The American aviation regulator (FAA) has created a whole new category of aircraft in civil aviation. This is the first since that of helicopters in the 1940s, for machines with the characteristics of an airplane and a helicopter, such as flying taxis. “With this new regulation, the FAA is ready for the air travel of the future,” the regulator said Tuesday in a press release announcing the creation of the “Powered lift” category.
It notably includes air taxis and air freight delivery devices, in urban and rural areas. But the possibilities are “vast,” the FAA stressed, mentioning in particular air ambulance services.
These are the “final regulations regarding the qualifications and training that instructors and pilots must have to be able to fly aircraft in this “Powered lift” category,” the FAA said. “This is the last piece of the puzzle to be able to safely introduce these devices in the near future,” she said.
Historical regulations
These regulations lay down operational requirements, including safety altitudes and the necessary level of visibility. For Mike Whitaker, head of the FAA cited in the press release, “this historic regulation paves the way for large-scale Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations.” Originally, the regulator simply intended to update the existing regulations but, in reality, they were not “suitable for this new category of aircraft, which can take off and land vertically like a helicopter then fly like an airplane in the phase of cruise”.
This includes electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. Many projects are in development in the United States and around the world. The American airline Southwest signed a memorandum of understanding in July with Archer Aviation, an American designer of an eVTOL, to develop a network from the California airports it serves.
The company Supernal, a subsidiary of the South Korean group Hyundai, hopes to launch its air taxi services with its eVTOL, called S-A2, in 2028 in cities paralyzed by traffic jams, such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The German aeronautics start-up Volocopter wanted to take advantage of the Paris Olympic Games this summer to present this innovative mode of transport, but it had to give up at the last minute due to lack of certification. The goal is now to start by the end of 2024.
