Above: Vertiport
Chicago is already gearing up to add electric vertical
takeoff and landing aircraft to its traffic mix. Opposite: The Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center heliport,
Vacaville, California. (Vertiport Chicago and Heliplanners Photos)
up to eight helicopters and hangar space for nine more. Last year, the vertiport announced plans for scheduled
eVTOL service to O’Hare International Airport (KORD), beginning in 2025, using Archer Midnight eVTOLs owned and operated by United Airlines. Te eVTOLs should be able to make the trip between Vertiport Chicago and O’Hare in 10 minutes, versus the typical hour-plus freeway crawl that ground vehicles endure.
Financing Still an Issue Because Vertiport Chicago sits adjacent to a major rail yard, bringing additional electricity onto the site will be easier than it would be at some other locations. Still, the larger question of financing eVTOL infrastructure remains far from settled. Political leaders in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Miami have all voiced support for AAM but haven’t made any significant financial commitments to advancing it. Initially, that support will need to be federal. And there’s
the sticking point. According to Alexander, it comes down to vertiport ownership: privately owned facilities are inel- igible for federal funds and grants, and the vast majority of US heliports and helipads are private. “You have to be public to even apply for federal grant money,” he notes. Alexander thinks the problem can be solved by creating
a new classification of heliport and vertiport beyond the current private and public by adding the term “private- commercial” and making facilities under the categorization eligible for government support. But that process, he warns,
48 ROTOR JUNE 2024
could take four to six years, requiring rule changes for grant eligibility. When the funding does come, Martino stresses, it needs
to be inclusive of both new and existing infrastructure and not discriminate against helicopters. “VAI is fighting hard to make sure the FAA is integrating existing infrastructure, inclusive of helicopter operations.” To that end, VAI’s Vertical Flight Infrastructure Sub-
Working Group is focusing on: ■ Advocating for and engaging with international regulatory
bodies to promote the harmonization of heliport and vertiport design standards
■ Providing education and resources for the heliport– vertiport development and approvals process
■ Developing a model infrastructure-protection ordinance for adaptation and adoption by states and municipalities
■ Applying evolving fire-protection standards. Te sub-working group’s membership consists of heliport planners, helicopter operators, helideck manufacturers, lighting specialists, fire-suppression specialists, eVTOL OEMs, and heliport managers who hail from countries including Australia, India, the Netherlands, and the United States. On Capitol Hill, Congress continues to promote AAM
with legislation including the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, which was signed into law in 2022. Te act directs the US secretary of transpor- tation to establish an “advanced air mobility interagency
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
