MY 2 CENTS By Randy Rowles EVTOL
Have you ever noticed an airship hovering
over a sporting venue near
a major airport? There is no chaos or mayhem to the orderly flow of aircraft; all operate safely while following prescribed procedures to allow such activities to take place. In previous years these sporting venues would have had countless aircraft safely operating in and around each other, simply due to the vigilance in procedural development exercised by the aviation industry in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The system worked!
Over the years, the aviation industry has adopted many new categories and classes
of aircraft into the National
Airspace System (NAS). These differing aircraft have been classified by their unique performance characteristics. The ability of the NAS to be flexible and accommodating to these varied aircraft is what allows the system to function well. With each addition, regulations and procedures have been developed to enhance the existing NAS structure so safe and effective airspace structure is available to all.
Since the introduction of electric vertical take-off and landings (eVTOL) aircraft, it appears this conversation has changed. No longer is the adoption of this new technology seen as requiring integration into the NAS. Developers and regulators in direct support of eVTOL want the NAS to change to fit eVTOL. Are these actions by eVTOL developers in support of the helicopter industry...or is it their intention to replace it?
Recently, Joby Aviation and Volocopter both flew short test flights at NYC’s Downtown Manhattan Heliport (DMH). New York City Mayor Eric Adams
10 Nov/Dec 2023
IS IT AN ALLY, OR A TROJAN HORSE?
announced the city’s intention to electrify the heliport, laying the groundwork for New York to become the global leader in the adoption of clean, quiet flight.
Mayor Adams’ administration stated it supports electric aircraft that have zero operating emissions for rapid, back- to-back flights across New York City. It predicts an eVOTL flight from Manhattan to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) will take just seven minutes compared to more than an hour by car. But what of the existing helicopter operators already providing that service?
This wouldn’t be an issue if existing helicopter operators could simply acquire an eVTOL and add it to their fleet and continue operations. However, what if the eVTOL developer desires to compete in lieu of supporting existing helicopter operators?
While demonstrating the eVTOL aircraft in NYC, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation JoeBen Bevirt said, “By electrifying one of the most famous heliports in the world, New York is demonstrating global leadership in the adoption of electric air travel. We’re grateful for the support of the city, and we’re honored to be working with visionary partners like Delta Air Lines to bring our air taxi service to this market. We plan to make quiet, emissions-free flight an affordable, everyday reality for New Yorkers, while significantly reducing the impact of helicopter noise.”
Several eVTOL developers, including Joby, have openly stated their desire to not only design and build these new aircraft, but also to be the “air taxi” operators of this new technology. Without question, the eVTOL industry desires to sharply engage in commercial passenger
transportation within the same market as the helicopter industry. Once established as a commercial eVTOL operator, why assume eVTOL developers’ desires would remain limited to passenger- carrying services? What about power- line inspections, aerial survey, electronic news gathering, and any other vertical- lift utilization where eVTOL aircraft can eventually perform? It’s not a stretch to see a camera or cargo hook mounted on an eVTOL aircraft.
The introduction of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization Act of 2023 is to ensure the United States has safe, reliable and resilient air travel, stronger consumer protections for the flying public, advanced research in aviation innovation, and a modernized national airspace system to maintain the gold standard in aviation safety for years to come. Within this legislation, much emphasis was given to eVTOL and other emerging technologies, both piloted and non-piloted. What is missing is any kind of directive to integrate this technology into the existing NAS system working with the existing helicopter structure.
I fully support eVTOL integration into the NAS. As an operator, I would welcome a new vehicle into our fleet to meet eventual environmental regulatory requirements to secure continued operations of my vertical-lift business. What I’m not seeing is an equal desire for the eVTOL industry players to integrate into the existing helicopter industry infrastructure. So far, the eVTOL industry has sought to differentiate eVTOL
from helicopters
to include specific infrastructure such as eVTOL-specific airways, altitudes, landing areas, etc.
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