Sky Revolution - Air Taxis And Urban Air Mobility

Wrapping Arms Around Flying Cars, Property Rights And A Black Eyed Pea

Thank you to everyone for reading, please share in your networks and feel free to contact me at jonathan@skytrades.io

The future is on the way, more than 18,000 mobility aircraft are on order, and this exceeds the order backlog for commercial planes. How can we get competing myopic interests to support the building of the infrastructure that’s required to help them scale?

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Jetsons Flying Car

Will.i.am has joined the ranks of flying car enthusiasts by investing in Jetson, a startup with ambitious plans to roll out its electric aerial vehicles by 2024. The venture has secured $15 million in seed funding. Welcome @will.i.am to the newsletter.

Jetson reports that it has already sold over 300 units of its Jetson One, electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) vehicles at a price of $98,000 per vehicle. In addition to investing, Will.i.am intends to undergo pilot training to become one of Jetson's initial pilots. The company which currently operates from a private airfield, with the owners’ permission in the south of Florence, has expansion aspirations in the United States.

Will.i.am has a track record of collaborating with companies like Mercedes-Benz and DeLorean to design and manufacture custom cars featuring futuristic elements. The ‘Jetson One EAV’ falls into the ultralight category, which doesn't require a pilot's license for operation but does have certain speed limitations, capping at 63 mph. The Jetson One is equipped with eight motors, a lidar sensor-based auto-landing system, and hands-free hovering capability and is operated by a joystick.

The company's mission is to redefine air mobility and transportation, aiming to offer innovative travel solutions that can enhance urban living. They are gearing up for the first U.S. test flights later this month. The FAA may outline new training standards for a vehicle like The Jetson One, and the requirement of permission to fly in airspace is essential.

(thejetsons.fandom)

Air Taxi & The Department of Defence

Joby Aviation, an electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) company has expanded its flight testing program, marking another step towards commercial operations. The company's pre-production prototype aircraft now includes a pilot on board, with four members of Joby's flight test team conducting initial tests involving free thrust-borne hovers and forward transitions to semi-thrust-borne flight.

They have primarily conducted flight testing remotely from a ground control station, allowing for extensive data collection, the addition of a pilot onboard is a significant development. This pilot-led campaign is focused on evaluating the aircraft's handling characteristics and pilot control interfaces. This data will support the aircraft's development and contribute to its certification process with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

During the testing phase pilots assessed various tasks and manoeuvres that are required during standard operations, including vertical takeoffs, acceleration to forward flight, runway centerline tracking, and vertical landings on representative landing pads. The results will aid in the certification process and Joby's collaboration with the Department of Defense.

Joby recently announced the location of its first scaled aircraft manufacturing facility in Dayton, Ohio, aiming to produce up to 500 aircraft annually.

(defense.gov)

Locations & Infrastructure

As the commencement of air taxi services in the United States aims for a 2025 launch, the FAA has issued its first conditional approval for a vertiport (eVTOL heliport) an essential step in developing advanced air mobility (AAM) operations.