Log-in here if you’re already a subscriber In the second of a two-part series, The Air Current explores what it...
JoinedOctober 16, 2021
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As Senior Editor, Elan spearheads The Air Current’s coverage of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, along with a focus on emerging sustainable technologies. A commercially-rated helicopter pilot and FAA Gold Seal flight instructor, Head brings a unique vantage point to explore this critical new sector.
Log-in here if you’re already a subscriber Release DateApril 12, 2022TAC Explains: What is sustainable aviation fuel?Purchase a PDF of...
While such deals across the rising eVTOL industry seemingly represent a new aerospace business model in which customers have a stake in the overall success of the product, a detailed review of securities filings and other fine print by The Air Current reveals a far more transactional arrangement. Airlines are lending their branding and credibility in exchange for a possibly lucrative piece of a buzzy market, regardless of whether or not an aircraft will be delivered or even formally ordered.
Jon Ostrower and Elan Head·
It's been a frenetic week for fleet moves. Alaska Air is formally removing the asterisk on its Proudly All Boeing moniker, Delta got an all-new aircraft type, Air Canada's getting in line for early A321XLRs and the FAA is putting a significant question mark over the availability of the 737 Max 10. After the crash of China Eastern 5736, The Air Current compares historical high rates of descent for key air accidents. It's an important dose of perspective in the early phases of the investigation into what brought down the 737-800. Whisper Drone charts a course for high-speed electric flight. TAC spoke with Whisper Aero founder Mark Moore about its new drone testbed and its prospects as a promising early application for its ultra-quiet electric propulsors.
Whisper Aero sees drone testbed as a promising early application for its ultra-quiet electric propulsors.
Elan Head and Jon Ostrower·
The industrial giant Textron has the attributes – favorable and unfavorable – of having been around for a long time. It doesn’t have to loudly hype its technological and product viability to excite investors, it doesn’t have to stand up an organization from nothing, and it has a balance sheet and engineering bench that would make any newcomer envious. It also is weighed down by the institutional inertia, silos and competing internal priorities and executive attention spans that come with a sprawling aerospace conglomerate, antithetical to the fast-moving and creative startups.
Two years ago, the U.S. Air Force launched its Agility Prime program with the aim of fielding its first advanced air mobility aircraft in 2023. Last week, the service achieved a major milestone toward that goal when Air Force pilots flew Beta Technologies’ electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, Alia, for the first time.
NetJets and FlightSafety International – both units of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway – have jumped into the electric vertical take-off and landing market, announcing plans for a strategic partnership with the German eVTOL developer Lilium. Buffett’s aviation investments have been stretched across the aerospace chain and with varying success.
Chorus Aviation is acquiring Falko Regional Aircraft, kicking off a fresh round of consolidation in the leasing space -- this time among those who focus on regional aviation.
The Federal Aviation Administration and U.K. Civil Aviation Authority have started working toward a bilateral agreement for the future certification and validation of eVTOL aircraft. It’s a post-Brexit signal that the CAA is not looking exclusively to Europe for guidance.
Less than four months after the Federal Aviation Administration rolled out its 2021 Aviation Climate Action Plan, the agency’s official blueprint for achieving net-zero aviation emissions by 2050 is already starting to look dated. The plan relies overwhelmingly on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as the principal pathway for reducing the U.S. aviation sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. It is plainly dismissive of hydrogen, stating: “we do not expect hydrogen-powered aircraft to make a significant contribution toward achieving net-zero aviation emissions by 2050.”
Elan Head and Jon Ostrower·
Joby Aviation's lead test aircraft crashed on Feb. 16, kicking off an NTSB investigation that could have implications for the aggressive timeline the company has embraced to be the first eVTOL company to fly passengers in 2024.
FAA Administrator Steve Dickson has resigned. The U.S.'s top aviation regulator was about half way though his five year term. His dealings with Boeing will be the defining characteristic of his time at the agency.
The UAE offered its preliminary report on the bizarre circumstances around Emirates 231. The brief report confirms much of The Air Current's reporting on the Dec. 20 botched takeoff out of Dubai.
The safety case for autonomous vehicles is weaker than it has been made out to be — both on the ground and in the air.
Elan Head and Jon Ostrower·
Reuters took a close look at Qatar Airways and claims its pilots are making around crew scheduling in the wake of the pandemic, which significantly resized the airline. The result is a broader discussion around fatigue and the risk of cockpit mistakes that should serve as context given other recent incidents, including Emirates 231. Boeing is betting on Wisk to be its pathfinder to autonomy, so how does the eVTOL entrant plan to do it? United Airlines formally launched its own flight academy, giving aspiring pilots a private certificate and a leg up to an eventual job flying with the airline. Yet, there are still very real obstructions that are clogging the pipeline of pilots.
