HANGAR TALK
Test pilot Ric Webb of Unither Bioélectronique performs a hover flight in the company’s experimental hydrogen-powered Robinson R-44 Raven II helicopter at Roland-Désourdy Airport in Bromont, Québec, March 27, 2025.
Photo: Peter Krieger via Press Record Media.
Canadian Advanced Air Mobility Celebrates Historic First Piloted Hydrogen-Powered Helicopter Flight by Unither Bioélectronique
Canadian Advanced Air Mobility (CAAM) recently celebrated a monumental milestone in sustainable aviation, as CAAM National Board member Unither Bioélectronique has completed the world’s first flight demonstration of a piloted hydrogen- powered helicopter. The groundbreaking achievement took place at Roland-Désourdy Airport in Bromont, Québec, on 27 March 27, 2025, marking a pivotal moment for sustainable aviation in Canada and beyond.
This milestone is not only the first flight demonstration of a piloted hydrogen-powered helicopter globally; it is also Canada’s first piloted hydrogen-powered flight. The successful three-minute, 16-second flight validated the capabilities of a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) hydrogen fuel cell system to support the power demands of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) flight.
“Our first test flight successfully demonstrated the hover and maneuver capabilities of our innovative hydrogen powertrain,” said Mikaël Cardinal, VP of Program Management & Business Development—Organ Delivery Systems for Unither Bioélectronique. “Our next phase of development will focus on integrating a liquid hydrogen storage system, which we believe is an essential technology for enabling our extended-range missions to deliver manufactured organ alternatives to patients in need.”
The historic flight is part of Project Proticity™, a joint initiative between Unither Bioélectronique and Robinson Helicopter Company focused on accelerating zero-emission aviation through the use of hybrid hydrogen-electric propulsion systems. The successful demonstration — performed by test pilot Ric Webb under an experimental flight permit from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) — utilized an experimental Robinson R44 Raven II equipped with a dual PEM fuel cell/ battery hybrid powertrain, with approximately 90% of the flight’s energy coming from hydrogen fuel cells.
As the national industry association driving sustainable innovation in Canada’s skies, CAAM recognizes this as a transformative moment for the sector.
“This historic achievement proves that clean aviation isn’t a distant dream — it’s a present-day reality taking flight right here in Canada,” said JR Hammond, executive director of CAAM. “Unither’s success is a shining example of the innovation happening across our ecosystem, and demonstrates how Canadian leadership is shaping the global future of zero- emission air mobility.”
Unither’s success reaffirms Canada’s growing leadership in clean aviation, underlining the nation’s potential to be a global test bed for next-generation aerospace technologies. Unither’s leadership, combined with Robinson’s aviation expertise, sets the stage for transformative applications in emergency response, healthcare, and logistics.
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