The inevitable is occurring in the dead end space of Jetsons urban air mobility fantasies. Two more origami rotorcraft have left the vertiport for the great airplane graveyard in the sky as Volocopter disappears and Airbus drops its program. Volocopter was founded in 2011 in Bruchsal, Germany. Initially named e-Volo, … [continued]
An NREL Study Shows That Grid Upgrades Are Needed for eVTOL Charging, But On-Site Generation and Storage Can Help Electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft might quickly move passengers over mountains or float them across urbanscapes. But first, an important consideration for these flying batteries is where they will … [continued]
In the past couple of years, far too much digital ink and far too many investment dollars have been wasted on origami electric vertical takeoff and landing nonsense. Evtols, especially the ones that fold, are typically rushed prototypes that have no path to certification without US$1.5 billion in funding, a … [continued]
For many people, transit seems like an obvious environmental improvement over people driving in individual ICE cars. When buses are full and driving at efficient speeds, that’s true, but the transportation landscape is changing. Not only are personal vehicles getting more efficient, but many buses drive around almost empty a … [continued]
The FAA’s NOTAM system failure serves as a reminder that while the benefits of DATC are clear, the path to full implementation and acceptance will be neither smooth nor quick. It will require a concerted effort from all stakeholders in the industry and a willingness to invest in and fully embrace the technology.
The FAA’s YouTube channel has a recording of a recent event where a panel of experts in public safety discussed best practices for small electric unmanned aviation, or drones. If you’d like to watch the video itself, it’s embedded below, but if you want to read my summary, scroll further … [continued]
In some recent social media posts, the FAA Drone Zone announced that it is doing a redesign to make the website more visually appealing and easier to use. On Monday, the new design opened up for users to check out. US Drone Rules Can Be Complicated The Federal Aviation Administration … [continued]
As part of the effort to integrate clean unmanned electric aviation into US skies, the FAA created a Remote ID rule for small drones. This rule, which was first proposed in 2019, would require all drones to broadcast their location and identification information while in flight. This information would be … [continued]
NREL’s Analysis of Electric Charging Infrastructure Will Prepare Airports To Welcome Sustainable Aircraft While Boosting Grid Resilience and Connecting Communities
A recent post at Wildfire Today tells us about an important effort to help with one of the downsides of electric aviation. While drones are an important part of replacing dirty gas-powered (and often leaded) aviation, as well as other fossil-fueled aviation, their unique size and ease of purchase does … [continued]
