in Donauwörth, Germany, but is now provided internally by the Sécurité Civile. Added to this is an operational adaptation course, which takes place in the mountains and represents around 10 additional flight hours. Before being able to take the controls of the new aircraft, the training ends with three to five flights with the usual partners of the Sécurité Civile: gendarmes, high mountain specialists, and firefighters. For these flights, the transition from the EC145 C2 to the H145 D3 brings no change. The cabin is the same and nothing changes in support work or winching.

The pattern is quite similar for the mechanics, who participate in the line maintenance of aircraft but also play an essential role in the mission by assisting the pilot, particularly during IFR or NVG flights. They also take care of the cabin and are responsible for operating the winch. Their training on the D3 takes place during a three-week technical internship at Airbus, followed by a two-week onboard operator internship in Nimes, France, the Sécurité Civile’s main base. They then participate in an eight-hour mountain adaptation flight the same way as the pilots.

Maintenance of the H145 is simpler than that of the EC145, according to the crew. This is because of the H145 D3’s more modern design compared to the EC145 C2’s labor intensive design.

At the moment, all Sécurité Civile pilots are trained on the C2s before moving on to the D3s, but this will quickly change with the renewal of the fleet.

“I think that the C2 was a demanding device which was ultimately very educational for new pilots,” Guillermet said. “As head of the mountain training sector, my wish would have been to have a C2 to carry out training and evaluations. With the H145, things are almost too easy, but you have to move with the times. And the H145 is an exceptional helicopter, so I’m not going to complain.”

With around a hundred pilots and as many flight mechanics, the helicopter group is a small organization that covers the entire French territory with its 27 permanent bases and 40 helicopters. The Sécurité Civile does not recruit aircrews fresh out of flying school. All pilots and mechanics already have a first career — most of the time, in the military — before joining the ranks of the Dragons.

“I joined the Sécurité Civile in 2004 after a first career in the Navy spent mainly at the controls of [the Aérospatiale SA 321] Super Frelon,” Guillermet said.

At the beginning of the 2000s, recruitment was high with around 15 pilots coming in per year, but today, it has been reduced significantly with only four new pilots expected this year.

“For all these people who have prior experience on the Tiger, EC725 or NH90, training for a type rating on the BK117 C2 is a very educational experience, which is also very revealing for us. Afterward, the transition to the H145 is done as needed,” Guillermet said.

The post French Sécurité Civile: Mountain Power appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Since that pivotal moment, Metro Aviation has evolved into the premier destination for helicopter outfitting and modifications, catering not only to air medical needs but also to law enforcement, utility, VIP, and offshore operators. Metro’s comprehensive approach covers every aspect of the modification process, from initial concept to the delivery of the final, customized product.

This is how they do it.

Continue reading this feature story in the Spring 2024 issue of Vertical Valor magazine.

The post The journey of a Metro helicopter appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Training in helicopters is costly, and mistakes costlier still. Despite that, the economics of high-fidelity flight simulators have only ever really worked out in favor of aircraft in the upper echelons of weight and complexity.

As a result, large, expensive and complex full flight simulators (FFSs) have been the only technological method able to meaningfully reduce live training time.

But all that appears to be changing. The commercialization of various technologies — ranging from geospatial data to computing and display systems — has allowed companies to recreate the complexity of helicopter flight through a multitude of new approaches, and at far lower prices than were previously possible.

Continue reading this feature article in the Heli-Expo 2024 Mega Issue of Vertical Magazine.

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April saw a flurry of announcements in the UAE by some of the most well-known eVTOL firms — most of them made at the DRIFTx event in the capital city/emirate of Abu Dhabi.

Among them was Joby Aviation, announcing an agreement with various city departments to establish and scale air taxi services in Abu Dhabi and beyond. Joby also has exclusive rights to operate air taxis in Dubai for six years from the start of its operations there.

Archer Aviation announced plans to launch air taxi operations across the Abu Dhabi region, perhaps as early as the end of 2025. The company said its agreement with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO) includes “multi hundred-million-dollar” investments to support the development and commercialization of its four-passenger Midnight aircraft. Archer also plans to establish its international headquarters in Abu Dhabi and carry out in-country manufacturing.

Archer’s partnership with ADIO started in 2023 and builds on other partnerships it’s made in the country. Air Chateau International, for example, plans to purchase up to 100 Midnight aircraft to operate in the Abu Dhabi area. Archer is also working with ADIO and Falcon Aviation to develop a vertiport network in the UAE.

On the pilot front, in May, Archer announced it would partner with Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Aviation Training to recruit and train pilots for Midnight. The eVTOL firm will deliver a Midnight simulator to Etihad Training for research and development (R&D) of pilot training competencies and to support the required regulatory certifications.

EHang and others

Also at DRIFTx, EHang announced a collaboration with ADIO and the Multi Level Group (MLG), a subsidiary of Ethmar International Holding (EIH), to drive eVTOL development in the UAE and beyond in several ways. EHang will set up its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi to promote business activities with ADIO and MLG, including manufacturing, flight operations, R&D, training and maintenance.

“ADIO will provide important support for us to enter and enhance our presence in Abu Dhabi, including providing data and information related to establishing and operating a manufacturing and industrial services business in Abu Dhabi, setting up enablement and links with the Abu Dhabi ecosystem, and international trade opportunities,” an EHang spokesperson said.

In early May, EHang, with the support of local partners, completed the first air taxi demo flight in Abu Dhabi, under approval from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). It was also the region’s first passenger-carrying air taxi demo flight.

“Following this achievement, we will actively promote collaboration and communication between the GCAA and the Civil Aviation Administration of China,” the EHang spokesperson said.

EHang has also established a partnership with Wings Logistics Hub, the technology arm of EIH, to facilitate local certification and operations of the EH216 eVTOL aircraft in the UAE. The Hub will purchase up to 100 of EHang’s EH216 aircraft.

“These pilotless eVTOLs will be deployed after obtaining local certification for future operations in the UAE, encompassing passenger transportation, aerial logistics and firefighting,” said the spokesperson. In early 2024, EHang already delivered five EH216s to the Hub for testing, training and certification purposes.

In close coordination with these partners and government entities in the UAE, EHang is also actively involved in designing and establishing vertiports.

Meanwhile, in 2023, UPS announced a collaboration with Beta Technologies to test eVTOL aircraft in the UAE. Other companies interested in the area include Eve Air Mobility, VPorts, Skyportz and Skyports.

Why the UAE leads

Simply put, the UAE is leading in AAM planning because leaders have taken concrete steps to support companies to operate there — including substantial investments in vertiports and much more.

Archer’s framework agreement with ADIO, for example, will see ADIO subsidize eVTOL operations and help build out the AAM workforce. As mentioned, the Archer-ADIO agreement also includes multiple hundred-million-dollar investments to support the development and commercialization of the Midnight, with manufacture in UAE to follow.

Putting aside the UAE’s substantial capacity to offer financial support to the eVTOL sector, EHang also recognizes that Abu Dhabi and the UAE “align perfectly with our criteria for service launch,” said a company spokesperson, in terms of significant urban air traffic and a rapidly-expanding population.

But for his part, Nayef Shahin, ADIO director of innovation and knowledge, explained that Abu Dhabi is actively working to be an attractive and world-first launch market for eVTOL operations as part of a larger shift.

“Abu Dhabi is transforming into an export-driven, resilient economy, empowered by a highly-skilled workforce to leverage advanced technologies and emerging disruptive economic trends,” he said. “The Emirates is focusing on creating economic clusters of the future to overcome global challenges.”

This includes the establishment in 2023 of the Smart and Autonomous Vehicle Industry (SAVI) cluster, intended to be a global hub for smart and autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions across air, land and sea.

According to Shahin, the SAVI cluster “cuts across traditional economic sectors, reflecting the reality of the interconnectedness of industries and the businesses within them.”

He added that with SAVI, “we have prioritized R&D. We have the capabilities to test products and we’re now developing manufacturing capabilities,” Shahin reported. “We’re also collaborating with all necessary private and public stakeholders to ensure our innovative solutions have real-world impact. The cluster supports the Emirates’ aim to spearhead the advancement and implementation of the next era of advanced mobility solutions.”

Consensus

In his view, in holding its inaugural DRIFTx event this year, Abu Dhabi was “provided the consensus that flying taxis will be a popular mode of transport in the UAE and globally, much sooner than expected.”

Shahin pointed to a number of “firsts” that were featured at DRIFTx. For example, the UAE’s first operational eVTOL vertiport was unveiled by ADIO in collaboration with GCAA and the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), represented by Abu Dhabi Mobility, a DMT affiliate.

And as mentioned, Abu Dhabi concluded a number of agreements at DRIFTx with key AAM players, such as Archer, MLG and EHang. These collaborations, Shahin said, “will play a key role in driving Abu Dhabi’s efforts in promoting eVTOLs to transform the way people and goods are transported and in advancing the future of mobility globally.”

In Dubai

Similarly to what the UAE as a whole and Abu Dhabi are doing, a Joby spokesperson noted that government officials in Dubai have consistently demonstrated their commitment to being world leaders in the adoption of eVTOL technology.

“Our agreement [for exclusive air taxi operation for six years from start of operation] is supported at the very highest levels and delivers on all three pillars required to successfully launch an air taxi service,” the spokesperson said. “These are a definitive path to operations, well-placed infrastructure supported by dedicated partners, and an aircraft with the capacity and range to deliver meaningful journeys. Additionally, the Dubai government has a clear vision of how to integrate this new technology into existing forms of transport.”

The near and long-term future

Looking at the entire UAE region, Shahin believes eVTOLs will be a key element of the future of mobility through their ability to create new high-speed travel routes versus focusing on ground transport.

“Through leveraging eVTOLs, we can develop a regional network of hubs that could connect cities and suburbs across the entire region, enhancing transport and trade and promoting cross-border partnerships,” he said. “The ultimate aim is to provide a practical mode of affordable transport to relieve the strains on existing transport infrastructure.”

Looking at Abu Dhabi in the near future, Shahin said specifically that “Archer is looking to transform urban travel in the region, replacing 60- to 90-minute commutes by car with estimated 10- to 20-minute electric air taxi flights that are safe, sustainable, low noise and cost-competitive with ground transportation.”

As for further into the future, Shahin said “the possibilities are endless for eVTOLs. We anticipate that they will play a significant role in enhancing both cargo and personal mobility over the next decade.”

The post AAM in the UAE appeared first on Vertical Mag.

The second largest airport in lower mainland B.C., the facility is home to year-round commercial airline service and general aviation operators including Canada’s largest and longest-running helicopter flight school — Chinook Helicopters.

Founded in 1982 with one Bell 47, Chinook Helicopters has grown to 16 helicopters — six Bell 47s, six Robinson R44s, two Bell 206s, and two Bell 505s — as well as 11 Cessna 172s and three Diamond DA-42 airplanes.

Operating out of two modern buildings on a prime corner lot with ample ramp space and adjacent grassy area, Chinook trains an average of 30 percent of all student helicopter pilots in Canada, and performs 75 percent of all helicopter instrument flight rules (IFR) training in the country.

Continue reading this feature story in the February/March 2024 issue of Vertical Magazine.

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While he may not have commanded quite the same attention or became a household name in helicopter aviation circles as his father Frank, he arguably made an equally important impact. By working behind the scenes, the younger Robinson was instrumental in creating the success RHC enjoys today.

The post Robinson Helicopter Company marks the end of an era appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Anderson lifted the helicopter into a 10-foot hover and made a pedal turn into the wind, preparing to take off. A second later he heard a metallic pop.

“I had just enough time to ask my girlfriend if she heard that when the aircraft started shuttering, then the tail suddenly dipped and the helicopter started a hard spin to the right,” Anderson recalls.

Anderson’s training kicked in automatically. He rolled off the throttle and entered a hovering autorotation. He kept the aircraft level and maintained control until the aircraft settled. While it skidded a bit, it landed upright with no significant damage from the landing. Everyone onboard was unharmed.

“After we shut down, I looked around and everything looked fine; there was no way I hit anything on that wide open ramp,” he said. “Then I saw my tail rotor was missing. It was 50 feet away from the aircraft.”

The next thing Anderson did was call Simon Jones, the recurrent training flight instructor in Southern California he flies with every six months for advanced recurrent training.

“I just said, ‘Hey man, I want to thank you. Today you probably saved my life,’ ” Anderson recalled. “When he was out here last, he told me the chances of losing a tail rotor are really, really slim, but he was going to teach me what to do just in case. Had we not practiced that, I would not have known what to do and I could have seriously hurt or killed myself or my passengers.”

When he looked closer, Anderson found feathers and blood where the tail rotor was, on the ground, and with the tail rotor in the grass. The cause was clearly a bird strike. An animal conservation specialist later inspected the few pieces of the bird he could find and determined the culprit was most likely a kite, and not a very large one at that.

“Simon said this was only the second time they’d ever heard of a bird taking out a tail rotor,” Anderson said. “And I am so lucky Simon gave me the training to respond. That was nothing my initial flight instructor ever demonstrated or even taught.”

Advanced Flight Training on Demand

Jones, 53, has spent his entire 30-year helicopter career flying Robinson helicopters, with the vast majority of that time performing flight instruction. A British citizen, he was working for American Airlines in Manchester, England, when the aviation bug bit him in the early 1990s.

Jones first earned his airplane rating in Texas then began helicopter flight training in California in 1994. When his student visa ran out, he invested with a partner in an R44 to gain an E-2 nonimmigrant visa and continue his flying career in California. After a few years of commercial operations and instruction, Jones moved into teaching more advanced emergency procedures. In 2003, he began contracting with Robinson Helicopter Company as one of the flight instructors during the Robinson Pilot Safety Course.

In 2005, Jones founded Advanced Flight at Torrance Airport, down the field from Robinson Helicopter Company, with his own R44 helicopter to specialize in advanced flight instruction. The maneuvers he teaches build on basic instruction, but include actual training in scenarios most flight schools can’t or won’t teach, including full touchdown autorotations, stuck pedal, zero airspeed autorotations, power on autorotations, lost tail rotor, hydraulics failures, vortex ring state identification and recovery, and more.

“Most of my customers already knew how to fly,” Jones explained of the early days with Advanced Flight. “They would come to the Robinson factory for the pilot course, where they’d only do about an hour or so of flying. Then they’d come down to my company to do more advanced or enhanced emergency procedures.”

Between flying at Robinson during courses and providing advanced instruction, Jones began to develop a reputation in the Robinson community as a highly skilled, down-to-earth instructor who put students at ease as he taught them the advanced skills they hadn’t learned elsewhere. He also built a hefty student list of customers from around the world.

“Over the years, I got to know a lot of clients who, for insurance purposes, were required to attend the safety course or get advanced instruction every year — and that got expensive for them in terms of costs for the course, travel, hotel, and missed work,” he explained. “A lot of them were business owners and that was a real pain. They started asking me if I could come to them. We would work with their insurance companies to get permission for them to satisfy recurrency requirements with me. I could fly out to them on a Friday, fly with them Saturday and Sunday and fly home Sunday night. They wouldn’t miss any work. Slowly but surely my business evolved into a purely consultation and traveling instructor pilot service.”

Today, Jones has close to 17,000 hours of flight time with the vast majority being hours of instruction given. He travels multiple times a month domestically and internationally to conduct advanced instruction in the R44 and R66. While he no longer owns an R44, when there is a request for advanced training in Torrance, he has agreements with a local flight school to contract its helicopter for the training.

A Higher Level of Safety

Federal Aviation Administration regulations require pilots to undergo a biannual flight review every two years to remain current. Insurance companies often require recurrent training more often, especially for private owners. Anderson, who sold his R44 and how owns an R66, insists on having that training every six months, emphasizing his safety focus.

“I never went the commercial route, but I want to operate with the professionalism of a commercial pilot,” Anderson said. “I have about 1,500 hours in helicopters and I’m only now feeling like I know what I thought I knew at 400 hours. You have to respect the helicopter. Every time I start to feel too comfortable, I call Simon and tell him it’s time for him to come out and shake me up again. You can’t be too proficient.”

Rob Rawlings flies a Robinson R44 Raven I for Vertical Flight in Clearwater, Florida. In addition to tours, the company does a great deal of commercial photography and aerial survey work, which can put the helicopter into some sticky situations if an emergency were to occur.

A former U.S. Army Black Hawk pilot and instructor pilot for the U.S. Coast Guard, Rawlings is by all accounts a very skilled helicopter pilot. When he started at Vertical Flight four-and-a-half years ago, his first mission was to attend the Robinson Pilot Safety Course. That is where he met Jones. After the course, he signed up for additional training with Jones.

“I’ve never seen this level of instructor in the civilian sector, let alone the military,” Rawlings said of Jones. “He blew me away when he demonstrated a zero-airspeed autorotation. There are times I’m in tight places for photo shoots and that’s now another tool in my toolbox. I’d never done that, or even heard of it before. Another thing we never experienced in military training was vortex ring state. We just talked about it, but never demonstrated it. Simon made sure I knew how to recognize, avoid, and get out of it by flying it myself. Every time he leaves, I feel much more confident in my skills and abilities to respond to an emergency.”

Vertical Flight now brings Jones out every six months to fly with each pilot for five to six hours in the environments in which they operate.

Often Jones’s customers work together, pooling their funds to bring Jones to their area for multiple days for each to fly.

“Simon will fly with you as long as you want,” Anderson said. “We pay a flat day rate and he’ll go until you’re exhausted. I think the longest we flew one day was six hours, which is a lot when you’re practicing emergency procedures the whole time. When there are a few of us, he’ll stay a few days and we rotate to spread it out.”

Jones will also work with customers who want a safety pilot to accompany them while they take trips with their helicopters. Jones will take the opportunity to teach clients new skills, such as high-density altitude flying and operations in the mountains, confined area landings, or over water operations, as well as emergency procedures on the way.

“Simon is probably the best instructor I’ve ever flown with, and I’ve flown with 20 different instructors in airplanes and helicopters since 1991,” Anderson said. “He doesn’t have an ego. He’s very easy going and will go as fast as you want to go or as slow as you want to go. He puts you at ease, making it easy to have a rapport and to learn.”

Jones has a basic syllabus he follows during his visits, but also leaves room for flexibility. Ground school consists of a talk about what will happen in the flight and debriefs after flights. The rest is flying. He’ll typically plan for three flights in the morning and three in the afternoon.

“What we do in the air depends on what the client needs and wants as well as what the insurance company wants them to do,” Jones said. “I’ll assess where they are in the beginning of the flights and we’ll work on procedures where they’re weak, rusty, or need to be introduced to the procedure.”

Jones typically spends one to two days with a single client, and stays three to four for two or more clients, flying as much as each wants to each day. Some want to spread it out over more days, and Jones accommodates. His rates consist of a basic daily rate (regardless of how much flying takes place), a reduced rate for travel days, as well as hotel and transportation costs.

While there are a number of instructors for hire and flight schools that will provide recurrent training with Robinson helicopter owners, Jones is a rare breed of high-level instruction given his time in make and model and willingness to perform advanced emergency procedures. His only limitation is instrument training. Jones does not have an instrument or instrument instructor rating, so doesn’t delve into instrument work beyond how to get out of inadvertent IMC — and then only if the customer requests recurrency on that skill.

“I’m thankful to know Simon,” Anderson shared as he reflected on his tail rotor incident. “He’s worth every penny. I hope more pilots, especially pilots like me that are fortunate enough to own our own personal helicopters, understand the value of training every six months, whether it’s with Simon or another skilled instructor. Honestly, if I woudn’t have been training with Simon, there’s no telling what would have happened to me that day.”

The post Instructor for Hire appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Encountering such a situation brings all sorts of pressures on the aircraft captain. This is normally not experienced during flight training, and it’s certainly even more challenging for those operating as a single pilot.

Hopefully due to the efforts of organizations, such as the International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST), the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST), the European Helicopter Safety Team (EHEST) and the Helicopter Association of Canada (HAC), you were exposed to some of the training material associated with inadvertent entry into instrument meteorological conditions (IIMC).

Perhaps you watched the 56 Seconds to Live YouTube video created by USHST and noted the issues involved. Maybe your company has some training requirements built into your line check regime. Unfortunately, the problem usually isn’t a lack of training — it’s often the pilot who thinks that they won’t face such a predicament.

IIMC remains the issue that I think about on a regular basis. This is not only because I now fly in a very challenging weather environment, but also because, with monotonous and annoying regularity, helicopters still end up on the wrong side of Mother Nature, inevitably with fatal consequences.

The requirements for helicopter VFR flying in most countries are relatively liberal. As long as you stay below 140 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS) and you’re clear of cloud and in sight of the surface, you’re fine to fly. But these criteria are open to interpretation. How “clear of cloud” exactly? And how much exactly of the surface must I be able to see?

Judging this all from the ground is not easy, and weather forecasts are still pretty poor at coming up with an enroute forecast that is reliable in the environment below 2,000 feet (610 meters) above ground level (AGL). 

This choice often becomes one of instinct, based on local weather knowledge, the terrain of the operating area, and the needs of the mission. If the weather is marginal for VFR but definitively not “fogged out,” the pressure to continue the flight can be irresistible, but this is where the first barrier to IIMC occurs. Inevitably, it is the aircraft captain who must decide, unless the organization has a structured system of third-party authorization for the flight. The latter is very common in military operations but it’s normally not a key element in smaller flight operations.

Once the pilot is in the air and they see the weather ahead is not what they were expecting, they’re faced with some crucial decisions to make. They could turn around the way they came, climb and go instrument flight rules (IFR) (if the aircraft is equipped and pilot is rated), land, or carry on with the planned route or look for a better one. I have done all of these at one time or another, and each introduces its own set of problems.

If you have a paying passenger on board, perhaps only returning to start, diverting or continuing are acceptable to them. Unfortunately, there are plenty of examples where this has become the critical link in the accident chain, when the customer — perhaps high paying — insists on continuing and the pilot neither has the fortitude or job security to say no.

Of these decisions, the one most often ignored is to just land. But this is a valid choice that can buy essential decision-making time, allowing for rational discussions between those in the helicopter without the pressure of the environment. Perhaps you can make a call, get advice on a better route, or even arrange for ground transport.

If you choose to continue flying, you will be faced with a dynamic situation and a lot will depend on how you deal with it. In the moment, when you fly into cloud or fog, what do you do? Your references are now internal and if you have an artificial horizon and compass, you can probably still do a 180-degree turn and try to exit.

As a VFR-rated pilot, this really is the point of no return, and it’s something that you need to practice more than once a year in a skills test (if you get checked on it at all). It should be in your operation’s manual, and you should take advantage of any simulator training available.

If you are going to convert to IFR flight, knowing and practicing what to do next is just as important. On entry into cloud, rather than try to turn, the best bet is to climb safely and quickly to a safe altitude while changing the IFF code to 7700 if you think you are climbing into busy airspace. This will ensure that air traffic control (ATC) will understand your predicament and can move people out of your way while you get to safety. 

From a power perspective, what you do will depend on your exact situation, but it’s best to use at least max continuous power just to ensure you clear the terrain and obstacles ahead of you. Air speed should be reduced to the best angle of climb speed, and your heading should be adjusted as you climb to give you the best terrain clearance. Of course, all of this relies on having decent instrument equipment and a really good idea of your navigational position. Once at a safe altitude and in good two-way communication with ATC, it will be time to settle into IFR navigation mode and prepare yourself for the next phase.

These decisions might seem easy but there are a lot of factors that get in the way of the decision-making. What if it is winter and IFR is not an option? What if the terrain is poor or waterlogged and you cannot land? What if the mission is so important that canceling or turning around is not an option? There is no right answer, but this is something that pilots should be thinking about on a regular basis and something to cover during preflight preparations. 

It doesn’t matter who you are, what operation you are conducting, or who your customer might be. IIMC will be something you come across in professional helicopter operations. Be ready for it so you don’t become another statistic.

Simon Sparkes is a test pilot for the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency who started his flying career with the Royal Navy at the end of the 1980s. With over 50 aircraft types in his logbook, his experience has ranged from anti-submarine warfare operations on the Sea King, to basic helicopter instruction on the Gazelle, to commercial light twin operations in both the EC135 and AS355. Previously the commanding officer of the Empire Test Pilots’ School, he currently works on a variety of projects with the AW101 SAR Queen in the challenging Norwegian environment.

The post Preparing for inadvertent entry into IMC appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Meanwhile, the two eVTOL developers in Germany, Volocopter and Lilium, have had some issues getting their government to back them. 

Sergio Cecutta of SMG Consulting points out that although some European countries have supported their eVTOL industry mainly through technology grants, “they pale in comparison” with the support enjoyed in the U.S. via the U.S. Department of Defence. Various state governments have also provided incentives for production facilities.

“It’s a handicap for an eVTOL company not to have government support,” he said. “In general, we think that a lack of government support for its domestic AAM industry is a downside, especially in a worldwide market where U.S. and Chinese OEMs are getting this kind of support.”

Looking at Volocopter, earlier this spring, CEO Dirk Hoke announced that his firm may need to look at insolvency options, after the company failed to secure loans from two German state governments, as well as the federal government.

Hoke said at the time that “Volocopter has been transparent that the fundraising market has been difficult in the past few years … In general, Germany has very limited mechanisms to support startups in the late stages of financing.”

He also noted that these mechanisms are largely missing across Europe, and he called for new initiatives to help shape and support local technologies in the international arena.

After Volocopter’s first failed attempt to secure a €100-million (US$107-million) loan that would be split equally between the company’s home state of Baden-Württemberg and the federal government, the eVTOL startup had applied for a convertible €100-million (US$107-million) loan from the feds and the state of Bavaria.

From its early days, Volocopter has also faced ongoing legal disputes with its Seedmatch investors. As well, the company’s leaders had decided in November 2021 to back out of its planned merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), a financing option that some other eVTOL firms have chosen — which may or may not have been a good move in retrospect.

However, Hoke has said that Volocopter is engaging in “good discussions with existing and new investors for alternative means of financing” in Europe and beyond. Its existing investors include Saudi Arabian organization Neom, Chinese car manufacturer Geely, South Korean investor WP Investment, Italy-based Atlantia SpA, and Tokyo Century.

New funding

On June 5, Hoke was pleased to announce financing success. Volocopter’s last push to market will be funded by several existing shareholders, which can’t yet be named, the company said.

A Volocopter spokesperson said that as a private company, “we are not able to disclose any detail until the end of the round, which could be Q4 of this year,” but added that “this funding will see us through to EASA type certification and beyond.”

In terms of future financing that may be needed, the spokesperson said all options will stay open. “SPAC and IPO are a few of these mechanisms to go public, but we will choose the option that suits our business and corporate strategy when the market is right.”

Volocopter is still “determined to achieve our development milestones toward type certification,” the spokesperson said, “and to fly in Paris in the summer when all eyes are on the city.”

Lilium

Germany-based Lilium is also seeking funds to continue toward type certification and is currently in talks with the governments of nearby countries. Entry into service of the Lilium Jet is planned for 2026. Lilium said it has an order pipeline of over 780 aircraft, including binding orders and agreements from operators in the U.S., South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Specifically, while Lilium waits for the due diligence of government development bank KfW to determine whether financing will be forthcoming from the governments of Germany and Bavaria, the company announced in May that it’s in discussions with the French government to explore high-volume production facilities there. Lilium said it is currently working with multiple French Tier 1 suppliers, including Saint-Gobain, Michelin, Expliseat, and Ratier-Figeac.

“We are confident that the due diligence procedure in Germany will be done fairly quickly, allowing the governments to act in the second half of the year,” said Lilium spokesperson Rainer Ohler. “The process in France is also ongoing. We are also confident that results will become visible fairly quickly.”

Cecutta noted that similarly to Airbus, which he describes as a “European champion” that transcends the definition of a company based in a specific country, “we should think about AAM companies in Europe as European, and thus they should be free to look for support from European countries other than the one they were started in.”

U.S.-Europe comparisons

As to why government financing in Europe appears to take much longer than in the U.S., Ohler points to complex European financing regulations.

“The established schemes were all not appropriate for deep tech/startup/pre-revenue companies,” he explained. “France has, in the meantime, established broader schemes as it strongly tries to implement re-industrialization measures. Germany acts in these circumstances in a concerted effort between the federal and the state level, which adds complexity but also impact — realities we have to live with and can live with.”   

In anyone’s assessment of the situation, Ohler puts forth three other points to consider. First, he noted that “historically, there is not a single successful aircraft program in the world that came to fruition without government support.” 

Secondly, he noted that eVTOL firms in the U.S. have received government support “on a level that will most likely never be achieved by Lilium. In China, government support is even stronger. However, the envisaged support by Germany and France would strongly help to create a better level playing field.”

Lastly, Ohler noted that financial markets see government support as an indicator of trust and confidence, a sign of societal and industrial relevance of a project that supports their own engagement.

On this note, with regard to Lilium and other eVTOL firms, he pointed out that “we represent a strong contribution to the decarbonization of aviation — something that is very much in the interest of our societies and governments.” 

The post Fighting for eVTOL funding appeared first on Vertical Mag.

They won’t have a choice in three years, in any case. In late April, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated the use of an SMS by all charter, commuter and air tour operators by 2027. This includes all eVTOL companies that plan to fly part 135 commuter and on-demand operations, including Joby, Archer, and Wisk, among many others.

The shift to using an SMS framework in aviation began in the 1990s, moving the sector’s approach to safety from less reactive to more proactive and preventative. This was already being done in manufacturing and other industries.

SMS encompasses safety policy, safety risk management, safety assurance, safety promotion and safety culture.

Safety first

While Hill and his colleagues are very pleased the SMS rule has been finalized by the FAA, he stressed that safety should not be something that is forced upon companies. That is, eVTOL company leaders should view implementing an SMS not as something they have to do, but as something they should want to do voluntarily, rightly viewing the program as integral to the success of their future operations. 

That being said, Hill recognized that many eVTOL firms are already “leaning in” to various safety regulations and policies.

“They want to be very safe and ready to meet all the oversight they might be subjected to,” he explained. “I would think they want to ensure they are managing all their risks on the day they receive their operation certificate. They will want to hit the ground running with a comprehensive program in place to address gaps in operational safety.

“But company leaders will discover the value and many benefits of an SMS once it’s being put in place. From the start, VAI has promoted the intrinsic value of an SMS and we encourage all companies to get started now on realizing that value. Don’t wait any longer.”

Wisk, two years in

Wisk joined the SMS program in 2022. The company said it is on track to launch its eVTOL air taxi that will fly autonomously with human oversight. But not only did Wisk take the initiative with starting SMS in 2022, it also began implementing it across the entire company.

Leadership considered limiting the scope of SMS to just operations safety, but it was an impractical idea that would not meet company needs. At this point, two years into working on enterprise-wide SMS, things are going well.

“We have rolled up our sleeves and are getting to the education and adoption of SMS principles/components,” reported Connie Avery, senior manager of SMS. “Today, our focus is tactical in looking for business practices that are aligned or nearly aligned with SMS components and adapting those processes as required to fulfill the components of SMS for each of the lines of business. In the course of doing this work, we are curating our safety culture with intention.”

Of course, Wisk is also breaking new ground in that it’s implementing SMS for autonomous aircraft operation. This provides opportunities for SMS innovation, but Avery also noted that it’s a matter of following established pathways.

“While autonomous flight ops will bring a new set of hazards and issues that will be new to the industry, how we apply the SMS will be no different to traditional aircraft,” she explained. “Remember that SMS is also prevalent in the oil and medical sectors. This shows that the application of SMS is agnostic to the hazards being mitigated.”

With autonomy and SMS, Avery thinks the key will be investing in very in-depth hazards analysis using as many sources as possible.

“Safety only happens in the course of doing work, so our safety activities must be defined in the context of the work,” she explained. “How well we design, build and operate is measured by quality, and quality is intrinsic to safety. As a human-on-the-loop operating system, our human error opportunity has been moved upstream of crewed aircraft, increasing the significance of our system safety organization. Our strategy is to synergize the safety and quality efforts in direct support of our design, production and operating activities. We have spent this year aligning and nesting our activities that promote excellence.”

Sharing for the benefit of all

Wisk also plans to do its best to support a more open culture of sharing safety data between different original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), operators, and other stakeholders as the advanced air mobility (AAM) era begins.

While Wisk’s crewed competitors will have the first opportunity to forge a path for information sharing, with their aircraft and safety data streams existing ahead of Wisk’s, Avery said that “any way that Wisk can participate in a meaningful way, we will, and where we see an opportunity to lead the way for safety, we will. We remain committed to an enterprise SMS in which we can share insights and data.”

And data uniformity is key, she said, with regard to SMS implementation success. That means the need to introduce everyone across the Wisk organization to SMS lexicon, identify various processes/practices, and tap into or create safety metric data streams.

“While clean data is the end goal, that destination has several interim steps where we are laser focused, enabling us to have a solid foundation for our SMS,” Avery said.

Motivation to implement

Hill surmised that those eVTOL company leaders who have waited this long to voluntarily implement SMS have perhaps been too focussed on the day-to-day.

“They haven’t taken a step back and taken that time to do a better job to look at the risks and what they will do to mitigate them. I’m not saying they don’t already do this. These companies have a keen understanding of their operational risks. They already have that in place, but they need to look at the gaps, clean up any loose ends, and they need to be able to articulate and demonstrate their work to the certifier. They have to track what they are doing, and get everyone in the organization to be a part of it.”

It may not be easy for eVTOL companies that have no operational history to implement SMS, but Hill said they will first apply SMS to their testing program.

“Then, they will adopt what they learned during their testing history once they have their certificate,” he said. “It will take time but it’s so worthwhile in so many ways to start now, in my view. Don’t wait another day.”

The post Why eVTOL firms should start now with SMS  appeared first on Vertical Mag.

Indeed, it’s expected that as the industry moves forward after introduction, electricity will be a major limiting factor in AAM scale-up in the U.S. and globally.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently analyzed this issue for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and released results of its study in March. The team surveyed aircraft manufacturers, spoke to stakeholders at planned vertiport sites, analyzed probable air service routes, and — using several publicly-available NREL tools — evaluated charging demand, costs, emissions, hazards, regulations and technical requirements for electrified vertiport infrastructure.

It’s no surprise they found that potential eVTOL charging demand could “considerably” impact grid infrastructure and operation. But there are solutions in their report as well.

On-site electricity

The NREL team point to on-site electricity generation (microgrids) and storage solutions at vertiports as important concepts to consider to improve power operability and integration.

NREL researcher Bharat Solanki first explained that at a reasonable rate of use, vertiports are projected to require multiple charging stations, rated for 300 kilowatts or more. Ali Ilyas, head of electrification at U.K.-based Skyports Infrastructure, put the requirement higher, in excess of 500kW per stand for fast charging. That means a typical vertiport will require roughly 1.5 to two megawatts of power (the same amount that’s used by roughly 700 to 2,000 homes, depending on their location, occupancy level, etc.).

Looking at charging itself, Solanki noted that power demand for charging eVTOLs will be intermittent and spiky, which can cause power quality issues like voltage dips. It can also affect power distribution to nearby areas fed by the same substation. 

Battery banks at vertiports, able to discharge during the charging peaks, will help smooth overall charging demand. Indeed, Solanki said that without both on-site power storage and generation at vertiports, “local utilities may need to upgrade their infrastructure, such as adding voltage regulators, transformers and overhead or underground lines.”

However, he added that “vertiport operators and eVTOL manufacturers could use other tools to reduce energy impacts, including managed charging, coordinated operations or other operational techniques.”

Optimum operations

Ilyas explained that to minimize the cost, space requirements, and potential power quality disturbance, optimizing operability of power systems is key. In its models to predict this, Skyports includes several factors such as demand calculations and simulated battery charging profiles.

Ilyas also explained that it’s important that a battery’s “state of charge” — its remaining capacity at a given time and in relation to its age-related performance issues — be carefully moderated based on AAM mission profiles to maximize battery life.

“This approach, combined with pre-determined high-throughput flight schedules, allows for forecasting of charging schedules,” he said. “This enables the smart power system to prepare and program the power infrastructure for daily power consumption needs with a highly-efficient and optimized incorporation of microgrid solutions and energy management systems.”

Location

Microgrids and power management aside, the placement of vertiports is also critical in terms of power availability and more.

Ilyas pointed out that having vertiports near areas abundant in large grid and network substations are preferable, where there’s spare power capacity readily available (peak power usage is not happening all of the time), or where spare power capacity can be easily reinforced.

Solanki agreed that integrating the “intermittent electrical load” that characterizes eVTOL charging would pose less disruption if vertiports are located in areas with existing larger peak load capacities. An eVTOL charging system could access unused capacity at various times of day when it’s not needed for other loads.

These areas tend to be urban, but while Ilyas noted that suburban and rural areas generally entail major network reinforcements and longer lead times to deliver equivalent power levels to those of urban areas, “these locations are more favorable for securing the footprint necessary to establish green energy on-site generation and storage solutions. There is a real balancing act when assessing potential locations, so we take a macro network view as opposed to a site-by-site view.”

In addition, Solanki pointed out there are multiple communities in the more remote areas of the U.S. that subsidize commercial aviation service through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Essential Air Service program.

And while an analysis specifically for eVTOLs has not yet been done, NREL has evaluated the like-for-like replacement of nine-seat conventionally-powered aircraft for similar electric fixed-wing aircraft on such essential routes. That team “found that operating costs could be significantly reduced with this approach,” Solanki said. “What’s more, if electric aircraft were used in a manner similar to current schedules, infrastructure demands at remote airports would be lower.”    

Advice for moving forward

Asked for the best guidance for those who need to secure power at vertiports, the NREL team stressed the importance of acting now. “In this study, we highlight the need for vertiports to engage early with utilities to discuss potential upgrades to distribution systems and any implications on tariffs or rates,” Solanki said. 

He added that to effectively engage with utilities, vertiport planners need to work closely with aircraft manufacturers to be clear on charging needs per aircraft, and also have a good handle on what future overall charging demand will likely look like.  

​Ilyas said vertiport planners will need to adapt to differing baseline parameters for each site, including power availability, spatial limitations, structural constraints, and site intricacies. These parameters apply to all aspects of electrification, from grid supply to microgrid components.

Cabling routes, ground support equipment placement, and equipment lead times are other immense challenges that require careful design and planning, he said. The potential range of climate conditions at a particular vertiport and all regulatory requirements must be addressed as well.

Hydrogen and more

With the very real and substantial challenges involved in managing and increasing electricity capacity for the AAM industry, other sources of power need to be examined.

To that end, NREL is currently working with the FAA on an energy analysis for AAM hydrogen infrastructure. “In that ongoing study, we are exploring various applications of hydrogen-fueled aircraft and their fueling infrastructure, including an economic analysis,” Solanki said.

However, he stressed that NREL is supporting the investigation of a wide range of aviation fuels besides hydrogen and electricity, including sustainable aviation fuel, and electrofuels, also known as e-fuels — synthetic fuels made using captured CO₂ or CO and sustainably-produced hydrogen.

“We would hesitate to embrace the opinion that there is one solution or one opportunity that will overshadow another,” Solanki explained. “Our approach mirrors how multiple energy pathways are being pursued in other transportation sectors.”

For its part, Skyports is also actively collaborating with others “to explore emerging green energy technologies like hydrogen fuel cells and microreactors,” Ilyas said.

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