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Regulating UAS in 2023

Trends in the state legislative sessions related to UAS include discussions about drone operations over critical infrastructure, police use, new AAM study committees, country-of-origin bans, and vertiports. (Photo: AUVSI)

BALTIMORE, Maryland — In an ever-evolving drone industry landscape, state and local legislators are grappling with creating effective and fair regulations for uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). In the wake of the Federal Aviation Administration’s 2023 Fact Sheet on State and Local Regulation of UAS, we have seen a variety of responses—some fostering growth, others seemingly encroaching on federal authorities. To navigate this complex environment, the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) launched Drone Prepared, a 50-state educational initiative aimed at guiding lawmakers in crafting regulations that are industry-supportive and consistent with federal oversight. 

Scott Shtofman of AUVSI and Josh Turner of Wiley Rein LLP spoke with Avionics International during this week’s Drone Summit, hosted by the FAA and AUVSI. Shtofman and Turner discussed recent legislative trends including issues related to flight over critical infrastructure, police use, advanced air mobility (AAM) study committees, country of origin bans, and vertiports. 

According to Scott Shtofman, Senior Manager of Government Affairs at AUVSI, there has been increased state-level interest in regulating drones and their operations over critical infrastructure. However, “I wouldn’t say that we’ve had changes in how UAS operate over critical infrastructure,” he remarked.

Section 2209 of the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2016 is a key reference, intended to establish which sites can be considered critical infrastructure and the regulations for flying over them, although there’s ongoing debate about what should be included in this definition, Shtofman noted.

He believes there will be a lot of interest from both asset owners and users in performing inspections of critical infrastructure using UAS. “There are benefits of being able to collect data using a drone and not having to shut down that piece of infrastructure,” he explained.

There is also a push to expand the definition of critical infrastructure. “Is that beyond something like petroleum refining and production plants or electric substations?” Shtofman asks.

Work is being done on drone detection and mitigation efforts, aiming to establish who has the authority to detect drone presence and act upon an imminent threat. To this end, Michael Robbins—Chief Advocacy Officer at AUVSI—is co-chairing an aviation rulemaking committee around counter-UAS. 

(Photo: NUAIR)

Josh Turner from Wiley Rein LLP, a Drone Prepared partner, noted that the FAA has congressional authority and instruction to create rules under Section 2209 that define what constitutes critical infrastructure, but the process has been delayed. “Right now, states tend to set their own ideas of what constitutes critical infrastructure,” he told Avionics

“It would be great to get some clarity around what those rules are at a national level,” he added. Uniform national understanding and regulation of what constitutes critical infrastructure, as decided by the FAA, would help to prevent confusion.

Turner also discussed legislation surrounding vertiports. States have traditionally decided where aircraft can take off and land, a role acknowledged and reinforced by the FAA’s 2023 Fact Sheet. “AUVSI has been very supportive of the idea that states have a role in figuring out how to make urban air mobility and advanced air mobility happen,” he commented.

The Drone Prepared program aims to educate local and state governments on the necessary legislative changes for successful vertiport integration into local communities.

Over the past year, there has been growing interest and successful initiatives in state and local governments around vertiports and urban air mobility. “The idea of having a vertiport in your city or in your state is really compelling,” Turner said.

(Photo: Skyports)

Privacy Concerns and Public Safety

A key goal of AUVSI is to ensure that states understand their rights to protect their citizens’ privacy—without the need for an abundance of new drone-specific rules—and that existing laws can be leveraged to do so.

Drones are just another tool, akin to a flying camera. Their use should be governed by the same privacy considerations as any other tool, Shtofman explained. “When it comes to police use of drones, it’s different than commercial use,” he said. “There are already standards in place for what’s required when they want to search something, or if you’re using the drone for surveillance purposes.”

Drones can serve as less risky and less expensive alternatives to helicopters in police operations, providing oversight and helping to de-escalate situations. Transparency is essential regarding how data collected by drones will be used, stored, and shared, which should be clearly communicated to the public to alleviate privacy concerns.

Drones are being used by around 10 to 15 departments across the country as “first responders.” “They’ll send a drone to the site of the call to get an assessment of the situation and decide what sort of response is required by officers,” according to Shtofman.

Open dialogue with communities about drone usage can help dispel fears and misconceptions. He underscored that the primary use of drones by the police is as a tool for better situational understanding and response.

(Photo: Matternet)

Country-of-Origin Bans

Legitimate security concerns exist around drones manufactured by what can be considered adversary nations, particularly around how these drones are used and the data security implemented, Turner explained.

“I don’t think that […] it makes sense to ban all drones from a certain country. But at the same time, those legitimate national security concerns do need to be addressed,” he said.

There should be policies in place to prevent the use of equipment that could potentially jeopardize national security or have adverse effects on the American public.

Shtofman noted that the country of origin considerations should not be limited to labeling drones from certain places as bad, but should also consider ways to improve the country’s supply chain resilience.

There’s a need for efforts to enhance local production capabilities to ensure that the industry isn’t hindered due to a lack of access to components either domestically or from allied nations. Building a robust, homegrown industry would ensure the availability of reliable drones and the means to produce them even in adverse situations, thereby strengthening both the commercial and defense aspects of the industry.

Developing a domestic talent pool through STEM education is essential to have the required engineers and manufacturing capabilities to meet any needs, he added.

(Photo: Zipline)

Navigating Intersecting Legal Jurisdictions

The Drone Prepared campaign launched last year has been instrumental in opening discussions with states and influencing legislation by providing clear and detailed legal interpretations and arguments, Shtofman shared. They have engaged with at least 20 states and worked with five departments of transportation to educate lawmakers about drone usage and regulation.

The FAA’s UAS Fact Sheet aligns with AUVSI’s perspective on the delineation of power, stating that the federal focus should be on aviation safety and air navigation, while states should address privacy and public protection.

Clear legislation benefits operators and manufacturers by enabling them to offer drone-related services more effectively. Shtofman explained, “Let’s protect the public, but let’s also allow for the benefit of drones and allow for certainty for operators and manufacturers to know how to prepare a state to be ready for an economic opportunity.”

Turner noted that the clarity of federal and state authority in drone regulation, as underlined by the new FAA Fact Sheet, is certainly helpful. Misconceptions and confusion about rules differing for unmanned systems have been clarified, which aligns with the FAA’s historical control over aviation safety and efficient use of airspace.

The Fact Sheet acknowledges local governments’ authority to regulate privacy, without overriding federal aviation control. The fact sheet also indirectly discourages states from designating drone highways, since constant streams of drones flying overhead are unpopular. “People would much rather have a dispersed set of routes,” said Turner, adding, “It diffuses the impact.”

Those looking for an opportunity to get involved can visit droneprepared.org, Shtofman mentioned. “We have all the legislation that we’re tracking. I think last session, we had over 200 pieces of legislation around the country that were in some way related to drones. Just knowing what’s going on where you live is a great way to start.”

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Chief Sustainability Officer at CAE Talks Carbon Neutrality, Flight Simulators, & More

The Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement at CAE, Hélène V. Gagnon, offers her insights into the FY23 Global Annual Activity and Sustainability report. (Photos: CAE)

CAE, a leading flight training and simulation company, has highlighted its commitment to ESG activities, next-gen technologies, and sustainability in its recent FY23 Global Annual Activity and Sustainability report. The report showcases progress across all three of CAE’s units—Civil, Defense, and Healthcare—in 2023.

Avionics International spoke with Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) and Senior Vice President of Stakeholder Engagement, Hélène V. Gagnon, to learn more about the recently published report and her perspective on sustainability in the aviation industry.

“For civil aviation, we do a lot with pilot training and flight simulators,” she remarked. “Now, we are much more than that—through acquisitions, we offer digital solutions to help airlines with their operational support. We help them with crew management on the ground and in the air, managing catering, and optimizing their flight plan to make sure that they have the most direct route.”

“We decided to make the pledge in the fall of 2019 to become carbon neutral. Despite the collapse of aviation in March 2020, we remained true to our commitment. We started compensating our residual emissions for Scope 1, buying some renewable energy certificates for 200 sites around the world, and also compensating for the business air travel of our employees (partial Scope 3). That’s how we became carbon neutral in 2020, and we remain carbon neutral. We’re trying to raise the bar every year on everything that we do in sustainability.”

Gagnon added that offsetting carbon is often seen as the last resort, but CAE prioritized carbon offsets from the beginning. “By becoming carbon neutral, and by starting to offset right now, we’re forcing ourselves to reduce at the source much faster,” she said. “Nobody likes to see the invoice of carbon offsetting, or the invoice of renewable energy certificates for electricity. So all the leaders in the organization are now very aware of our carbon and our energy costs.”

CAE’s Mixed Reality Flight Simulator

According to the Global Annual Activity and Sustainability report, the Civil unit outperformed past results despite the pandemic’s impact on global passenger traffic. The Defense unit secured contracts including a $455 million contract for Flight School Training Support Services at Fort Novosel, Alabama, and a $110.6 million contract for the U.S. Air Force’s Initial Flight Training – Rotary Wing (IFT-R) in Dothan, Alabama.

Strategic partnerships have been key for CAE. Notable collaborations include a joint venture with AEGEAN to establish an advanced flight training center in Athens, Greece, and an exclusive 15-year agreement with the Qantas Group to develop a pilot training center in Sydney, Australia. Furthermore, CAE has expanded its network with new business aviation training centers in Savannah, Georgia, Las Vegas, Nevada, and plans for a Vienna, Austria center by 2024.

CAE also integrated Sabre’s AirCentre portfolio, leading to an increase in customer touchpoints and a reduced carbon footprint for airlines utilizing their solutions. This was accompanied by various technological advancements such as the deployment of Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence-enabled Digital Solutions with the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF), the appointment of a Chief Technology and Product Officer, and the launch of mixed-reality training solutions.

Despite geopolitical shifts, CAE’s Defense & Security sector, leveraging commercial aviation innovations, achieved a $2.0 billion order intake in FY23 and is poised for future growth. The company also continues to prioritize sustainability, becoming Canada’s first carbon-neutral aerospace firm, developing an electric conversion kit for Piper Archer aircraft, and joining the Climate Group’s RE100 initiative.

“Although we do a lot of simulation, we also own a fleet of small aircraft—mostly Piper aircraft—to give the initial pilot license to cadets,” Gagnon shared.

She also explained that the RE100 is a group of companies that are committed to being powered by renewable energy by 2050. “In our case, because we have our renewable energy certificate, we’re almost there already—it’s proof that you are powered on the grid by renewable energy,” she noted. “We pay the premium for the electricity, where it’s not already directly powered by renewable energy. Being admitted to that select group of companies was also one of the achievements that we’ve highlighted in our report this year.”

CAE’s five-year ESG roadmap sets precise objectives for tracking progress. The company’s Flight Operations Solutions aim to reduce fuel consumption and waste, further supporting the decarbonization of the aviation industry.

Key partnerships include a 10-year agreement with Frontier Airlines for next-gen flight operations solutions, collaboration with Vertical Aerospace to develop training for the VX4 eVTOL aircraft, and extended agreements with TAG Aviation and Global Jet for business aviation pilot training. CAE also continues to provide integrated training services through its Cygnet Aviation Academy, in collaboration with Chorus Aviation.

eVTOL developer BETA Technologies and CAE announced a partnership in 2021 to develop a program for pilot and maintenance technician training for BETA’s ALIA aircraft.

To meet global demand for pilots and maintenance technicians, CAE is expanding its training capacity in Toronto and Burgess Hill Training Centres with the addition of Boeing 787 and 737 MAX full-flight simulators. This expansion aims to produce an additional 45,000 business aviation pilots and 66,000 business aircraft technicians by 2029.

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Collins Reveals $14M Expansion of Additive Manufacturing Facility

Collins Aerospace completed a $14 million expansion of its additive manufacturing facility in West Des Moines, Iowa. (Photos: Jessica Reed)

Last week, Collins Aerospace celebrated a 9,000-square-foot expansion of its additive manufacturing facility. The site is located in West Des Moines, Iowa. The $14 million expansion of the facility will enable the installation of multiple new 3D metal printers that promise to increase the additive manufacturing capabilities of Collins’ team.

The facility received its first additive manufacturing machine back in 2016 which was capable of producing objects smaller than roughly one cubic foot. The first of the new 3D metal printers, which has already been installed onsite, can produce parts that are eight times larger in volume. “It’s really meant for maximum production,” remarked a member of the Collins team during a tour of the facility.

“We’ve just finished working with the OEM to do site acceptance testing on the equipment,” they shared with Avionics. “That is now signed off, and we’re going to start working on process development—choosing parameters for the lasers, writing our specifications for aerospace, and getting ready to ramp up production. Working through that process will take about six months to a year.”

Of the roughly 40 employees at the West Des Moines facility, about 10 or 15 are working directly with additive manufacturing. Collins also has additive production centers in Iowa, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Singapore, as well as a research center for additive manufacturing in Connecticut.

The U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC) hopes to leverage additive manufacturing for building parts of the Department of Defense’s hypersonic test facilities. Additive manufacturing involves building objects layer by layer. The process takes advantage of 3D modeling and advanced fiber materials.

Renee Begley, Collins’ West Des Moines site lead, commented on the announcement, saying: “From supporting the backlog in commercial aircraft to enabling future platforms, and reducing carbon emissions to providing supply chain relief, additive manufacturing is poised to play an integral role in the future of the aerospace and defense industry. Additive manufacturing has the potential to help us reduce weight, complexity, lead time, and cost in the parts we supply, and this expansion represents an investment in our business to help deliver those benefits to our customers.”

She remarked during a tour of the facility, “Additive manufacturing is a game changer for the entire aerospace and defense industry.”

PJ Titone, Vice President of Engine Control Systems at Collins Aerospace, shared a few words prior to the ribbon-cutting ceremony: “Power controls products make flying safer, quieter, and more comfortable. We are leading the development of more electric and autonomous solutions that will power the future aircraft of tomorrow.”

PJ Titone, Vice President of Engine Control Systems

Henry Brooks, President of Power & Controls, also spoke during Collins’ facility expansion event. “Additive is a key focus not only for this facility, but for Collins Aerospace, and for RTX as a company,” he said. 

“This technology enables us to produce parts faster, at a lower cost, and with greater precision, to best support our strategic business units across Collins Aerospace, our commercial and our military OEMs, and airline partners.”

Henry Brooks, President of Power & Controls

“This really furthers RTX’s commitment to being a more sustainable company,” Brooks added. “The aerospace industry is not standing still; it is moving towards a net zero greenhouse emissions future. And when you think about what additive can do—less weight, better cost, lower risk, speed to market—we are right in the middle of what can make this market move a lot faster.”

“Even before today, this West Des Moines facility was a global powerhouse in fuel nozzles for the aerospace industry,” Governor Kim Reynolds said during the event. “Now with the addition of the 9,000 square feet of space for even more powerful 3D metal printers, you are poised to push production to get into it even higher gear.” 

She added, “Manufacturing is Iowa’s largest industry sector, accounting for 19% of our GDP and 60% of our exports. But what’s even more important than the raw numbers is the culture of partnership, growth, and innovation that makes it all work.”

Kim Reynolds, Governor of Iowa

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Iridium Expands Iridium Certus to Aviation

Iridium Communications announced that it is expanding its Iridium Certus service and launching the service for commercial aviation. (Photo: Iridium)

Iridium Communications is expanding its Iridium Certus service, launching service for commercial aviation, the company announced Monday. The L-band service is now available for cockpits in commercial transport aircraft, business aviation, helicopters, private aircraft, and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS).

Safety certifications with partner manufacturers and resellers are in progress, with flight trials expected to begin by the end of 2023 and approvals expected in 2024.

Iridium pitched the service as a complement to Ka- and Ku-band connectivity services in commercial passenger cabins, and can be primary connectivity for small-to-mid-size business jet cabins. Iridium also recommended it over high frequency/very high frequency service for electronic flight bag (EFB), flight critical data, and passenger communications during oceanic flights.

“Iridium’s first-generation voice and data solutions are installed on over 60,000 aircraft today and have been critical for flight safety and relied upon by pilots and airlines for years,” said John Peterson, executive director of Aviation, Iridium. “As the preferred solution for a wide range of aviation applications, from drones to airliners, Iridium Certus is ready to support the industry’s evolving connectivity needs.”

In June, Collins Aerospace revealed a high-speed SATCOM system for business jet cabins using the Iridium Certus 700 platform. It uses Iridium’s constellation of 66 cross-linked LEO satellites.

According to John Peterson, Executive Director of Aviation at Iridium, one advantage of their satellite link is that it enables “excellent visibility of an aircraft no matter where it is in the world. These aircraft fly at such low altitudes that they don’t always see the VHF or ADS towers, but they fly at a high enough altitude that they don’t always see the LTE towers,” he told Avionics recently.

This article was originally published by Avionics International‘s sister publication, Via Satellite; it has been edited. The original article can be viewed here >>

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Statkraft Ventures Invests In Electra’s eSTOL

Statkraft Ventures has invested in Electra to accelerate sustainable aviation through the continued development of its hybrid eSTOL aircraft. (Photo: Electra)

A leading energy transition and climate tech VC fund, Statkraft Ventures, has invested in Electra, the company announced this week. This investment will accelerate the development of Electra’s hybrid-electric short take-off and landing (eSTOL) aircraft and support commercialization of the vehicle.

Statkraft Ventures invests in companies and emerging technologies that will help to reduce emissions. Electra’s “visionary approach and groundbreaking technology to electrify aircraft, reducing operating costs and emissions at the same time, align perfectly with Statkraft Ventures’ mission to support innovative startups that drive the transition to a low-carbon economy,” commented Alexander Kueppers, Managing Director at Statkraft Ventures, regarding the new partnership.

In 2023, Statkraft Ventures has made several investments, including the following:

  • Norwegian tech start-up Zeabuz with an autonomous system for maritime vessels
  • Norwegian cleantech company Alva Industries, a designer and manufacturer of electric motors for industrial drones, robotics, and other applications
  • Hydrosat, which is developing a constellation of satellites and delivers a continuous thermal monitoring capability with high-resolution data that enables users to track water stress events 

in June, Electra revealed the EL-2 Goldfinch test vehicle for its eSTOL aircraft, a two-seat piloted tech demonstrator. The eSTOL developer also entered into an agreement with Safran Helicopter Engines last month. Safran will develop the 600 kW electric turbogenerator propulsion system for Electra’s nine-passenger eSTOL prototype.

(Photo: Electra)

The company will soon launch its summer flight test program with the two-seat tech demonstrator following a series of ground tests to validate its blown lift performance.

As of this week, Electra has recorded more than 1,200 aircraft pre-orders from 30+ global customers.

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Inside eVTOL Certification: A Q&A With the Deputy CTO of Lilium

Within the eVTOL landscape, regulatory compliance and airworthiness certification present unique challenges. Bhavesh Mandalia, Chief Airworthiness Officer and Deputy CTO at Lilium, in a recent interview with Avionics International, discussed how the company navigates this complex environment, detailing its innovative certification approach, dedication to safety, distinctive technology, and the journey towards obtaining Design Organization Approval (DOA). As the industry continues to take shape, Lilium’s pioneering efforts offer a glimpse into the future of air mobility.

Lilium’s Bhavesh Mandalia talks about the team’s strategies for achieving airworthiness certification and compliance with evolving aviation regulations. He also highlights their unique technology, a strong commitment to safety, and future goals in the dynamic eVTOL industry. (Photos: Lilium)

Avionics: Could you provide an overview of Lilium’s approach to achieving airworthiness certification and ensuring compliance with aviation regulations? Are there any unique challenges Lilium has faced in this process?

Bhavesh Mandalia: With certification, we’ve been engaged with two different authorities—EASA, the authority here in Europe, and the Federal Aviation Administration in the U.S. This was quite important for us, because both authorities have been developing a relatively new regulatory landscape for electric VTOL aircraft. It’s important for us to establish a good relationship as early as possible with them, which takes some years for a new applicant. Lilium applied for EASA type certification very early, back in 2017, and applied for type certification validation with the FAA shortly after.

EASA has broken down the certification process into 18 different disciplines, which is good for us. All disciplines come together to form the aircraft but enable us to group certification activity with focus on a particular area. Therefore, we can work on parallel certification streams with different EASA experts. 

We’ve constructed our teams to work with these individual areas of discipline for certification, which has been important for us. It’s helped us progress well with the evolving requirements. When we compare what we’re doing now with conventional aviation, developing an aircraft when you still have some fluidity with the regulations is quite a unique challenge to have. 

Equally, establishing an early relationship with the regulator has helped us to learn with them and to use our product and some of our key learnings to actually influence the regulations, which is always positive. It’s difficult, I think, for regulators to put new regulations together without actually seeing what they look like when they’re applied. So we’ve used a lot of our research and development activities to help them evolve as well. 

Avionics: Lilium recently completed the fourth and final Design Organization Approval audit by EASA. Could you share some details about this achievement and the key factors that contributed to the team’s success?

Mandalia: The DOA process in the European regulation framework is a prerequisite to develop and certify a new aircraft, and also for organizations that want to keep aircraft airworthy by implementing changes and repairs once they’re in service. EASA has recently made a number of updates to the regulation governing initial airworthiness known as EASA Part 21, to introduce a Safety Management System and a risk-based system to help determine their level of involvement within certification activities. 

We’ve been working with EASA since 2017 on our DOA approval. We’ve had four audits. The fourth and final one was this year, and each audit has progressively focused on a different area of our organization, such as the company structure, how we approve our people, and how we approve our suppliers. As we’ve evolved as an organization and our product has evolved, the types of audit are changing. The second audit was more about certification activity and how we manage configurations of the aircraft. The third one was more on how we start the actual compliance demonstration. The final one was about some of the deliverables that we would provide as part of the aircraft, including manuals on how to train people to operate and maintain the aircraft, and also to keep the aircraft airworthy.

We passed the audit, and as the regulations have evolved, we’ve actually tailored our DOA to be more specific for developing this type of electrically propelled, vertical take-off and landing aircraft. That’s been quite important for us instead of just putting together something that was more generic. 

I think successfully completing this last audit is a really good testament that we have competent people within the organization but also a structure that’s credible enough to certify such an aircraft. This is an important milestone for us because ultimately having a DOA approval will demonstrate to people that we’re a credible aerospace company; that is quite key in everything that we’re doing. 

For me, the DOA process is not new. This is actually the fourth approval I’ve been involved in with my career starting from scratch, and every single one is different, even though the regulations you have to comply with are the same. The approach is based on the type of product that you’re working with. Therefore, there’s a lot more emphasis on electrification and the use of new technology within our DOA, which is somewhat different to conventional aviation. The next steps now are to work to close off any open actions that we have and then get our DOA later this year.

Avionics: As Chief Airworthiness Officer, you play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and reliability of Lilium’s eVTOL aircraft. How does the company address safety considerations?

Mandalia: Like any aerospace company developing an aircraft that people will be using as a mode of transport, safety is a crucial component in order for our aircraft to meet the highest safety objectives. Within Europe, EASA has decided to prescribe the same level of safety as they do for any commercial aircraft. Essentially, the probability of what we call a catastrophic failure is one in a billion flight hours, or one in 109

The other important element for us as an organization is the implementation of the safety culture. EASA have recently introduced what they’re calling a safety management system. Most of the leadership team we have, including myself, are from large aerospace organizations where we’re already used to working with such a safety culture, and we already have systems implemented. For most of us, this was just a way of formalizing how we work with safety, but we consider multiple different areas within safety in our organization, and we also promote this and train our people to follow the same mantra. That includes design—the safety of the design, meeting the standards for airworthiness—and safety of the product, so that within the production organization system, it also has its own safety management element. Safety in operations—as we design, develop, and manufacture the product, we also have to ensure it’s safe to operate the product by aircrew and for people traveling on it. Safety for our employees—we operate in a safe environment, we make sure the office space is safe for them and we also make sure that the environment that they operate in is safe. 

We employ something called a “just culture.” We encourage people to report anything that they feel has gone wrong or could potentially go wrong and could impact either other people or the safety of the product that we’re developing. 

We also have safety of our customers; that’s the end goal, and we have organizational safety as well. These are important aspects of what we do. We make it very easy for our people to actually report items of safety as well and ensure that they have a good area where they can learn about why safety is so important, because we have a number of people in our organization that are from outside of aerospace. 

We’ve created what we call the Lilium Safety Hub, which is a repository on our intranet system, where we have a number of resources, including our safety policy, and also self-learning and training that people can take in addition to those that we mandate for safety—all of those elements of the Safety Management System which we have introduced under our DOA. For my position, because I’m something they call a regulatory postholder, if something goes wrong, I’m accountable for the certification and safety of the product. That’s quite key, and it’s taken very seriously, even as a new company.

Avionics: What differentiates Lilium’s technology from others in the eVTOL industry, and how does the company maintain a competitive edge in this dynamic landscape?

Mandalia: I’ll mention something that I think is quite unique, which you don’t necessarily hear other people talking about: customer comfort and customer experience. More recently, we’ve been advertising the quality of our cabin, and in addition to meeting the important safety requirements for the cabin, we also need to ensure that the customer experience is positive. This is why we have essentially the largest cabin on the aircraft with the ability to configure the cabin in multiple ways to suit the needs of the customer—the four-seater plush VIP-style club configuration, or the six-seater shuttle configuration. We’re also offering different color schemes and various other bits and pieces, and it’s quite a comfortable environment. I think that’s one of the key differentiators that’s quite important. 

We have multiple Electric Ducted Jet Engines, which is different to what the competitors have; most of them have open rotors. The use of multiple Electric Ducted Jet Engines introduces a number of benefits for our aircraft. Firstly, they are quieter when compared to open rotors, which will enable us to operate our aircraft around the clock and in areas where they have noise restrictions.

Secondly, having multiple ducted fans provides redundancy to meet the highest safety standards but also adds resilience against things like bird strikes which tend to be more common when flying at lower altitudes like eVTOL aircraft will. 

Thirdly, this architecture provides great cruise efficiency which is why we are targeting regional air mobility for our product.

We have 30 engines on the aircraft in total. It means we have a lot of redundancy. So if we were to have any failures on the aircraft, we have multiple engines that keep the aircraft airborne and continue to its original destination or to an alternative. The aircraft can still continue to fly with certain engines damaged. That was quite important for us as well—having this kind of architecture. 

We’re actually developing our own battery cells instead of opting to procure something that’s already out there and off the shelf. Some of this is because we want to develop something that is unique and something that is specific to our needs and the operational needs of our aircraft. Secondly, the regulators—particularly EASA—has set the bar very high with regard to safety standards for batteries and for technology. We don’t feel, from what we’ve seen out there, that automotive batteries or lithium-ion batteries used for other technologies are meeting the standards that are necessary for airworthiness. Compare it to automotive: with a car, if you have an incident with the battery system, the car comes rolling to a stop. With an aircraft, if you have a major failure of the battery cells or the electrical system, you’ve got more of an issue at hand. As a result of that, EASA has set the bar quite high for cells. So we have to develop our own technology to meet the requirements.

Avionics: Looking ahead, what are Lilium’s main priorities and focus areas for the upcoming year?

Mandalia: For my team in particular, one of the most important things is closing out the actions that remain for the DOA and receiving our DOA approval, which we’re expecting later on this year. That one is quite big on the radar. 

The next thing for us is actually a certification program. The 18 different areas that I mentioned within EASA, we have certification plans for each of these areas which we’ve already shared with EASA. It provides EASA with an indicative level of involvement as well within these activities. We need to basically formalize the agreement with EASA and then move on to the next phase, which is the actual demonstration of compliance and certification. 

Also within the next year, we will be going into production of our first prototype aircraft, which will be used for performing flight testing activities and ground testing, as well as other verification activities. In parallel with this, we’ll also be continuing other analysis and demonstrations of compliance for the authority in alignment with the certification plans that we’ve already submitted to them. Those are some of our objectives as an organization. More importantly, aside from that is ensuring we have the right people. We’ve already demonstrated to EASA that we have highly competent people, but making sure we maintain that engagement of our workforce, and also continue to find the best talent out there—all of this is important for us to continue the momentum.

Avionics: Could you share some details about Lilium’s recent wind tunnel testing?

Mandalia: We performed one of the most complex wind tunnel testing campaigns recently where we had an active scale model of our aircraft in one of the wind tunnels here in the region. This is one of the models that we’re using to provide us with data to validate that engineering is on the right track. This is something that we do to de-risk activities before we go into production and manufacture the full-scale aircraft. We used an active model with the engines running because having so many engines on the aircraft does have an impact on the airflow around the aircraft. So it’s important that it’s a representative model of what we’re doing. We’ll be using data from that to validate some of our other simulations that were put in place like, for example, for fluid dynamic models. For other simulations, we’re using aerodynamics. We’re working to demonstrate that the control laws and things that we’ve put together for the aircraft work before we actually put them into place on a real-life aircraft.

 

Q2 Shareholder Letter Updates

Lilium published its Q2 2023 shareholder letter this week. The company reports that it has hit key development and certification milestones to keep on track for the first manned flight of its type-conforming aircraft in late 2024. Lilium secured around $192 million in fresh financing, including a successful capital raise of $117 million mostly from new investors, leading to a $75 million pre-funding commitment from Aceville. The new financial resources, combined with existing funds, result in approximately $386 million of liquidity as Lilium steps into the second half of 2023. The funds will be instrumental for the development of the Lilium Jet. Future financing will prioritize non-dilutive funding. 

The recent capital raise is a significant endorsement of Lilium’s technology, attracting more investors and accelerating commercial engagement. The firm is set to begin assembling the first Lilium Jet for systems integration validation. Meanwhile, progress on the aircraft design and testing and marketing initiatives continue. The Lilium Jet’s cabin was a major draw at the 2023 Paris Air Show. Lilium also received a G-1 certification from the FAA, indicating the regulatory acceptance of its jet, and reports that interest from global markets, including China, is on the rise.

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Bombardier’s EcoJet Program: Advanced Aerodynamics and Digital Simulation

Bombardier is embarking on the second phase of testing for its EcoJet program, the company announced at the recent European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE). (Photos: Bombardier)

Bombardier is aligning its engineering expertise with its environmental commitments in its innovative EcoJet program. In an interview with Avionics International, Benoit Breault, Bombardier’s Director of Research and Technology, shared insights into the company’s bold plans to align its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy with the wider industry goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The company is leveraging its expertise in aerodynamics technology to reimagine the shape and systems of future aircraft for a more sustainable future.

The EcoJet program is a testament to Bombardier’s commitment to environmental responsibility. Born from a forward-thinking group of Bombardier engineers a decade ago, the initiative is about exploring the long-term future of aircraft design for business aviation, Breault explained. The team concluded that blended-wing technology could substantially reduce the aircraft’s drag, cutting down friction against the air, and in turn, decreasing fuel consumption. This substantial reduction in fuel consumption would lead to an equivalent decrease in emissions, a significant stride towards achieving the net-zero emissions goal.

“Just with aerodynamics, we can reach 15% to 20% of fuel burn reduction and, therefore, emissions reduction,” Breault said.

Testing and validation have been crucial in the initial stages of Bombardier’s EcoJet program. The company opted for scaled flight testing, a common practice in the industry, especially when dealing with unconventional airplane configurations. This method, Breault explained, minimizes risks associated with high-stakes testing and potential failures. The first phase involved experimenting with smaller vehicles, about 7% the scale of a Global 6500 airplane, resulting in a model with a wingspan of approximately six to seven feet. This phase provided crucial insights into the flight dynamics and flight controls integration with new aerodynamic shapes.

“Our biggest discovery is that we’ve been able to mostly match our simulations from our flight controls engineers,” he said. Engineers at Bombardier used sophisticated computer programs to create digital representations of their designs, thereby simulating the flight controls and airplane behavior in advance. These digital simulations, while not quite “digital twins,” aided in the development of flight control laws for the plane’s onboard computers. The completion of these initial tests and their close alignment with the simulated models provided the green light to proceed with larger-scale testing.

Bombardier announced at the recent European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE) that they are embarking on the second phase of testing. This involves a larger, more advanced model with a wingspan of around 18 feet. To support this effort, Bombardier has partnered with Siemens as their Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) partner, harnessing the company’s suite of tools to handle multiple aspects of product development, including CAD and simulation.

Breault emphasized the importance of this digital-physical synergy, highlighting how the EcoJet program has not only paved the way for revolutionary aerodynamic advancements but also set a precedent for product development at Bombardier. This digital evolution, running parallel with physical progress, promises to shape the future of the company’s engineering, driving further breakthroughs and innovations. 

A significant aspect of the EcoJet program is the evolution of aircraft control architecture. Breault traced this evolution back to the historical switch from cable-based flight controls to fly-by-wire systems. The transition began with the CSeries, now known as Airbus 220, and the Global 7500. These aircraft marked the inception of what Breault refers to as the “first generation” of control architecture.

Looking ahead, Bombardier plans to leverage its expertise from the EcoJet program to shape the “next generation” of flight control architecture. This involves a balance of technological advancements, such as aerodynamics, and integration of the PLM platform. As the team navigates through these complex terrains of innovation, they are laying the groundwork for a radically different and more advanced aircraft control system. The insights gleaned from the EcoJet program are poised to redefine the company’s systems and flight controls architecture, setting new standards in aviation technology.

The cockpit of the Global 6500 business jet

Collaboration is a cornerstone of Bombardier’s EcoJet program and its broader research initiatives. Breault highlighted the company’s diverse network of partnerships, spanning more than 20 university research institutions and numerous small and medium enterprises both domestically and internationally. This strong academic-industrial nexus has notably influenced Bombardier’s research landscape, with several major research projects eventually contributing to the EcoJet configuration.

“We’ve worked with nine or ten major Canadian universities that have aerospace programs,” Breault noted. “We work closely with the NRC (National Research Council) of Canada, and specifically their Aerospace Research Center,” as well as other international institutions. 

Bombardier’s team conducts collaborative research at the company’s flight test center in Wichita, Kansas. The company also recently expanded its research capabilities by opening a London-based engineering office at its Biggin Hill Service Center. With this multi-site approach, encompassing Montreal, Toronto, Wichita, and London, Bombardier leverages a global research perspective to drive forward its objectives.

Bombardier’s EcoJet program embodies an ambitious strategy toward achieving substantial emission reduction targets, aiming at a 50% reduction, according to Breault. This reduction strategy includes leveraging improvements in aerodynamics for a 20% reduction; advancing propulsion technology for another 20%; and finally, precise simulation for the final 10%. 

“With SAF [sustainable aviation fuel], we believe we can get another 40% of emissions,” he said, adding that the remaining gap to the 2050 Net Zero goal could then be bridged by market-based measures such as credits. 

EcoJet’s impact goes beyond the research labs and manufacturing floors. Breault speaks passionately of the program’s transformative impact on the company’s workforce and the wider public. The EcoJet program has not only stoked enormous internal engagement and positivity, making Bombardier a sought-after destination for both engineers and interns, but it has also piqued considerable public interest. 

Breault underscores that the EcoJet is not merely a single project, but rather an umbrella of innovative and transformative technologies poised to evolve Bombardier’s entire portfolio. EcoJet’s influence will permeate short, medium, and long-term projects, refining and maturing various technologies to enhance the company’s aircraft offerings. Moreover, the research portfolio extends beyond the technical realm to potentially revolutionize operational procedures. Concepts such as increased pilot autonomy, single pilot operations, and eventually, optional pilot operations, signal a radical rethink of traditional operational methods. 

“The EcoJet really is our research portfolio that will generate lots and lots of future opportunities,” Breault said.

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Air Company’s Mark Rumizen Talks Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Air Company has worked with the U.S. Air Force to demonstrate that its sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can replace traditional jet fuel as a 100% drop-in fuel. (Photos: AIR COMPANY)

In the quest to address the aviation industry’s substantial carbon footprint, AIR COMPANY has emerged as a trailblazer. The company’s groundbreaking sustainable aviation fuel, AIRMADE SAF, has recently shown tremendous promise as a 100% replacement for traditional jet fuel for which modifying existing flight equipment isn’t necessary. Now, with the appointment of Mark Rumizen—an expert in aviation fuels and regulatory affairs—as Director of Regulatory Affairs and Quality in Aviation, AIR COMPANY is taking a significant step towards complete regulatory certification.

Rumizen began his career at the Federal Aviation Administration as an aviation fuel specialist. During the early years, aviation fuel—particularly jet fuel—was widely considered safe. However, as Rumizen shared in an interview with Avionics International, the landscape changed in the mid-2000s. This was driven primarily by the military’s interest in finding alternative sources of fuel for enhanced supply security and geopolitical considerations surrounding oil dependency. This marked the inception of the alternative jet fuel industry, which later gained momentum due to growing environmental concerns.

Mark Rumizen, the chair of ASTM and the Director of Regulatory Affairs and Quality in Aviation at Air Company

As the need for evaluating and regulating new aviation fuels emerged, Mark Rumizen played a pivotal role in establishing a framework for their assessment. “My job, being the only aviation fuel person at the FAA, was really to figure out how we evaluate these new fuels,” he remarked. “I played a big role in that, working with industry.”

“When we talk about SAF, there’s always a lot of discussion about getting ASTM approval,” he explained. “The evaluation of the performance and safety of these new fuels is done through this industry group at ASTM, which is made up of all the stakeholders in aviation.”

Rumizen worked closely with engine and aircraft manufacturers, whose expertise was critical in vetting candidate sustainable aviation fuels. The stringent evaluation process prioritized the safety and efficiency of the fuels before considering their sustainability and environmental benefits.

Over the last 18 years or so, thanks to the dedicated efforts of ASTM International, seven different pathways for SAF have received approval. This accomplishment is a testament to the industry’s commitment to finding environmentally responsible and safe alternatives to conventional jet fuel.

In the past two years, the aviation industry as a whole has been focused even more on reducing carbon emissions, Rumizen observed. “It’s really unprecedented,” he said. “The level of interest from the government, investment organizations, airlines, companies making fuel from alternative feedstocks… That level of activity and interest is at a height now that I’ve never seen before, which is extremely encouraging.”

The potential of the technology developed by Air Company was one of the reasons Rumizen was interested in joining the company. “I felt they had a winning technology,” he shared. He emphasized the logistical challenges associated with growing and harvesting crops to convert the feedstocks into fuel. That method of SAF production requires a large amount of land. In comparison, Air Company’s AIRMADE SAF can be made from carbon dioxide or CO2, which is readily available.

Rumizen also commented that Air Company has a differentiated product mix. “They’re involved in producing consumer products along with a commodity: jet fuels. With a differentiated product mix like that, you increase the probability of growing a company and [having] a successful future.”

Because SAF is essentially the same as jet fuel, there is no need for limitations on the use of SAF as the industry scales up. It’s what’s known as a “drop-in” fuel, and it doesn’t need to be handled differently than conventional fuel. “You drop it in to the supply chain and the airplane; there’s no need for additional approval,” he remarked. 

The challenges of the SAF industry are centered around producing it at scale, according to Rumizen. He noted that Air Company is aligned with the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Grand Challenge, a collaborative effort created by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Agriculture, and other federal government agencies.

The objective of the SAF Grand Challenge “is to produce 3 billion gallons of SAF by 2030,” he said, “or about 10% of the jet fuel usage in the U.S. Our plans are aligned with that. We’re planning right now for a small-scale production facility for the near term. Later on, we plan on larger production facilities that will be able to contribute to that 3 billion gallons in 2030.” 

“By 2050, the goal is to have 30 billion gallons a year of SAF produced. We’re also working toward that to scale it up.”

Although Air Company is not involved in developing electric-powered aircraft, Rumizen noted that there is a lot of good work happening in the industry around eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft). “The challenge is to develop batteries that have a long enough life to make those products economically viable,” he said. “That’s one advancement that I think we’re all kind of waiting for”—to accelerate the aviation industry’s transition to using more sustainable energy sources.

“We rely on renewable electrical energy, and there are a lot of advancements happening in that right now relative to the supply of energy,” he commented. “That’s part of the evolution of our product—to be able to have evolutionary improvements in the availability and the efficiency of renewable electrical energy, to be able to support what we’re going to do. We’re working in parallel with those types of advancements.”

Air Company announced a strategic collaboration with Air Canada last week. The companies plan to accelerate efforts around power-to-liquid SAF that could offer a 94% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. “Air Canada joins JetBlue and Virgin Atlantic as part of Air Company’s airline ecosystem to help develop and deliver sustainable aviation fuel into North America,” the company shared.

In February, Air Company announced a $65 million deal with the Department of Defense to continue developing its technology. The objective is to produce fuel for the U.S. Air Force directly from carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Last September, Boom Supersonic signed an SAF offtake agreement with Air Company. The agreement includes the annual purchase of up to 5 million gallons of AIRMADE SAF for Boom Supersonic’s Overture flight test program.

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PHASA-35: High-Altitude UAS Offers Game-Changing Potential

PHASA-35 recently completed its first successful stratospheric flight. (Photos: BAE Systems)

Engineers at BAE Systems have recently achieved a remarkable milestone in the aerospace industry with the successful completion of a stratospheric flight trial of the High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) Uncrewed Aerial System (UAS) known as PHASA-35. Designed by BAE Systems’ subsidiary Prismatic Ltd, PHASA-35 represents a pivotal step in the evolution of aviation electronics and unmanned aerial technologies. BAE Systems began collaborating with Prismatic’s team on the PHASA-35 program in 2018, and the company was acquired in 2019.

Over a 24-hour period, PHASA-35 soared to heights surpassing 66,000 feet, reaching the stratosphere before landing back on Earth. This trial, which took place in the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, has opened new possibilities for cutting-edge aerospace capabilities with implications across the defense and commercial sectors.

The PHASA-35 program, initiated in 2018, envisions the creation of an innovative platform designed to operate far above conventional air traffic and weather systems. 

With its 35-meter wingspan and carrying capacity of 15kg, PHASA-35 utilizes a suite of world-leading technologies, including advanced composites, energy management, solar electric cells, and photo-voltaic arrays, to harness the power of the sun during daylight hours. The stored energy in rechargeable cells enables the aircraft to sustain flight overnight, thus providing a persistent and stable platform for a wide range of applications.

Unlocking the Stratosphere

PHASA-35’s distinguishing feature is its ability to operate in the stratosphere, an atmospheric layer above the troposphere where conventional aircraft and even satellites do not frequently venture. The stratosphere offers unique characteristics, including stable weather patterns and low wind speeds, which make it an ideal environment for extended aerial missions. Most airplanes fly at altitudes of around 35,000 to 38,000 feet, whereas PHASA-35 operates at 60,000 feet or more.

The PHASA-35 team endeavors to exploit the stratosphere’s unique features to achieve extended flight durations. By harnessing solar energy during the day and efficiently managing energy consumption, PHASA-35 aims to fly for prolonged periods—potentially for months at a time. While battery technology poses some challenges, ongoing advancements driven by industries like mobile phones and electric vehicles hold great promise for extending PHASA-35’s endurance and capabilities.

As Phil Varty, Business Manager of UAV Systems at BAE Systems, told Avionics International in an interview, “If you can get up there, and—in our case—use the sun to power some batteries and recharge each day, you don’t need a lot of energy to stay there.”

“On the way up, we’re testing the performance of the engines and the aerodynamic drag of the aircraft to check that it’s performing as we expect,” he remarked. “We were really pleased to see that the aircraft did match all of our predictions and indeed exceeded some of them.”

The successful flight trial marks a significant advancement in the PHASA-35 program’s development, bolstering its potential applications in both defense and commercial markets. The platform’s primary mission of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) is just the tip of the iceberg for this versatile UAS. PHASA-35 can support disaster relief efforts, border protection, and even serve as an alternative to traditional airborne and satellite systems.

Moreover, PHASA-35’s capacity to provide 4G and 5G communication networks from the stratosphere makes it an appealing solution for remote or under-connected regions. With the ability to remain stationary for extended periods, PHASA-35 “acts like a giant lamppost at 60,000 feet,” beaming communication signals to vast areas below. This opens up possibilities for improved connectivity, especially in areas where ground-based towers are not feasible or cost-effective.

“With one of our aircraft, we can stay over a spot for as long as the batteries allow us to,” Varty said, highlighting one of the differences between PHASA-35 and traditional satellites or conventional UAVs. He believes that there will be increased use of UAVs to provide connectivity over the next five to ten years.

“For some things like communications, there is a fractionally smaller delay with the HAPS than a satellite—that’s important in some applications,” he noted.

FalconWorks

The PHASA-35 program operates under FalconWorks, a cutting-edge center for advanced research and development within BAE Systems’ Air sector. FalconWorks is dedicated to delivering a wide range of combat air capabilities to the UK and its allies. As one of the flagship projects within FalconWorks, PHASA-35 represents a leap forward in aerospace technologies and lays the groundwork for future advancements in unmanned aerial systems.

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FAA Outlines Advanced Air Mobility Implementation Plan

The FAA releases a plan for the implementation of advanced air mobility, including piloted eVTOL aircraft. (Photos: FAA)

The Federal Aviation Administration recently outlined its new plan to implement advanced air mobility (AAM) into existing air traffic infrastructure in the United States. This category of aviation is defined as transportation methods that use new technology to transport people and cargo between two locations and includes concepts like electric aircraft and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. However, this category refers only to aircraft in which a pilot is onboard and involved in operating the flight.

As this new technology continues to develop, the FAA is implementing a crawl-walk-run approach to implementing AAM technology into the national airspace system. It first aims to integrate this new technology with minimal change by utilizing existing infrastructure to accommodate AAM. The agency also initiated a program named Innovate28 (I28), which involves collaboration between private firms in the industry and the government to create an ecosystem designed to allow these new, efficient methods to thrive.

The FAA’s overall implementation plan is tentative and will shift based on feedback from various stakeholders of the new technology. Periodic updates will occur to ensure the plan protects the safety of both the operators and the flying public. Despite the document’s flexibility, the FAA has outlined how it plans to integrate AAM into existing infrastructure through its I28 program. The I28 will outline what the operating environment will be in 2028 based on projections made from the technology’s current pace of development. It will also set several goals for the FAA and stakeholders to meet, along with key milestones that must be achieved to maintain a successful program.

In terms of airspace usage, AAM operators are expected to comply with many of the requirements that existing air traffic follow, including regulations around communication, navigation, and surveillance (CNS). Aircraft in this class are expected to fly at 4,000 feet above urban and metropolitan areas and major airports. This means AAM will operate primarily in Class B and Class C airspace.

I28 AAM routes will be designed to be used for VFR conditions exclusively. When possible, it will use existing or modified low-altitude VFR routes. Though these routing constructs don’t always supply the needed separation of AAM traffic, they do help pilots in avoiding major traffic flows dominated by larger aircraft. These routes might include both VFR flyways, VFR corridors, VFR transition routes, and special flight rule areas. 

In addition to routing, AAM will be provided air traffic control (ATC) services when necessary. AAM operators are expected to comply with the appropriate CFR and to conduct operations with flight schedules that are predetermined. This way they can be coordinated with local ATC and other stakeholders.

Despite some planned integration with existing infrastructure, new accommodations will also be needed for the new technology. Things like adequate parking zones for activities like loading and unloading will be important for successful integration. These must be separate from the pad used for take-off and landing for safe parking. Other added infrastructure the plan highlights includes charging stations, weather stations, and fire management services.

On aircraft certification, the document states, “New AAM aircraft are expected to offer capabilities ranging from single-pilot, recreational eVTOL aircraft, to piloted, powered lift, multi passenger short range aircraft. The type certification of AAM aircraft is possible because the FAA can leverage the current regulatory framework, which allows development of project-specific requirements tailored to fit the unique aspects of novel designs. The flexibility to tailor requirements can come in the form of special conditions or unique airworthiness criteria under a special class, depending on the AAM design (airplane, rotorcraft, or powered lift).”

As AAM technologies continue to develop, proactive planning to accommodate these new modes of air traffic is key for allowing safe integration into U.S. airspace. This tentative plan ensures the safety of passengers, operators, and other stakeholders.

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