Taking a flight in a driverless, self-flying plane may be a wild proposition for some, but robotic passenger planes could be the future of air travel. As a fascinating new video reveals.
For his series ‘Airplane Mode’, Nicky KelvinEditor at Groot bij The points mangoes behind the scenes at Wisk Aero’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, to learn about its revolutionary all-electric, unmanned air taxi.
What makes the aircraft extra futuristic is that it has electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) capabilities.
In the video, Nicky meets Wisk CEO Brian Yutko, who shows Nicky in a Wisk Air Taxi Gen 6, the model that Wisk expects will seek approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and then be marketed to transport passengers.
Nicky asks what the benefits are of the aircraft’s eVTOL system. Brian explained, “These aircraft are designed to operate in close proximity to people. You have to be able to take off and land vertically, but then fly like an airplane.’
For his “Airplane Mode” series, Nicky Kelvin, Editor at Large at The Points Guy, goes behind the scenes at Wisk Aero’s headquarters in Mountain View, California, to learn about its revolutionary all-electric, unmanned air taxi.
Wisk Aero has been developing air taxi prototypes since 2010
What makes Wisk’s aircraft extra futuristic is that it has electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) capabilities
Brian expects it will try to bring it to market first aircraft providing airport transfers.
In the longer term, the company wants to provide air taxi services to densely populated urban centers.
Brian said: “Eventually we will see vertiport to vertiport, so places that are not currently airports will start to be connected (a vertiport is a hub where eVTOL aircraft can take off and land).”
When asked how safe the Wisk aircraft are, Brian explained that engineers must adhere to strict safety protocols: “We design around a target safety level that is actually quite similar to what you would experience in large commercial aircraft. And that leads to incredible amounts of redundancy (safety redundancies are duplications and backups to keep an aircraft running in the event of a system failure).”
Wisk CEO Brian Yutko shows Nicky in Wisk’s latest model, the Gen 6, which it hopes to bring to market
The Gen 6 Wisk Air Taxi can carry four passengers and carry-on luggage
By pressing a ‘help’ button, passengers can attract the attention of a ‘hospitality manager’ who provides information via video
While several companies are developing electric air taxis that take off and land vertically, Wisk is the only company currently looking to launch an air taxi service with both eVTOL and pilotless flights.
Since 2010, it has developed multiple generations of air taxi prototypes and conducted more than 1,750 test flights.
Brian takes Nicky to the ‘autonomy lab’ and explains that this is essentially the operations studio for the ground crew assisting the planes.
Brian said: ‘It is clear that this aircraft is designed not to have a pilot on board. But the system is designed so that a person on the ground monitors the aircraft.
‘In this lab we have people who will talk to air traffic control. That is the role of the multi-vehicle supervisor. There is no option to control the aircraft with a joystick.
A look inside the ‘autonomy lab’, essentially an operations studio for the ground crew assisting the aircraft. Called ‘multi-vehicle supervisors’, they oversee the aircraft’s flight plans but do not fly the planes remotely
Uplifting concept: an earlier prototype for the Wisk Air Taxi at Wisk’s headquarters
Wisk’s director of product design, Uri Tzarnotzky, demonstrates how he uses 3D printers to build and research prototypes, including aircraft fixtures
“They are incredibly automated systems and what a supervisor typically does is approves a flight plan that is presented to them by the aircraft and by the automation itself.”
When asked by Nicky why they have chosen to continue the development of self-flying aircraft, Brian said: ‘We think this will be the end state of this system (eVTOL aircraft), so we are going straight to it.’
The advantage of autonomous flying, he explained, is that it allows them to “move the aircraft assets in a very flexible way.”
Met Nicky Wisk’s director of product design, Uri Tzarnotzky, to learn how the company uses 3D printers to build and research prototypes, including aircraft fixtures.
The Wisk Air Taxi Gen 5 takes off (of course vertically) for a test flight
The on-board computer is designed to reassure passengers by showing them the flight path and expected travel time
When Nicky saw the Gen 5 Wisk Air Taxi flying, he noticed that it was very different from any other aircraft he had seen, especially on take-off. He says, “What’s really striking is that it’s so still, so graceful – the way it just floats up and goes on its merry way.”
According to Uri, the interior of the aircraft is designed to create an environment that is reassuring for the passenger, in the absence of cabin crew or a pilot.
For example, internal fixtures are crafted with textures designed to help passengers sense what is safe or dangerous. Uri said: ‘We do this with the shape, and we also reinforce that with the colours, materials and finishes.’
There is a video interface in the vessel. By pressing a ‘help’ button, passengers alert the attention of a ‘hospitality manager’ who provides information about where they are currently located, what is happening and where they are going.
According to both Uri and CEO Brian, this helps passengers to anticipate their journey and feel safe.
In the video, Nicky then heads to Hollister Municipal Airport, California, to see an earlier prototype, the Gen 5 Wisk Air Taxi, in flight.
He speaks with test pilot Mike Luvan, who explained, “We show you the full capabilities of the airplane: vertical takeoff, transition to wing flight, stop mid-air, turn around and come back.”
As he watched the Gen 5 Air Taxi take off, Nicky commented, “Seeing this for the first time is absolutely incredible… It’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen before. It doesn’t move like a helicopter, it certainly doesn’t move like a normal fixed wing airplane when it goes up and down and turns.
“What’s really striking is that he’s so quiet, so graceful, the way he just floats up and goes on his merry way.”
If the plane lands without any problems, Nicky is convinced: ‘I actually can’t wait until technology gets to the point where I can jump aboard such a plane.’
To see the full video, click here. For more information from The Points Guy, visit thepointsguy.com/uk-travel.