Air Taxis and Other Electric-Powered Aircraft Cleared For Takeoff (theverge.com) 16
The FAA has released final regulations for electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, introducing a new category of aircraft for the first time in nearly 80 years. These rules provide a framework for pilot training and operational requirements, addressing industry concerns while aiming to support the future of advanced air mobility. The Verge reports: The FAA says these âoepowered-liftâ vehicles will be the first completely new category of aircraft since helicopters were introduced in 1940. These aircraft will be used for a variety of services, including air taxis, cargo delivery, and rescue and retrieval operations. The final rules published today contain guidelines for pilot training as well as operational requirements regarding minimum safe altitudes and visibility. [...] Powered lift includes aircraft described by industry watchers as electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL. Using tilt rotors, eVTOL aircraft are designed to take off and land vertically like a helicopter and then transition into forward flight on fixed wings like a plane.
[...] A new pilot training and qualifications rule was needed because âoeexisting regulations did not address this new category of aircraft, which can take off and land vertically like a helicopter and fly like an airplane during cruise flight,â the FAA said. The rule also provides a âoecomprehensive frameworkâ for certifying the initial group of powered-lift instructors and pilots. According to the agency, the rule would: "Makes changes to numerous existing regulations and establishes a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) with new requirements to facilitate instructor and pilot certification and training. Applies helicopter operating requirements to some phases of flight and adopts a performance-based approach to certain operating rules. Allows pilots to train in powered-lift with a single set of flight controls; legacy rules require two flight controls -- one for the student and one for the instructor." "The regulation published today will ensure the U.S. continues to play a global leadership role in the development and adoption of clean flight," said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, in a statement. "Delivering the rules ahead of schedule is testament to the dedication, coordination and hard work of the rulemaking team."
[...] A new pilot training and qualifications rule was needed because âoeexisting regulations did not address this new category of aircraft, which can take off and land vertically like a helicopter and fly like an airplane during cruise flight,â the FAA said. The rule also provides a âoecomprehensive frameworkâ for certifying the initial group of powered-lift instructors and pilots. According to the agency, the rule would: "Makes changes to numerous existing regulations and establishes a Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) with new requirements to facilitate instructor and pilot certification and training. Applies helicopter operating requirements to some phases of flight and adopts a performance-based approach to certain operating rules. Allows pilots to train in powered-lift with a single set of flight controls; legacy rules require two flight controls -- one for the student and one for the instructor." "The regulation published today will ensure the U.S. continues to play a global leadership role in the development and adoption of clean flight," said JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby, in a statement. "Delivering the rules ahead of schedule is testament to the dedication, coordination and hard work of the rulemaking team."
Plus and minus (Score:3)
That said, if any of the prop motors has a problem, it's simple as well - you just fall like a rock, and probably die.
My best guess is these will be really hot items until some prominent person gets turned into mush. Then the lawsuits and buh-bye.
Re: (Score:2)
That said, if any of the prop motors has a problem, it's simple as well - you just fall like a rock, and probably die.
Never heard of these before? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
SO all the VTOLs are going to be helicopters that autogyro?
Try to keep up - here's what they are talking about - https://www.theverge.com/2024/... [theverge.com]
If it was a helicopter, it would be regulated.... as a Helicopter. This is a new class - kinda like the article says.
Thanks for participating though.
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Emergency conditions may be interesting as well. Are they flyable if the automation fails, or is that non-recoverable. What is the procedure in the event of a battery or electrical failure (minimum safe operating altitude), fi
Re: Plus and minus (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
I believe the human rated ones have enough props and prop motors that they can at least make a controlled emergency landing after losing a few of them
Les
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I believe the human rated ones have enough props and prop motors that they can at least make a controlled emergency landing after losing a few of them
Less quadcopter and more duodecopter
Do you have any demonstrations of landing a quadcopter (or one of these has 6 rotors) making an emergency landing with one or more props out? I am no expert, but my experience with drones is they require all of their rotors to be working and controllable in order to function. https://www.theverge.com/2024/... [theverge.com]
Bad news for all sorts of reasons (Score:3)
It lets the rich fly over the mess they made leaving us down in the trenches with 90 minute one way commutes.
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Ignoring the obvious problem with cheaper air travel over cities encouraging corner cutting (imagine one of these coming down on you while you're stuck in rush hour) this will discourage anyone that can afford them from allowing infrastructure spending to alleviate traffic (which their tax dollars pay for).
Billionaire leftists already don't want to spend on infrastructure to alleviate traffic. Can't make things better for car drivers, or people will want to drive cars.
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Imagine how much better the traffic would be if the people who didn't want to drive weren't forced to. Having options would be a positive to everyone, except maybe Stellantis executives.
clean? perhaps, quiet? not a chance (Score:2)
"The regulation published today will ensure the U.S. continues to play a global leadership role in the development and adoption of clean flight,"
So far the FAA has completely (and willfully) failed at effectively regulating noise from traditional aircraft - wider use of eVTOL aircraft is just going to ratchet up the annoyance from loud whiny devices that will probably remain in earshot for longer than their faster flying brethren.
Flying car is 10 years away (Score:1)
The flying car's been 10 years away [thehill.com] for the last 70 years or so [smithsonianmag.com]... Maybe, just maybe, if we haven't poured so much money into regular wheeled carriages — and the infrastructure they need — the flying vehicles would've been common by now...
Obligatory (Score:2)
https://youtu.be/PRl_D_CunWA?s... [youtu.be]
eVTOLs suck (Score:2)
What do they do that helicopters can't? Quit calling them flying cars. If it can't be driven on a road and fit in a parking spot it's not a car. Nearly all the "eVTOLs" I've seen are not flying cars by any stretch of the imagination.
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Could be ICE or Electric (Score:2)
Powered lift includes aircraft described by industry watchers as electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL.
It doesn't sound like the new regulations have anything directly to do with electric aircraft. It is the fact that they lift vertically like a helicopter and fly horizontally like a plane.