The Helios Horizon flight team, which pursues aviation performance records for electric-powered aircraft, said its modified glider set a world record for altitude on Friday near the Tahoe-Minden Airport (KMEV).

The group said its aircraft set an altitude record of nearly 16,000 feet for electric aircraft weighing less than 500 kilograms. According to an observer from the National Aeronautic Association, the previous mark was 10,000 feet.

Pilot Miguel Iturmendi has previously helped develop advanced, record-setting aircraft including the Solar Impulse,which circumnavigated the globe in 2016. Iturmendi said he recently flew the Helios Horizon aircraft to 20,000 feet, but without an official NAA observer, the record could not be validated.

The NAA, which oversees and validates record-setting attempts, plans to l review data and complete the validation process before releasing an official report regarding the record.

The post Helios Horizon Team Claims Altitude Record for Electric Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on FreightWaves.com.

Cargo airline Ameriflight said Tuesday it received approval from the FAA to operate drones, making it the first existing Part 135 cargo airline — carriers that operate under nonscheduled air service — to receive such an exemption.

The newly granted exemption allows Ameriflight to conduct unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operations under its current Part 119 Air Carrier Certificate for Part 135 operations. The company also said that regulators approved the addition of the Matternet M2 to Ameriflight’s fleet, enabling the launch of the first fully operational, large-scale drone operation in the U.S.

Through its partnership with Matternet, Ameriflight intends to operate the Matternet M2 drone for commercial delivery, focusing on health care and e-commerce deliveries to customers located in dense urban and suburban environments across the country. Ameriflight will deploy the M2 fleet of drones using Matternet’s software platform from a central remote network operations center, allowing the company to safely expand its network while maintaining the highest level of pilot operator supervision and flexibility.

Ameriflight intends to operate its uncrewed aircraft as a supplement to its crewed operations, not replacing the current flying operation, aircraft or pilots.

“Adding this state-of-the-art, environmentally friendly aircraft and launching our UAS division allows us to expand our service offerings to off-airport alternative sites for time-sensitive small package needs,” said Ameriflight President and CEO Alan Rusinowitz. “We’re looking forward to launching our first M2 flights very soon, and, as we move forward into future flight, developing additional areas of drone delivery.”

Medical samples and small batch pharmaceuticals will be the initial cargo for the M2. In addition to health care, Matternet is expanding into e-commerce, where drone delivery can enable ultra-fast delivery of small packages.

“The approval to add drones to our operation positions Ameriflight, once again, at the forefront of innovation in the aviation industry. Moving forward with the future of our newly operative UAS division allows us to expand into a largely untapped delivery market with a lot of room for speed and safety logistic improvements,” said Ameriflight owner and Chairman Jim Martell. 

“This partnership enables us to offer our customers turnkey access to fast and reliable on-demand delivery capabilities today. This is not a test program or a future deployment concept — this is the real, scalable, and safe drone-based solution that customers are looking for,” said Andreas Raptopoulos, co-founder and CEO of Matternet.

For more coverage on cargo drones, go to FreightWaves.

The post Ameriflight Gets FAA OK for Drone Operation appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Since the completion of the Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance’s (NUAIR) 50-mile drone testing corridor in 2019, the state of New York has conducted drone integration evaluations for the FAA, flown routine beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) tests, and even experimented with 5G technology.

New York’s drone corridor has been a major boon for the state’s wider aviation industry and the development of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies—so much so that its Tri-State area neighbor is planning to build its own.

On Thursday, the National Aerospace Research and Technology Park (NARTP), a collection of research and development facilities located just outside Atlantic City, New Jersey, announced an agreement to develop a UAS and AAM testing corridor backed by two Department of Defense entities. Once complete, the corridor could foster emerging aviation technologies such as drones and air taxis.

The project is being supported by the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), a unit of the DOD that provides the agency with air, land, and sea transportation, and the Air Mobility Command (AMC), the air component of USTRANSCOM and a major command of the U.S. Air Force.

The Atlantic County Economic Alliance (ACEA) will provide a portion of the corridor’s funding through a U.S. Economic Development Administration grant.

The cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) between NARTP, USTRANSCOM, and AMC calls for the entities to build a prototype UAS and AAM corridor connecting New Jersey’s Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL) to Delaware’s Dover Air Force Base, a distance of about 78 miles.

“This agreement is a significant accomplishment and will demonstrate the NARTP’s ability to facilitate aviation research,” said NARTP board chairman Mark Loeben, a retired Air Force major general. “USTRANSCOM and AMC are major players in aviation. Their interest in working with the NARTP helps to advance both the development of the NARTP and the emerging aviation industry in New Jersey’s Atlantic County.”

The NARTP and other parties have yet to produce a timeline for the New Jersey-Delaware corridor. But they expect the airspace to be “dual use,” facilitating launching and landing of civilian aircraft from non-DOD sites alongside UAS and AAM testing and experimentation.

Once established, the corridor will be used to demonstrate, develop, and evaluate military, commercial, academic, and federally backed UAS and AAM technology. NARTP said, for example, that it’s looking to enable strategic airlift capabilities for the Air Force.

In the meantime, the center has plenty more to do.

“The CRADA is an outcome of the NARTP’s work with AMC and FAA on the Airfield Autonomy Initiative (AAI),” said NARTP president Howard Kyle, “that involves the testing and demonstration of automated lawn mowing, foreign object debris sweeping, and perimeter patrol in both military and civilian airfield environments.”

The NARTP in February earned a Congressional grant for the AAI program, which aims to create the world’s first airfield-specific autonomous command and control systems. The FAA, Air Force, ACEA, and the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences are all involved.

One month earlier, the center received $2 million from a federal spending bill to contract with autonomous vehicle manufacturers, which it hopes will enable driverless airport maintenance such as clearing runways and mowing grass. NARTP is adjoined to Atlantic City International Airport (KACY). 

It’s also adjacent to the FAA’s William J. Hughes Technical Center. There, NARTP tenants are researching safety, testing, certification, and regulatory standards for UAS and AAM. And the center is working with Deloitte to launch an early AAM service in New Jersey.

The post DOD Officials Approve East Coast UAS and AAM Test Corridor appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

As it contends with a slowdown in 737 Max deliveries at present, Boeing also has its eye on the future.

According to reports this week, the aerospace powerhouse is now the sole owner of Wisk Aero, the self-flying air taxi manufacturer it has been backing since 2019, alongside Google co-founder Larry Page’s Kitty Hawk Corp. Kitty Hawk ceased operations last year but continued to invest in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developer.

Now, Boeing has reportedly acquired Kitty Hawk’s shares in Wisk, making it a wholly owned subsidiary, though Wisk CEO Brian Yutko said the air taxi enterprise will retain its independence. Yutko did not disclose the terms of the agreement.

Formed in 2019 out of a joint venture between Boeing and Kitty Hawk, Wisk is essentially the continuation of Page’s Zee.Aero, which merged with Kitty Hawk in 2017 and was later rebranded to Cora. Once combined with Boeing, Cora was rebranded and spun off as Wisk, which has continued to develop the Cora air taxi under the Wisk brand.

Since then, Boeing has provided Wisk with heaps of technological and industry expertise—and financial backing. In January 2022, it invested $450 million into the air taxi developer, making it one of the most well-capitalized firms in the business. 

The funding will help Wisk develop its four-seat Generation 6 air taxi prototype, unveiled in October, which is designed to obtain FAA type certification. The company attests that the eVTOL will have a 36-foot wingspan, a range of about 90 sm, with reserves, and a cruise speed of about 120 knots. It features 12 tilt-rotor propellers mounted ahead of the wings.

In January, Boeing reaffirmed its commitment to Wisk, appointing Yutko—who has fulfilled multiple leadership roles for the aviation giant—as chief executive.

Given Kitty Hawk’s unraveling and Boeing’s tight relationship with Wisk, which Yutko described as “hand in hand,” the industry titan’s move shouldn’t come as a big surprise. What’s interesting, though, is that Wisk has not yet pursued the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) route that rivals Archer and Joby Aviation did when they went public in 2021.

Also, unlike Archer and Joby, Wisk is taking its time on certification and commercialization. While its aforementioned rivals are targeting air taxi launches in 2025, the Boeing-backed firm has elected to move more deliberately. 

So far, it’s opted not to provide a timeline for certification, a process that may take longer than others due to the firm’s choice to fly autonomously. As a result, Wisk expects to reach the market after many of its competitors. That will give firms such as Archer and Joby a runway to establish market share, but Yutko is bullish on the self-flying design’s prospects in the long run.

To date, Wisk has agreed to fly air taxis for urban air mobility operator Blade and is planning to launch services in Southern California, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and elsewhere once it achieves certification for the Generation 6. 

In September, Wisk and Boeing unveiled the first operational road map for those operations, explaining exactly how they will enable safe flight and suggesting potential rules and standards that might further that goal.

Still, Wisk’s self-flying eVTOL design will have more hurdles to jump through than its crewed counterparts. The FAA has yet to outline standardized certification requirements for air taxis—rather, it’s working with a handful of manufacturers (Archer and Joby included) to certify specific models. The approach seeks to ensure safer flight, but it could create delays for Wisk.

It’ll also be worth keeping an eye on parent company Boeing. The company in April said deliveries of the 737 Max—its best-selling aircraft—had slowed, and it delivered half as many aircraft as Airbus did during the month. While Boeing is still in a good position overall, any hiccups in its main business could impact Wisk more sharply moving forward.

The post Boeing Becomes Sole Owner of Air Taxi Manufacturer Wisk Aero appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

In the 1940s, Russian-born engineer Igor Sikorsky designed the R-4, the first large-scale, mass-produced helicopter in history. Shortly after Sikorsky became the first American to successfully fly a helicopter of his own design, Frank Piasecki became the second, flying his PV-2 in 1943.

Today, both men’s legacies live on: The former’s Sikorsky Aircraft is now the vertical lift subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, while the latter’s Piasecki Aircraft Corp. (PiAC) continues to manufacture rotorcraft and vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.

This week, one firm’s former manufacturing plant is on the path to become the other’s state-of-the-art facility. PiAC on Wednesday announced it has acquired Sikorsky’s 219,000-square-foot Coatesville, Pennsylvania center—which closed in 2022—and plans to turn it into a research, development, and testing site for VTOL aircraft, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and other emerging aviation technologies.

More specifically, PiAC will use the Coatesville facility to execute several ongoing projects. Those include production and testing of the company’s forthcoming PA-890 aircraft, a slowed-rotor, winged compound electric VTOL (eVTOL) helicopter. PA-890, when completed, would be the world’s first zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell rotorcraft.

The facility is slated to reopen this fall and expected to attract around 400 workers within five years.

“We chose to expand our development capabilities in the Delaware Valley because of its deep roots within the helicopter industry, its highly talented workforce, and its robust supplier network,” said PiAC CEO John Piasecki, Frank Piasecki’s son, who now leads the company alongside brother and chief technology officer Fred Piasecki. “PiAC is committed to creating local jobs by fostering cutting-edge innovation, and we’re excited to support a community that has long prided itself on delivering aviation excellence.”

PiAC’s use of the Coatesville center—which contains facilities for engineering development, aircraft assembly, paint and finishing, flight testing, and delivery—has the support of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, former governor Tom Wolf, Sen. Robert Casey, Rep. Chrissy Houlihan, and the local Chester County Economic Development Council.

Much of the site’s resources appear to be concentrated on the PA-890, the production of which is being supported in part by the U.S. Air Force. Currently, PiAC is working with partner ZeroAvia to incorporate its High Temperature Proton Exchange Membrane (HTPEM) hydrogen fuel cell tech into PA-890 and other VTOL applications.

Ultimately, the eVTOL is expected to reduce noise and cut direct operating costs in half compared to today’s fossil-fuel-burning turbine helicopters. Its applications will include emergency medical services, on-demand logistics, personnel air transport, and other commercial use cases. The aircraft is expected to begin crewed flight tests later this year.

“It’s incredibly exciting to see a company like (PiAC), a longtime aviation industry innovator, continue their commitment to developing new technologies like the PA-890 hydrogen fuel cell-powered helicopter right here in PA’s sixth district,” said Houlihan. “These advancements have the potential to transform vertical lift flight and help eliminate carbon emissions.”

In addition to supporting work on PA-890, the Coatesville facility will progress other PiAC projects such as the Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System (ARES), a multi-use, tilt-ducted VTOL aircraft that can fly crewed or uncrewed missions.

ARES was first developed with Lockheed Martin and is funded by the Air Force, the U.S. Army, and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). PiAC is now working with Honeywell on a triplex fly-by-wire flight control system, which it hopes will enable ARES flight testing later this year.

Another PiAC project in development is Adaptive Digital Automated Pilotage Technology (ADAPT), a flight control software package designed to improve safety and affordability. The intelligent system automatically reallocates commands between redundant control effectors—devices that generate control forces or moments on the aircraft—to respond to changes in flight, such as aircraft damage or reduced performance.

After the Coatesville center is up and running, PiAC will continue to conduct ground testing, design and engineering operations out of its current facility in nearby Essington. At the moment, the firm has no plans for a full relocation.

The post Longtime Rotorcraft and UAV Developer Acquires Former Sikorsky Plant appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

We had all been here before—hundreds of reporters from around the globe, waiting for the world’s most powerful rocket to ignite and begin humanity’s journey back to the moon. It was a peaceful evening on the Florida coast, despite the hurricane that had passed through just days earlier.

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) had experienced setback after setback, from its initial rollout from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) to the last moments before liftoff.

Standing at 322 feet, taller than the Statue of Liberty, the SLS was designed to take humans farther than ever before. According to NASA, the rocket can send over 27 metric tons to the moon. In a single launch, it could carry the Orion spacecraft, with four astronauts and an abundance of supplies, to its lunar destination. 

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To accomplish such a feat, NASA designed SLS’ Block 1 Crew configuration to produce 8.8 million pounds of thrust. Between the four RS-25 Core Stage engines and the two shuttle-derived solid rocket boosters, a mass of fuel is needed to send Orion to the moon. 

Fueling operations were nominal until around 9:17 p.m., with a little more than three hours left until launch. Then, the team found an intermittent liquid hydrogen leak at the bottom of the mobile launcher. 

While the leak initially stayed within operational limits, it grew enough to warrant remedial actions. With the rocket sitting with near-complete fuel levels, it can be exceedingly dangerous for personnel to approach it. For Red Crew, a team of engineers on standby, this was the moment they trained for.

According to launch control, Red Crew’s fix would take only about 15 minutes to complete. At this point, hope for a successful launch began to dwindle throughout the crowd.

At 11:04 p.m., nearly an hour later, Launch Control announced Red Crew’s departure from Launch Complex 39B—their repairs were successful. A sigh of relief rippled across the Cape.

“All I can say is that we were very excited,” said Trent Annis, one of the three deployed members of Red Crew. “We showed up today.”

Sadly, the relief wouldn’t last long. The U.S. Space Force’s 45th Space Wing assisted with launch operations, including the locational tracking of the rocket after liftoff. The Wing had lost radar connection with SLS. The rocket would not launch without it.

“This data is critical to satellite operators all over the world in achieving mission success as the space domain becomes more contested and congested,” said Col. Marc A. Brock, Space Delta 2 commander, in a statement. “Timely and accurate xGEO space object detection and tracking in conjunction with our traditional SDA operations closer to Earth will be essential to our support for human space flight safety from launch to lunar landing and return, to facilitate human exploration and to promote the peaceful and responsible use of space.”

The opening of the launch window had arrived, and launch control was working against the clock. 

In an interview with FLYING, NASA Astronaut Stan Love explained why the timing of the launch is paramount to the mission’s success. 

“We have to time the launch based on when we want to land, and we want to land in daylight so that we can recover the capsule,” Love said. “And it’s winter in the northern hemisphere, so there’s not as much daylight as there otherwise is.”

“And then we work backwards,” he continued. “If you want to land in daylight, you have to leave the lunar vicinity around this time. Then, you have to leave your high lunar orbit around that time. Then, you have to get into your high lunar orbit at this other time. Then, you have to fly past the moon to get into that orbit this other time, and then you have to launch now.”

At 11:37 p.m., Launch Control identified a faulty Ethernet switch as the cause of the radar disconnect, and a 70-minute changeout was ordered.

For what felt like eons, we waited for an update from Launch Control. Many of us had driven or flown in from around the country for the second time to see Artemis I liftoff. A single core stage engine and inclement weather had stopped Artemis before, and there was no telling if it would happen again.

“Once again, we have gathered the guests for the wedding,” Love said. “Perhaps the bride will make an appearance.”

At 1:28 a.m., NASA’s first woman to serve as Launch Director, Charlie Blackwell-Thompson, conducted the final readiness poll.

“On behalf of all the men and women across our great nation, who have worked to bring this hardware together, to make this day possible, and for the Artemis generation, this is for you. At this time, I give you a go to resume count and launch Artemis I.”

The wedding was on.

The countdown clock jumped to T-10 minutes. There was a mad dash to the shoreline—journalists scrambled to ensure their cameras were on and ready for the show.

All eyes were on Artemis I.

“Five… four… three… two… one…”

At 1:41 a.m., a blinding light sparked from below the rocket. The billowing smoke shook as shockwaves ripped through the atmosphere, and just like that, Artemis I was on its way to our moon.

Artemis I lit up Cape Canaveral like the morning sun, and the ground shook from sonic booms and cheering onlookers alike. 

This launch means the world to many. It marks the beginning of a new era, and becomes the foundation for future missions to stand on. Now, NASA is one step closer to landing the first woman and first person of color on the lunar surface. The next generation of spaceflight has begun.

This article was originally published in the February 2023 Issue 934 of FLYING.

The post Artemis I: Against All Odds appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

When you hear the words “black swan,” you probably think of the award-winning Natalie Portman movie. But the phrase originated centuries ago as a metaphor for events thought to be impossible, or “black swan events.”

As it turns out, however, black swans actually exist, which gives the symbol new meaning: the pursuit of feats that are rare but not impossible.

That’s exactly the mindset of brothers Konstantin and Svilen Rangelov, the co-founders of Bulgaria-based drone cargo airline Dronamics. Last week, the firm completed the successful first flight of its flagship Black Swan aircraft near Bulgaria’s Balchik Airport (LBWB), flown remotely by two commercial airline pilots.

Now, the bearded brothers, who vowed to stop shaving until Black Swan’s first flight, have finally shed the biggest concerns they had about their technology—and their beards.

“Since the day we first imagined what the Black Swan aircraft could look like, we’ve worked towards this flight,” said Konstantin Rangelov, Dronamics CTO. “Today we’ve made history and are proud to have demonstrated the validity of our drone technology.”

The flight, spanning 16 miles and lasting a little more than 10 minutes, won’t be enough to enable a full launch for Dronamics, which is targeting commercial flights in Europe later this year. But with the firm moving steadily through European Union certification of Black Swan, the test served as a partial validation of its technology, which could swing the pendulum in its favor.

“It’s taken an enormous amount of hard work, belief, and drive to prove that what we envisioned works,” said Svilen Rangelov, the firm’s CEO. “We can now focus on the next step, the rollout of our commercial operations, and we couldn’t be more excited.”

While existing cargo airlines regularly carry several tons of payload, that’s not what Dronamics is about. Nor is it attempting to enter the crowded last-mile delivery space, which has been the focus for most drone startups. Rather, Black Swan is designed to stand in for delivery vans.

The aircraft’s maximum payload of 770 pounds places it in line with middle-mile ground transportation. And with a range of more than 1,500 miles, it’ll be able to cover the distance between Chicago and Los Angeles or any two points in mainland Europe. The drone also has a capacity of 125 cubic feet, similar to that of a minivan.

With Black Swan, Dronamics is promising to halve overall costs, reduce delivery times by up to 80 percent, and remove up to 60 percent of emissions compared to other modes of transport, including air freight. Flying within the firm’s network of Droneports, it will initially complete time-sensitive deliveries in industries such as e-commerce, health care, perishables, engineering, and mining.

The company is able to bring down the cost of those trips in part by removing pilots from the aircraft, allowing it to offer deliveries for less than $2.50 per pound—up to 50 percent less than existing same-day air cargo services. However, Black Swan can be flown fully or semi-autonomously.

With last week’s maiden voyage in the books, Dronamics appears to be well positioned for its planned commercial launch later this year: At last year’s European Business Aviation Convention and Expo trade show in Switzerland, the firm announced it had received an EU light UAS operator certificate, the first for a drone cargo airline.

Awarded by Transport Malta Civil Aviation Directorate (TM – CAD), the license allows Dronamics to self-authorize flights across EU member states—including beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations, which are some of the most regulated in unmanned aviation. Malta is slated as the firm’s base for European operations and, along with Italy, the site of its first commercial flights.

Now, Dronamics is preparing to scale up Black Swan. When that time comes, the firm will leverage the mass production partnerships it signed last year with Cotesa Holdings in Europe and Quickstep in Australia, as well as the $40 million it raised in pre-Series A funding this past February. Laying the groundwork for a potential Series A round later this year, the raise included participation by investors and venture capital funds from 12 countries.

The company also has a few more partnerships with an eye toward the future. Its agreements with Zero Petroleum and Cranfield Aerospace will support fossil-free alternatives to power Black Swan’s engine, which does not rely on electric or hybrid-electric power like the aircraft of rivals Elroy Air, Drone Delivery Canada, or Destinus.

And through its participation in the Care & Equity – Healthcare Logistics UAS Scotland (CAELUS) program, a consortium led by AGS Airports to develop the U.K.’s first nationwide medical drone distribution network, Dronamics will complete more Black Swan flight trials by 2024. Eventually, CAELUS hopes to enable deliveries of blood, organs, essential medicines, and more, which could make it a valuable partner moving forward.

The post Drone Cargo Airline Dronamics Completes 1st Flight of Flagship Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Much of the action in the advanced air mobility space happens behind closed doors. Unless you’re friends with an Amazon Prime Air engineer or a U.S. military flight tester, the inner workings of modern flying innovation are opaque at best.

But every now and then, innovators give us a peek behind the curtain—if you know where to look.

Welcome to Patent Pending, FLYING’s monthly roundup of the biggest drone, unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), and advanced air mobility (AAM)-related patents. Each month, we’ll save you hours of parsing through U.S. Patent and Trademark Office filings by breaking down the most interesting, outlandish, and eye-popping technologies that have yet to hit the market.

A few notes: Just because a patent was published does not mean it has been granted, and there is no guarantee a company will develop patented technology. That being said, published patents can provide some insight into a firm’s research and innovation priorities—and a lot of them are just cool.

To View Patents

Here are a few published in May—to view these patents yourself, go to the U.S. Public Patent Search, enter the corresponding document ID in the search bar, and click “PN.”

Alef Aeronautics

You may not have heard of San Mateo, California-based Alef Aeronautics, but it’s a name you may see more of soon. Since 2015, the firm has been developing what it hopes will become the world’s first flying car—and a patent published this month gives us a peek behind the curtain.

Alef’s flying car, which is expected to be available for $300,000 by 2025 and has already received 440 preorders, is funny looking. But the design, if it proves capable, would be a marvel of modern engineering, allowing users to drive like a car and fly like a helicopter in the same trip.

The vehicle looks like the love child of a typical car and a cheese grater, with a vented body that houses eight propellers. At its center is a capsule where the pilot sits, and the “sides” of the vehicle are actually its wings. 

When transitioning to vertical flight, the capsule is rotated so the pilot is facing the sky—and once the vehicle is off the ground, the whole thing rotates to align itself (and the pilot) in the direction of forward flight.

Document ID: US 20230159161 A1

Istanbul University

Cities are typically the enemy of drone delivery, with massive buildings, limited landing space, and millions of people who pose potential safety hazards. But a patent filed by Istanbul University offers a possible solution.

The patent, filed in 2021, proposes installing modular landing and docking platforms on structures such as apartment buildings. When not in use, these platforms could be enclosed in protective covering. But they would be capable of communicating with drones, opening up when one is approaching with a delivery.

A manual operator or autonomous software would be responsible for sending the drones to the proper platforms, where a docking system would ensure they stay in place while completing the delivery. The platforms could even be outfitted with QR codes, allowing the drone to “see” them and guide itself to its destination.

Document ID: US 20230159193 A1

NEC Corp.

Flying a drone is kind of like playing a video game—similar to an Xbox controller, drone remote controllers typically have an array of joysticks and buttons. 

But soon it might be more like virtual reality. A 2021 patent filing from Japan’s NEC Corp. describes a remote control device that uses a camera to capture the operator’s hand gestures, conveying them into instructions for a drone.

NEC has its toes dipped in several different industries, but if it gets around to developing this design, it could be a game-changer for drone operators. Imagine pointing a finger to move your drone forward, using a “stop” gesture to make it hover in place, or waving to tell it to land.

Document ID: US 20230161339 A1

Rhombus Systems

The FAA is still developing a beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) rule for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), one that would allow remote pilots to fly drones where they can’t see them. But right now surveillance and detect-and-avoid technologies aren’t quite developed enough to enable safe BVLOS flights.

That’s where a company like Rhombus Systems can help. Per a 2022 patent filing, the firm has devised a solution that would use a network of antennae, such as cell towers, to create a low-altitude radar system for UAVs.

Rhombus essentially wants to fill in the gaps not covered by air traffic control, which cannot “see” at the elevation drones fly. The system would also track other objects in low-altitude airspace—such as birds or balloons—to give UAVs greater detection capabilities.

Primarily a home and business security firm, it wouldn’t be a stretch to see Rhombus pursue a drone radar and low-altitude airspace security system. And if it were to reach scale, it would surely be a boon for BVLOS operations.

Document ID: US 11656354 B2

And a Few More Patents

Believe it or not, AT&T operates a fleet of drones, and it may be planning to automate its network. 

The telecommunications giant is trying to turn its COW (Cell on Wings) drones into mobile cell towers, with each aircraft transmitting 5G coverage over 10 square miles. And per a 2021 patent filing, it appears the company is building a system that would automatically route COW drones to areas that lack coverage.

The system would autonomously determine where the drones are needed, orchestrating their movement between storage or staging hubs and service areas. It would also tell each drone where and when it needs to charge.

Document ID: US 20230147814 A1

Toyota, meanwhile, filed a patent that calls for drones to provide a different kind of service: roadside assistance. 

The company hasn’t made any public statements to suggest it’s currently operating drones. But its 2021 filing describes a network of UAVs that could issue warnings to drivers (i.e. icy roads or construction), deliver equipment to personnel, and perform other tasks.

These drones would be coordinated by a real-time traffic detection system, taking in road congestion data and mapping it to identify places where an accident might occur. The system would then direct drones to busy intersections or congested highways, putting them in position to provide service if needed.

Document ID: US 20230135603 A1

Drones are getting most of the attention in the modern flying space these days, but advanced air mobility technology is also on the rise. The problem? The vast majority of pilots haven’t been trained to operate aircraft such as electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) air taxis.

But Beta Air, one of the leaders in the young space, may have a way to make life easy on prospective eVTOL pilots. The firm in December filed a patent for a hover-and-thrust control assembly, which would essentially turn the pilot’s arm into a flight controller.

The mechanism looks like an extra long stick shift—moving the stick up would increase vertical thrust, while moving it down would decrease it. At the end of the stick, the pilot would use a thumbwheel to increase or decrease forward thrust, enabling propulsion in four directions through a single control system.

Document ID: US 20230159160 A1

Meanwhile, a patent filed by Kia, which is decidedly not an eVTOL manufacturer, could give Beta Air and other air taxi firms a lift.

The filing calls for a charging system that would stay attached to the aircraft during takeoff, giving it some extra juice during the most energy-consuming stage of flight. To pull it off, the system would deploy a smaller drone that ascends with the air taxi, keeping the aircraft attached to a power source as it climbs. The smaller UAV would then release and fly back to the ground.

Document ID: US 20230135344 A1

The system, if it comes to fruition, could be the key to enabling longer flight times for air taxis. Keep in mind, though, that Kia’s invention and those described above may be several years away from development—and they may never be developed at all.

See anything I missed this month? Reach out to jack@flying.media or @jack_daleo on Twitter.

The post A Flying Car Design Among Recently Published Patents appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Eve Air Mobility (NYSE: EVEX) said it continues working toward its goal of beginning commercial service with its eVTOL in 2026.

The company said it has completed propeller tests aimed at identifying designs with favorable combinations of efficiency, performance, quiet operation, and operating cost.

Eve is now focused on testing its vertical lift rotors with particular attention to their performance during transitions between vertical and forward flight.

• READ MORE: Embraer’s Eve Air Mobility Partners with Thales

Eve’s eVTOL uses dedicated rotors for vertical flight and fixed wings for cruise flight. Unlike some eVTOL designs, Eve’s does not require any components to change position during flight. The company said this configuration “favors safety, efficiency, reliability, and certifiability while also reducing the cost of operation and additional maintenance, repair, and overhaul costs.”

“We are very pleased with our program development activities to date and making very good progress as we move toward the selection of primary suppliers and finalize the definition of our aircraft systems architecture,” said Alice Altissimo, vice president of program management and operation for Eve.

Eve plans to choose its main suppliers during the first half of 2023 and begin assembling its first full-scale eVTOL prototype during the second half of 2023. Testing is set for 2024.

In addition to aircraft testing, Eve has been working on an urban air traffic management system, or Urban ATM, and announced the completion of the prototype version Friday.

The prototype focuses on concepts and services needed to support the introduction and expansion of urban air mobility operations, according to Eve. The company said it is now developing the commercial version of Urban ATM to aid in the airspace integration of eVTOLS.

Advanced air mobility could “unlock significant new transportation options and economic opportunities for society. Eve recognizes that these developments need to be reviewed for safety and unification with the current airspace ecosystem to avoid potential logistical challenges,” said Andre Stein, co-CEO of Eve. “By offering comprehensive solutions, our Urban ATM technology will provide critical traffic management services which will be essential to address these concerns.” 

Eve initially tested the Urban ATM prototype last fall in a simulation using helicopters as substitutes for eVTOLs. The exercise “provided essential feedback for Eve to advance the development of its commercial Urban ATM solutions,” the company said.

The post Eve Reports Progress Toward 2026 eVTOL Certification Goal appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft manufacturer Archer Aviation has been a major beneficiary of acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen’s leadership on modern aviation technology, like the company’s air taxis. 

But Nolen, who is departing the agency this summer, may soon take that relationship to new heights.

This week, sources told Reuters that Nolen is expected to take a position with Archer after leaving the FAA, a move that would likely aid the firm in its quest to certify its flagship Midnight air taxi. Given his familiarity with the FAA’s certification process and road map for eVTOL operations, Nolen would appear to be a valuable asset to the company.

“Billy Nolen is departing the FAA in the coming weeks and is continuing to ensure a smooth transition at the agency,” the FAA told FLYING in an email. “Nolen will abide by the agency’s strict ethical requirements during the transition.”

Before being appointed acting FAA Administrator, Nolen had previously served as the agency’s associate administrator for aviation safety. He also led safety, security, and regulatory affairs for several airlines, including WestJet, Qantas, and American Airlines, where he spent 26 years as a managing director.

Nolen received his Bachelor of Science in aviation management from the world-renowned Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and owns aviation safety certifications from the University of South Carolina and the Naval Postgraduate School.

Should he join Archer, the move would mirror one that rival Joby made in March, when it appointed former FAA Administrator Michael Huerta to its board of directors.

Earlier this month, Archer completed the final assembly of Midnight, shipping it to its Salinas, California, flight test facility in anticipation of its maiden voyage this summer. First unveiled in November, the aircraft is designed to complete back-to-back 20-mile flights with just 12 minutes of charging between them.

With a maximum payload of 1,000 pounds, Midnight can carry a pilot and four passengers. Archer hopes it will replace congested, hourlong commutes with 10- to 20-minute air taxi flights, which it believes will make the company cost-competitive with ground transportation services like Uber.

After conducting flight tests with its current aircraft this summer, Archer expects to finish building a type-conforming Midnight model by late 2023. That version is the one the company will fly during “official” testing with the FAA, and the hope is for that process to conclude—and for Midnight to be certified—by the end of next year.

It will then be ready to take to the skies in Chicago, where Archer plans to launch an air taxi route with United Airlines by 2025. Initially, the service will offer trips between the city’s O’Hare International Airport (KORD) and Vertiport Chicago (43IL)—the largest VTOL facility in North America—before branching into new routes.

Archer and United are also eyeing an air taxi link between Newark Liberty International Airport (KEWR) and the Downtown Manhattan Heliport (KJRB).

The company’s efforts are being aided by a $150 million investment from automaker Stellantis, which in January agreed to help mass produce Midnight aircraft after certification. Archer and the rest of the industry may also receive a boost from the FAA’s advanced air mobility implementation plan, which is expected to be released in the coming days.

The implementation plan will build on the FAA’s air taxi blueprint, released earlier this month to provide guidance on future urban air mobility policy. The agency will also host an AAM Summit in Baltimore in August, though it will do so without Nolen, whose successor has yet to be named.

President Joe Biden initially nominated Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington for the position, but he quickly bowed out of the race. No official nominee has been announced since. But reports suggest Biden is now considering nominating AAM executive Mike Whitaker or current FAA Chief of Staff Katie Thompson.

Ultimately, the decision on Nolen’s successor could help or hurt Archer and other air taxi manufacturers. But Whitaker, the COO of Hyundai eVTOL subsidiary Supernal, and Thompson, a direct adviser to Nolen in her role, are likely candidates to continue the departing administrator’s work.

The post FAA Administrator Billy Nolen To Join eVTOL Manufacturer Archer appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Lilium N.V. (NASDAQ: LILM), the German developer of the Lilium Jet eVTOL, announced the signing of an agreement with business jet operator ASL Group for the delivery of six Lilium Pioneer Edition aircraft. 

The deal includes deposit payments to Lilium and stems from a previous memorandum of understanding that the companies disclosed last year during the Farnborough International Airshow.

ASL Group operates and manages business jets in the Benelux region, and in Germany and plans to make the Lilium Jets available to its customers as part of a “sustainable, high-speed network connecting major hubs across Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg [the Benelux region], and Western Germany,” the companies said.

• READ MORE: Lilium Agrees To Deliver Up to 5 eVTOLs to Charter Company Air-Dynamic

“Our company is constantly seeking new ways to operate responsibly and contribute to a healthy future, both socially and ecologically. The Lilium Jet is a great opportunity to provide better value to our customers in a sustainable way,” said Philippe Bodson, owner and CEO of ASL Group. “With zero operating emissions, vertical takeoff landing capability, and a spacious premium cabin, Lilium represents the best option on the market.” 

• READ MORE: Lilium Phoenix 2 Demonstrator Reaches Top Speed During Flight Test

Klaus Roewe, CEO of Lilium said, “With the highest population density in Europe, Benelux represents a perfect use case for the Lilium Jet, with its expected high aerodynamic performance and low noise profile. We are proud to support ASL’s development in the region.”

Lilium has previously announced deals to deliver aircraft to other companies, including the airline Saudia and private jet operator Globe Air. Earlier this week the company said it agreed to deliver up to five aircraft to Swiss charter company Air-Dynamic. 

The post Lilium To Deliver 6 Pioneer Aircraft to Business Jet Operator appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Natilus, a developer of autonomous blended-wing body, or BWB, cargo aircraft, and ZeroAvia, which develops hybrid propulsion systems, have announced a partnership to develop hydrogen-electric engines for the Natilus Kona.

Under the agreement, ZeroAvia’s ZA600 engine will be the only hydrogen-electric propulsion source offered for the Kona, designed to be a short-haul feeder UAV, the companies said.

• READ MORE: UPS Feeder Airline Intends To Buy 20 Pilotless Cargo Planes

The Kona’s BWB design boosts its hydrogen storage capacity compared with more conventional aircraft, potentially increasing range and cutting costs, according to the companies.

The partnership is meant to combine ZeroAvia’s expertise in hydrogen-electric powertrains with Natilus’ BWB design “to create a scalable, long-range, and zero-emission air cargo delivery solution for the entire industry,” the companies said.

After three years of wind-tunnel testing, Natilus recently completed a round of flight tests with a quarter-scale prototype aircraft. ZeroAvia has completed eight test flights of its prototype ZA600, 600kW engine in a 19-seat testbed aircraft, the companies said.

“Natilus has a long-term commitment to being a responsible steward of our environment, instituting practices that can protect the environment through continual improvements to save fuel and water, reduce waste, air emissions, noise, and material consumption,” said Aleksey Matyushev, co-founder and CEO of Natilus. “The Natilus-ZeroAvia partnership goes further, bringing the talents and innovations of the two companies together to deliver much needed innovation in the air cargo delivery industry and multiple solutions for our customers.”

“We all depend on air cargo operators, and some communities depend on them absolutely, so improving the economics and environmental impacts of these operations while increasing service levels is a massive opportunity,” said Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO of ZeroAvia.

Natilus said it has more than $6.8 billion in order commitments and more than 460 aircraft preorders from companies including Ameriflight, Volatus Aerospace, Flexport, Astral, Aurora International, and Dymond. The company is working on construction of a full-scale Kona technology demonstrator with a wingspan of 85 feet.

The post ZeroAvia, Natilus Partner To Develop Hydrogen-Electric Cargo Aircraft appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Earlier this week, the FAA announced it’s eyeing beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) exemption approvals for four top aviation firms, opening the door to expanded unmanned operations. Now we know exactly what permissions they’re asking for.

On Thursday, the FAA published the requests of the four companies—Phoenix Air Unmanned, uAvionix, UPS Flight Forward, and Zipline—and is seeking comments from the public. Stakeholders have until June 14 to share their suggestions or concerns with the requests. 

Considering the agency’s reliance on granting exemptions to gather information as it works toward a final BVLOS rule, the FAA will likely approve the four requests, even if they require the inclusion of special conditions or restrictions.

But if granted, what exactly would these permissions do? Let’s break down what the requested exemptions mean for each of the four companies.

Describing itself as an aerial data acquisition services provider, Phoenix Air Unmanned is looking to operate BVLOS as well as over people and roads. To do so, it’s requesting relief from several sections of FAA Part 61 and Part 91.

The firm wants to use its SVO 50 V2 aircraft from SwissDrones to perform aerial work, photography, surveying, patrols, and inspections of any powerline infrastructure owned or operated by a Department of Energy-recognized electric utility. The turbine-powered drone is capable of flying up to two hours with a 30-pound payload.

“Our petition for exemption process has included a safety risk management review alongside the FAA, demonstration of the aircraft, and on-site evaluation of BVLOS inspection operations within the proposed concept of operations,” Phoenix told FLYING. “The exemption request is in the interest of the public, and we welcome public comment as a next step of the authorization process.”

The exemption, if approved, would build on Phoenix’s Part 107 waiver, issued in March, that permits BVLOS operations for aircraft under 55 pounds. The approval did not cover the SVO 50 V2, which weighs 190 pounds.

Autonomous flight services provider—and avionics developer—uAvionix is also seeking exemptions from Parts 61 and 91…but not for its own operations.

• READ MORE: uAvionix Introduces Combo Tailbeacon ADS-B

Rather, the firm wants to conduct research and development on BVLOS operations for others—using an electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft—as part of the Vantis unmanned aerial systems (UAS) project at the FAA’s North Dakota UAS test site.

“Our application is unique in that we are not seeking this exemption as a means to further our own BVLOS flight objectives….instead we are trying to unlock that capability for the rest of industry, and this is one way to achieve those goals,” Christian Ramsey, managing director at uAvionix, told FLYING.

The aircraft, called Rapace, was granted a special airworthiness certificate—experimental class (SAC-EC) from the FAA and has a maximum takeoff weight of 26.5 pounds. It’s custom built, with uAvionix-designed internal avionics, command and control radios, autopilot, and positioning sensors. Through Vantis, the firm is working with partners such as Thales and the state of North Dakota to provide additional infrastructure for the program.

“The concept here is that the program team works out the ‘recipe’ for BVLOS exemptions, which are repeatable by other operators in the future,” Ramsey said. “In the end, this exemption isn’t about our operations… it’s about trailblazing and developing an infrastructure that others can use to achieve their own operational and business goals.”

UPS Flight Forward, the first FAA-approved Part 135 drone operator, is requesting slightly different permissions, including exemptions from Part 135.

The exemptions, if approved, would incorporate remote operations centers across the company’s network and enable “flights in outlying locations from (an) ROC in a different location” —essentially BVLOS flights.

But the request goes further. Flight Forward also wants to fly its M2 drone from Matternet with a ground-based surveillance system coupled to a suite of situational awareness tools that would replace the visual observer in BVLOS operations. That means the company will be able to fly farther than it would have had it opted for a simple section 107.31 waiver.

And then there’s Zipline. Its request is simple: The company wants to revise its previous exemption in order to replace visual observers with its patented acoustic detect-and-avoid system (DAA). DAA was a key factor in securing the company’s Part 135 certification, the most permissive the FAA has awarded so far and enables BVLOS operations.

Flight Forward and Zipline did not immediately respond to FLYING’s request for comment.

Each of the four exemption requests has its own petition for public comment, and they can be found within the Federal Register. Anyone can comment, but take that with a grain of salt—the FAA may make some modifications but will most likely approve all four requests.

However, there may be a better way to make your voice heard. Concurrently with the four requests, the FAA released a petition for comment on a proposed rule for BVLOS, asking industry stakeholders to provide input on the agency’s potential approaches.

The document outlines several areas of proposed rulemaking—such as detect-and-avoid performance standards, well-clear boundaries, and a new class of “shielded” operations—each with a few questions for the public to answer. The comment period for that petition also expires June 14.

The post FAA Releases BVLOS Waiver Requests for Public Comment appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

So, you want to fly a drone? You’re not alone—every month, thousands of people in search of employment or a side hustle apply for Part 107 remote pilot certification from the FAA.

To be clear, you don’t need FAA approval to fly a drone recreationally, so long as you stick to the agency’s guidelines for recreational fliers and community-based organizations. But to start a career as a commercial drone pilot or operator, you’ll need to check a few boxes first.

Luckily, the process is fairly straightforward. According to the FAA, some 4,500 people apply for Part 107 certification each month, but only about 0.7 percent are rejected. Still, there are a few things you need to know before diving into the certification process—and a few to keep in mind after.

You’ll find all of them and more in FLYING’s drone pilot certification guide. Read on to learn how you can launch your career as a drone operator in just a few weeks.

Start Your Application

The bogeyman of Part 107 remote pilot certification is the airman knowledge test, a set of 60 questions that assess the applicant’s knowledge of drone regulations, requirements, safety protocols, approved operations, and more. Before diving into it, though, there are a few things you’ll need to do.

If you’re a current Part 61 pilot certificate holder, skip ahead now to the “For Part 61 Holders” section—your path is simpler than it would be for a completely new applicant.

To start your application and take the knowledge test, you need only be 14 years old. But younger applicants may need to wait a few years to receive approval—the FAA lists three eligibility requirements you must meet before completing your application.

You must be: at least 16 years old; in proper physical and mental condition to fly safely; and able to read, write, speak and understand English (though the agency may make an exception if the applicant cannot meet one of these requirements because of a medical reason, such as hearing loss).

If that sounds like you, good news: You’ll be able to parlay a passing test score into a remote pilot certification in just a few weeks.

Next, you’ll need to create a profile on the FAA’s Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) to obtain an FAA tracking number (FTN). If you’ve previously been issued an airman certificate, you already have an FTN—just log in or register for an IACRA account and enter your certificate number to find it.

If you haven’t, simply register for an account with some basic personal information (name, date of birth, etc.) and a username and password, and IACRA will assign an FTN in seconds.

Once you have it, you’re ready to schedule your knowledge test. To do so, register with the FAA’s testing vendor PSI Services via this portal, which will ask for your FTN and other basic information. Then you’ll need to apply for the “Unmanned Aircraft General—Small (UAG)” exam and select a nearby testing center.

Finally, the site will take you through payment—typically around $175 per appointment—and allow you to schedule the test several weeks in advance (some centers may also allow cancellations).

Now, it’s time to…

Prepare for the Knowledge Test

Your exam is just a few days or weeks away. But don’t panic—the 0.7 percent of applicants who are rejected typically fail because of errors on their application, such as name or nationality discrepancies.

While it may seem daunting, the test isn’t terribly difficult—as long as you study. You only need a score of 70 percent or higher to pass, and applicants can use aids such as calculators or supplemental books approved and provided by the proctor.

As for the material itself, here are the subject areas you should familiarize yourself with:

• Regulations for small UAS rating privileges, limitations, and flight operations
• Airspace classification, operating requirements, and flight restrictions
• Weather sources and the impact of weather on small UAS
• Loading and performance
• Operations such as emergency procedures, crew resource management, and maintenance

An expanded list of exam topics can be found here. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all that information, don’t be—there are study materials out there to help you.

Your best friend will be the FAA’s remote pilot study guide, which will go over all the material you need for the test. For a broader overview of subject areas being evaluated, you can check out the airman certification standards for UAS. Or, you can test your knowledge with online sample questions that simulate the real deal. For additional sample questions, check PSI’s website.

If you’re in need of more guidance, you might try getting advice from a certified flight instructor—if they’re up to date on certification, they’ll be familiar with the ins and outs of the knowledge test and the certification process at large. You could also contact the FAA’s UAS support center or look into non-FAA study guides.

When the day of the test arrives, make sure to jot down your FTN and bring the proper identification information (which varies depending on citizenship status) to the testing center. Once there, you have the option to complete a tutorial or practice session—or you can dive right into the exam.

As soon as you finish, you’ll receive your scores on a printed Airman Knowledge Test Report (AKTR). If you passed, congratulations! You’ll now have 24 months to complete your remote pilot application while the results are valid.

If not, don’t panic. You’ll need to wait two weeks, but applicants can retake the test as many times as they want. The process is nearly identical: You’ll need to reschedule an appointment through PSI and submit your AKTR (which tells you exactly what you got wrong on the previous attempt). 

Keep on trying until eventually…

You Passed! What Now?

Almost there! To finish your application, log in to IACRA and click on the Applicant Console, then “Start New Application.” That will open a drop-down list—from there, select “Pilot” and click “Remote Pilot,” then “Start Application,” which will take you to Form 8710-13.

You’ll be prompted to answer a few simple questions and asked for your photo ID information, as well as your 17-digit knowledge test exam ID (which can take up to three days to appear in IACRA). After signing and submitting the application, you’ll also need to complete a Transportation Security Administration security background check. 

Soon after, you should receive a confirmation email with instructions for printing a temporary remote pilot certificate—and the permanent version will arrive in the mail in a few weeks!

The final step: Register your drone for $5 by logging in or creating an account with FAADroneZone and selecting “Fly a sUAS under Part 107.” You can then mark the drone with your registration number, which is valid for three years.

And with that, you can officially fly drones less than 55 pounds for work or business as a Part 107 certified remote drone pilot!

For Part 61 Holders

If you don’t already hold a Part 61 certificate, this section won’t apply to you. But for those who have already been certified as pilots, flight instructors, or ground instructors and have completed a flight review in the past 24 months, your path to remote drone pilot is streamlined.

First, log in to your FAA Safety Team account or create a new one. Then use those credentials to enroll in the Part 107 Small UAS Initial (ALC-451) online training course, which will cover the same information evaluated on the knowledge test. There is no passing or failing.

From there, log in to your IACRA account or create a new one and navigate to Form 8710-13. Once that application is complete and submitted for processing, the final step is making an appointment with one of the entities below to validate your identity:

• FAA Flight Standards District Office
• FAA-designated pilot examiner
• Airmen certification representative
• FAA-certificated flight instructor

You’ll need to bring the completed Form 8710-13, proof of your current flight review, a photo ID, and your online training course completion certificate to the appointment. Then, a representative will sign your application and issue a temporary airman certificate—the permanent version will arrive in the mail a few weeks later.

And with that, you’re ready to fly!

Stay Up to Date

Now that you’re out in the world making deliveries, taking photos, conducting inspections, or performing some other kind of remote drone pilot work, it can be tempting to forget your roots. But even after certification, it’s crucial to remember the knowledge that got you there.

The FAA tells FLYING that all Part 107 certificated pilots must keep up to date with the rules for safe flying outlined under Part 107 of the federal aviation regulations, or FAR Part 107. They must also be aware of flight restrictions such as “no drone zones,” which are tracked by the FAA’s B4UFLY mobile app and other applications.

To ensure pilots are in the loop, the agency requires them to have completed an online training course within the past 24 months to fly under Part 107. The Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent (ALC-677) training course can be found here, and an alternative course for Part 61 certificate holders with a current flight review is available here. Both courses are free.

And don’t forget: You must have your remote pilot certificate physically accessible while conducting Part 107 operations.

As long as you stay up to date, you shouldn’t have any issues flying your drone for work or business. But if you pay any attention to drone regulations, you’re likely well aware of the myriad restrictions that come with Part 107, some of which will limit your work opportunities. Luckily, we’ve got you covered: Read on to learn how you can take your skills to the next level.

The Wide World of Part 107 Waivers

Now that you’ve obtained your Part 107 certification, there’s plenty you can do. But why limit yourself? By applying for an individual Part 107 waiver, you can gain new capabilities from the FAA that might open more career opportunities.

The agency provides a handy guide that breaks down which waivers skirt which rules. But here are a few examples:

• Waiving section 107.25 enables you to operate from a moving vehicle.
• Waiving section 107.29 allows flights at night without anti-collision lighting.
• Waiving section 107.31 permits flights beyond the pilot’s visual line of sight (BVLOS).
• Waiving section 107.35 gives one pilot permission to fly multiple drones.

Other waivers lift restrictions on speed, altitude, and visibility, or allow pilots to fly over people or moving vehicles. There are a total of 11 exceptions for which you can apply.

But before you start plowing through applications, make sure you know what you’re getting into. The FAA’s section specific evaluation information explains the restrictions removed by each waiver, as well as how the agency evaluates applications.

For example, when applying for an exception to section 107.31—which calls for operations within the visual line of sight—the FAA will want to see that your drone has a powerful signal spectrum or detect-and-avoid system to navigate the airspace. It might also award points if you use ground-based radar or a visual observer to track the drone.

When you’ve determined which waivers you’d like to secure, head over to FAADroneZone, log in, add “Drone Owners and Pilots” to your services, and launch the dashboard. Then click “Create Part 107 Waiver or Authorization” and follow the prompts—the site will tell you which waivers are applicable based on the specifications you provide.

Next, you’ll need to provide your mailing address, phone number, and Part 107 certification number. And on the following page, you’ll select your waivers, share operation parameters (such as location and start and end dates), and explain your plan to mitigate the risks of operating without certain restrictions. You can even upload supporting documents to further outline your plan.

Requesting an exemption to section 107.39 (operations over people) will also require you to include your drone’s registration number, model, and manufacturer. But otherwise, you’re ready to submit the application.

After your application is received, the FAA may ask for additional information. And if all goes smoothly, you’ll receive the agency’s decision within 90 days of submission.

Finalize Your Flight Plan

Now what? Well, that’s about it. You’ve made it through certification, kept up to date with drone regulations, and secured the necessary waivers to fly how you want. All that’s left is finding work—and there’s a lot of it out there.

A quick Google search will turn up hundreds of openings for remote drone pilots across industries such as logistics, agriculture, law enforcement, defense, and plenty more. It may not be what you imagined in high school, but you could finally get that job at Google (flying for Wing) or Amazon (directing operations for Prime Air). 

Or you could get in on the ground floor at any number of drone startups like Flytrex, DroneUp, or Volansi. Even non-drone companies such as Dish and SAIC are searching for drone operators—the possibilities are endless.

If you’re looking for more information on remote drone pilot jobs that might require a waiver, check out this guide from drone law firm Rupprecht Law.

The post You (Probably) Have What It Takes To Be a Drone Pilot appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

More than a year after the FAA published the final, nearly 400-page report from its beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) advisory rulemaking committee (ARC), the agency has opened the door to expanded unmanned operations for four major aviation players.

On Tuesday, the FAA announced it is seeking public comment on four requests for BVLOS waivers that would allow remote pilots to fly their aircraft where they can’t see them. The requests come from aerial data acquisition firm Phoenix Air Unmanned, unmanned aviation services provider uAvionix, and drone delivery firms Zipline and UPS Flight Forward.

Starting Thursday, the public will have 20 days to comment on the proposed waivers, allowing stakeholders to express any concerns about safety, privacy, or other topics. The FAA will then review all comments and expects to issue decisions granting or denying the requests this summer.

“The FAA will review and consider all public comments received,” an agency spokesperson told FLYING. “Any final approvals will include safety mitigations, specific conditions and limitations, and data-reporting requirements that will allow the FAA to analyze these operations.”

Currently, the FAA relies on BVLOS waivers to permit expanded unmanned operations in lieu of a robust regulatory framework. Data gathered from those operations is being used by the agency to develop a new set of regulations that would enable operations without an approval process. However, acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen recently admitted there is not yet a date in sight for a final BVLOS rule.

The FAA grants several different exceptions to Part 107, the rule that outlines regulations for small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and certificated remote pilots. These waivers exempt operators from different aspects of the rule. For example, an exception to section 107.31 permits operations beyond the remote pilot in command’s line of sight (but within view of a visual observer).

Other waivers offer even greater flexibility. An exemption from section 107.33(b), for instance, enables operations even beyond the visual observer’s line of sight. Still more waivers cover other aspects of operations, such as speed and altitude (section 107.51), and flying over people (section 107.39) and moving vehicles (section 107.145).

Phoenix Air Unmanned, for example, is seeking an exemption for BVLOS inspections of powerline infrastructure owned by any Department of Energy recognized electric utility.

“Our petition for exemption process has included a safety risk management review alongside the FAA, demonstration of the aircraft, and on-site evaluation of BVLOS inspection operations within the proposed concept of operations,” the company told FLYING. “The exemption request is in the interest of the public and we welcome public comment as a next step of the authorization process.”

For now, we don’t know exactly which BVLOS permissions the other three new applicants are requesting—that will be made clear Thursday. But they could involve expanding operations beyond the line of sight of the remote pilot, the visual observer, or both. They may even call for one pilot or observer to be responsible for supervising multiple aircraft, another path to expanded operations.

While commenters will likely have some concerns around the safety of BVLOS operations, the FAA has an incentive to approve these waivers in some fashion.

It’s possible commenters’ worries are enough to sway the agency into outright denying the waivers. But the more likely outcome is regulators grant them, even if it means including special conditions or limitations for safety. Even a limited approval would give the FAA more operations to study as it builds BVLOS regulations.

“uAvionix is encouraged by the actions of the FAA and looks forward to the public review period and the intended outcome of extending BVLOS operations for all,” a uAvionix spokesperson told FLYING.

Zipline did not immediately respond to FLYING’s request for comment. UPS Flight Forward declined to comment at this time.

The post FAA Eyes Beyond Visual Line of Sight Approvals for 4 More Firms appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Lilium N.V. (NASDAQ: LILM), the German company developing the Lilium Jet eVTOL , has entered an agreement with Air-Dynamic SA, a private jet and helicopter operator based in Lugano, Switzerland, under which Lilium will receive deposits for up to five aircraft.

Air-Dynamic said it plans to operate and manage the Lilium Jets for customers in Switzerland and Italy, offering them access to premium versions of the aircraft, including the planned Pioneer Edition model. For Lilium, the deal helps it enter the luxury European business travel and tourism markets currently served by helicopters and jets.

Air-Dynamic boasts nearly 20 years of experience in the jet and helicopter charter business and focuses on routes that include destinations across Italy, Switzerland, the Côte d’Azur, and French Alps. The company operates two Pilatus PC-12s based at Lugano Airport in Bioggio, Switzerland, and manages a number of jets and helicopters for private owners and other air transport operators.

• READ MORE: Lilium Teams With Collins To Design, Build eVTOL Control Systems

“This partnership represents an important step for Air-Dynamic SA and the entire aviation industry. We are excited to work with Lilium to develop innovative and sustainable solutions for the future of aviation,” said Air-Dynamic CEO Raffaella Meledandri. “The first project’s goal is to connect Lugano directly with Milan City Center and in parallel to establish a good connection in Italy for the most touristic destinations, such as Lake Como and Capri.”

“With today’s partnership, Lilium deepens its reach into Europe’s premium travel market,” said Sebastien Borel, Lilium’s COO. “We’re leveraging Air-Dynamic’s innovative and entrepreneurial approach to operating and managing private jets and helicopters in the region.”

• READ MORE: Lilium Phoenix 2 Demonstrator Reaches Top Speed During Flight Test

Lilium has announced several agreements potentially amounting to hundreds of aircraft, including one with airline Saudia for up to 100 eVTOLs and another with U.K. helicopter and jet operator Volare Aviation. The company has said it plans to begin commercial service in 2025.

The post Lilium Agrees To Deliver Up to 5 eVTOLs to Charter Company Air-Dynamic appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Amazon’s drone delivery dream isn’t dead, but it may be time for the firm to reassess its strategy.

Last week, the e-commerce giant told CNBC that its Prime Air drone delivery service—which currently serves a smattering of households in Lockeford, California, and College Station, Texas—has completed just 100 deliveries since launching in late December. Per internal company projections, the firm in January was targeting 10,000 deliveries by the end of 2023.

Now, that projection appears to be in peril. In Lockeford, a town of about 4,000, Prime Air employees said Amazon’s drones serve only two households, each less than a mile from the firm’s local delivery hub.

College Station, which has a population closer to 120,000, may provide more opportunities. But so far, Amazon has failed to capitalize on that market, too.

Amazon did not immediately respond to FLYING‘s request for comment.

There are a few potential drivers for the business’ struggles. Perhaps the largest is the regulatory hurdles it faces. 

Amazon, one of five drone firms to receive FAA Part 135 air carrier certification, would appear to be in a good spot. But those approvals come with major restrictions—in Amazon’s case, they include the ability to fly at night, over people and roads, or beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) of a ground observer.

Those restrictions were cemented in November after the FAA rejected several of Amazon’s petitions to ease them. The decision reportedly came as a surprise—according to Prime Air employees, the firm had put up dozens of staffers in hotels in Pendleton, Oregon, home to one of its main test sites, with plans to move them to Lockeford and College Station last summer.

According to the FAA, Amazon did not demonstrate that the MK27-2—its latest drone model, a hexagonal design with six propellers and an onboard sense-and-avoid system—could safely operate near people. The drone’s 80-pound weight also places it outside the purview of the FAA’s Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems rule, muddying the regulatory waters further.

Still, Amazon soldiered on, launching its two services a month later. But soon after, Prime Air was hit with layoffs, and early reports implied less-than-stellar returns in Lockeford and College Station. Now we know exactly how Prime Air has fared: Five months into 2023, it has completed 100 deliveries, or about 1 percent of its goal of 10,000 deliveries this year.

The drone delivery industry was expected to move slowly—and so far it has. But if the rest of the industry is taking its time, Amazon is moving at a snail’s pace.

Currently, Zipline is the industry’s front-runner with 600,000 completed deliveries as of May. Alphabet’s Wing, perhaps the only drone firm that can rival Prime Air’s corporate backing, told FLYING it has made more than 330,000. And DroneUp, the Walmart drone delivery partner that cut jobs last week, said it has made 110,000 deliveries, including 6,000 just last month.

In other words, even if Amazon were on track to hit its 2023 delivery target, it would still fall far short of its key rivals. That’s a sobering outlook given former CEO Jeff Bezos’ initial projections of dominance in 2013.

So how have these firms accomplished what Amazon (so far) could not? The answer lies in regulatory approvals.

Zipline, for example, owns the FAA’s most expansive air carrier approval to date—granted after the agency determined the safety of the firm’s acoustic detect-and-avoid system—allowing it to operate BVLOS and over people. That means its drones can fly where Amazon’s cannot, and the company has leveraged those permissions into robust services in Africa, Asia, and the U.S. 

Zipline also recently secured $330 million in funding to support the launch of P2, its new delivery system that adds a flexible delivery “droid” to the network. The droid will enable more precise deliveries and easier loading of cargo at restaurants and other launch sites.

Regulatory approvals have also given a lift to Wing. Under its Part 135 certificate, the firm can fly BVLOS and over people, which has opened up new U.S. routes and expanded its customer base. That has enabled small services in Virginia and Texas to go with Wing’s complex operations in Australia, where it has partnered with DoorDash and others.

Meanwhile, DroneUp, which flies within a 1.5-mile delivery radius with Walmart under FAA Part 107, is looking to expand its range with new technologies acquired via partnerships. Those include a drone air traffic control system and an autonomous flight system that could help prove to the FAA that its operations are safe for BVLOS.

Why, you may ask, has Amazon been unable to secure these approvals? While the company has gone through several iterations of its drone—including the soon-to-be-released MK30—none have swayed the FAA’s confidence in Prime Air’s safety record.

Several high-profile accidents involving Amazon drones have been reported at the firm’s test facilities, including one in Pendleton that sparked a 20-acre brush fire. Accidents are part of any drone company’s journey, as it turns out. But they appear to be chronic for Prime Air, which has drastically limited its operations.

Another issue appears to be a lack of demand, though it’s unclear what’s causing it. CNBC reported that Prime Air’s Lockeford service has just a handful of signups despite Amazon’s claim that thousands of people “have expressed interest.” The firm says it has been communicating with potential users directly, and some customers even said they were offered gift cards as an incentive.

It could be that the low demand is a symptom of Prime Air’s chosen markets. Lockeford residents, for example, said the drones could startle farm animals in the heavily rural area. Yet Zipline, Wing, and others also fly in rural areas and have experienced no issue garnering new customers. More likely is that FAA flight restrictions have capped Prime Air’s operations—and, by extension, its potential demand in Lockeford and College Station.

“While the FAA broadened Prime Air’s authority to conduct drone deliveries to include sites in California and Texas, the phased process for expanding our service areas is taking longer than we anticipated,” Amazon spokesperson Av Zammit told CNBC.

Whatever the reason for Prime Air’s lack of success, Amazon appears to be committed to getting its drone business off the ground. But it’s going to take much longer than expected.

The post Amazon Says Prime Air Has Completed Just 100 Drone Deliveries appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

One small step for SpaceX may represent one giant leap for commercial space travel.

The space tourism firm on Sunday launched Ax-2, its second private astronaut mission to the International Space Station in conjunction with Houston-based space infrastructure developer Axiom Space. 

The launch is SpaceX’s third fully commercial flight and its 10th crewed mission to space. And it’s backed by NASA, which has agreed to support two private space tourism missions per year. The collaborative team secured one of FLYING’s Editors’ Choice Awards in 2020.

Ax-2 launched from Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A Sunday evening in Florida, sending four people—three paying customers and one longtime NASA astronaut—hurtling toward the space station aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule.

Crew Dragon took off on top of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, whose reusable lower stage booster separated from the capsule and landed vertically on the pad about eight minutes after launch.

“If SpaceX can perfect their launch infrastructure and produce a rapid-turnaround capability for these vehicles, it would greatly reduce the human effort and processing time required to fly space missions,” David Cunniff, a space strategist for national security firm Peraton, told FLYING. “Workforce labor is one of the largest cost elements in the space industry.”

The capsule then separated from Falcon 9’s upper stage as planned, arriving and docking at the space station Monday morning.

Now the crew will spend eight days aboard the satellite, conducting more than 20 experiments supporting research on cancer, DNA, the impact of gravity on inexperienced astronauts, and more. That will support Axiom’s goal of developing its own independent commercial space station when the ISS is retired at the end of the decade. Axiom will even begin adding its own rooms to the space station, with plans to later remove them and form a stand-alone outpost.

After learning from the space station’s current occupants, the crew will return to Earth, splashing down off the coast of Florida.

“This journey is the culmination of long hours of training, planning, and dedication from the crew and the entire Axiom Space team, our partners at SpaceX, and of course, a credit to NASA’s vision to develop a sustainable presence in low-Earth orbit,” said Michael Suffredini, president and CEO of Axiom.

The Ax-2 crew is led by Peggy Whitson, an Axiom employee and former NASA astronaut who has spent more time in space than any American or woman in history.

“Good to be here. It was a phenomenal ride!” Whitson radioed to SpaceX Chief Engineer Bill Gerstenmeier, who congratulated the crew from the ground after Crew Dragon separated from Falcon 9.

Three more crew members paid an undisclosed fee to Axiom for their seats: pilot John Shoffner, an American racecar driver, investor, and businessman; Ali al’Qarni, a fighter pilot in the Royal Saudi Air Force; and stem cell researcher Rayyanah Barnawi, the first Saudi Arabian woman in space.

“We are now living a dream that we did not expect to become a reality,” Barnawi said Sunday after reaching the space station. “This trip represents Saudis and the entire Arab world. It is also an opportunity to discover space.”

Ax-2 follows Axiom’s 2022 Ax-1 mission, the first privately crewed launch to the ISS, which sent another former astronaut and three paying customers to space. It’s also a milestone for SpaceX, which is rapidly becoming the leader in commercial space travel and is currently evaluating last month’s Starship test launch to identify areas of improvement.

“SpaceX has often used ‘failures’ as valuable data gathering events,” Cunniff said of the attempt. “One might say that they have re-defined what a failure is for the industry, as any mission or launch activity can and does produce valuable data that can be useful for future successful attempts. Often, this data is obtained at much lower cost (and in less time) than otherwise required for a rigorous engineering analysis and test series.”

While it’s unclear how large of an impact Ax-2’s research efforts will have on the creation of a new space station, the mission undoubtedly will give NASA, SpaceX, and Axiom more information to use in future missions.

The post SpaceX Sends Paying Customers on Ax-2 Mission to ISS appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Rolls-Royce has announced the completion of the first tests of its UltraFan technology demonstrator at its facility in Derby, United Kingdom. The tests were run using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF.

The aero engine company said this is the first time in 54 years it has tested a brand new engine design, noting the latest architecture’s performance is “a big step” toward improving the efficiency of future engines as well as those currently in production.

• READ MORE: Rolls-Royce Begins Testing New Engines for B-52 Bomber Fleet

The UltraFan is 10 percent more efficient than today’s Rolls-Royce Trent XWB, which  the company called “the world’s most efficient large aero engine in service.” It is possible to use technology from the UltraFan to improve the current Trent model’s efficiency and reliability, according to the company. In the long term, the new design is sufficiently scalable to power new airliners expected to enter the market during the 2030s. 

“The UltraFan demonstrator is a game-changer—the technologies we are testing as part of this program have the capability to improve the engines of today as well as the engines of tomorrow. That is why this announcement is so important—we are witnessing history in the making; a step-change in engine efficiency improvement,” said Tufan Erginbilgic, CEO of Rolls-Royce. “When combined with sustainable aviation fuels, more efficient gas turbine engines will be key to hitting the industry’s target of net-zero flight by 2050. Today we are closer to achieving this ambition.”

• READ MORE: Rolls-Royce Marks Successful Engine Test Run on Hydrogen

The company said the UltraFan program demonstrates what government and industry can achieve by working together. The latest tests benefitted from the support of the U.K. government through entities including the Aerospace Technology Institute, Innovate UK, and the European Union’s Clean Sky programs.

The post Rolls-Royce Tests UltraFan, Its 1st New Engine Architecture in 54 Years appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The aviation industry’s sustainability movement is getting a boost from Boeing (NYSE: BA). The aerospace giant released its data-modeling tool, called the Cascade Climate Impact Model, for public use.

Cascade, available on the company’s new Sustainable Aerospace Together hub, is used to analyze the effectiveness of sustainability efforts aimed at reducing aviation’s carbon footprint. Boeing said it released the tool to help support the industry’s plans to reach net-zero carbon emissions.

Boeing said Cascade looks at the complete life cycle of alternative energy in aviation, including production, distribution, and use. The tool also quantifies the ability of different methods to reduce carbon emissions. Modeling can also be used to examine the effects of fleet renewal, operational efficiency, renewable energy sources, and future aircraft on decarbonization.

• READ MORE: Net-Zero Emissions Target Set By ICAO for 2050

“We created Cascade to serve as an industry tool that creates a common framework among aviation, energy, finance, and policy,” said Chris Raymond, Boeing’s chief sustainability officer. “By putting data first and sharing this model with the public, we are enabling collaboration, feedback, and alignment across industry, government, and others who work together to achieve a more sustainable aerospace future.”

So far, the use of Cascade has led Boeing to a number of conclusions, including that sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, will be the most effective factor in cutting carbon, because it can be used in current Part 25 transport category aircraft. Boeing said electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft are likely to contribute to carbon reduction in the future, but their effectiveness through 2050 will be limited by “long time frames” associated with development of new aircraft and infrastructure.

“Cascade helps airline operators, industry partners, and policymakers see when, where, and how different fuel sources affect their sustainability goals,” said Neil Titchener, Cascade program leader. “Our industry has really hard questions ahead of us. We’re going to have to make difficult choices. Cascade can be the conversation starter for how each decarbonization pathway can help us reach a more sustainable future.”

• READ MORE: United Airlines to Fuel SFO Flights With SAF

Boeing also introduced the Cascade User Community, a group that will provide feedback regarding the tool. Founding members of the group include the International Air Transport Association, NASA, University of Cambridge’s Aviation Impact Accelerator, and MIT’s Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment.

“The Cascade User Community will ensure the tool and data sources continue to get feedback and evolve for informed and effective discussions towards achieving net-zero emissions by 2050,” Raymond said. 

The post Boeing Unveils Sustainability Tool to Boost Industry Net-Zero Goals appeared first on FLYING Magazine.