Air taxis and eVTOL craft have finally been cleared for launch thanks to historic regulations
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the government agency that regulates civil aviation in the United States, has released its final regulations that will facilitate the certification of powered lift aircraft.
In one press release Broadcast by the FAA, it claims the powered lift category is “the first completely new category of civil aircraft since the introduction of helicopters in the 1940s,” paving the way for air taxis and futuristic cargo delivery solutions.
The final rule, issued earlier this week, sets a framework for the qualifications and training instructors and pilots must have to fly this newfangled type of aircraft, but will also help speed up the certification of new models.
Essentially, the powered lift category describes the numerous electric vertical take-off and landing craft (eVTOL) that have dominated the news agenda in recent years, with the likes of Supernal and Hyundai-owned Joby Aviation all looking set to take to the skies. taxi of the future.
The concept craft, often powered by battery packs and electric motors, features tilting rotors that allow it to take off and land on a vertical plane, then tilt to allow for forward or reverse propulsion.
Many of those emerging startups working on eVTOL concepts have grown frustrated with the FAA’s proposal to create an entirely new category of aircraft, claiming it would slow progress. But the FAA continues to argue that it wanted to “prioritize the safety of our system” rather than move rashly.
This new certification, which combines existing regulations and updates others, effectively allows air taxis to be used commercially. The FAA has even gone so far as to create one blueprint for how Urban Air Mobility vehicles will function in the near future. It’s tough, yet fascinating.
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Some industry analysts predict that the air taxi market is expected to grow to $80.3 billion from the $4.9 billion it was worth last year, while research shows that there are currently 1,044 vertiports (locations where air taxis will operate) planned for development between now and 2028.
Even the notorious proponent of the rules, Britain, has done so building permit for its first vertiport in Bicester, Oxfordshire, while Dubai has apparently gone all-in on the technology, claiming it will have an air taxi in operation by the end of next year.
Those in the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) game say the eVTOL craft has the ability to reduce congestion and allow people in a hurry to speed through cities in comfort. For example, Hyundai’s Supernal SA-2 electric plane will cruise at speeds of up to 120 mph at an altitude of about 1,500 feet, much lower than commercial helicopters and airplanes.
In discussions with Jaiwon Shin, Supernal’s CEO and ex-NASA man, it has been suggested that the offering could function like a taxi company, essentially taking some of Uber’s most premium offerings into the air.
More recently, Joby Aviation received another $500 million in cash from Toyota in an effort to speed up the certification process and establish a method for mass-producing these large aircraft.
By announcing the final regulations in the US, the FAA has not only made it easier for companies to obtain the certification needed to put eVTOL vessels into service, but will also dramatically accelerate pilot training.
The FAA has amended the rules so that it can apply helicopter flight requirements to some phases of flight, effectively negating the need for further training, and allowing pilots to train in powered-lift with a single set of flight controls – the old rules required two flight controls – one for the student and one for the instructor.