Germany’s Volocopter last year hatched a plan with international airport operator Groupe ADP to ferry spectators around the 2024 Paris Olympic Games using its VoloCity air taxi, which would mark the aircraft’s commercial rollout. The firm even extended an invite to French President Emmanuel Macron, whose government approved the flights earlier this year, to be its first passenger.

But the company was unable to certify its two-seat design, built for a pilot plus one passenger, in time to fly people at the global event.

Another eVTOL manufacturer, China’s AutoFlight, also partnered with Groupe ADP last year to demonstrate its self-flying Prosperity air taxi at the Games but has yet to announce any test flights.

Still, it wasn’t a total wash for Volocopter. The firm managed to complete two test flights, one on Wednesday and another on Sunday.

The first took place at the Aerodrome of Saint-Cyr-l’École (LFPZ), one of five sites where the partners are constructing vertiports to support commercial operations. These vertical takeoff and landing hubs, similar to heliports, are built with electric charging stations to support eVTOL aircraft.

Big Plans for Paris

Groupe ADP is developing additional vertiports at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (LFPG), Paris-Le Bourget Airport (LFPB), and Paris Heliport, as well as a special floating landing pad on the River Seine that Volocopter can use until the end of the year. These five locations will be linked by five eVTOL air taxi routes: three public transit routes and two round-trip tourism routes.

According to Volocopter, the vertiport at Saint-Cyr-l’École is the first bespoke commercial location within its approved Paris route network. Wednesday’s crewed test flight was conducted under a permit to fly awarded by France’s Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), kicking off an operational validation test campaign.

The company will need to demonstrate flight maneuvers around the vertiport, ground handling, communication with air traffic control, battery charging, and more. The campaign is the culmination of years of testing at Pontoise airfield, the site of Paris’ first inaugurated vertiport.

“For now, test flights are carried out without passengers, but once the aircraft is certified, we will test emergency medical flights with AP-HP (Ile-de-France University Hospital Centre),” said Edward Arkwright, deputy CEO of Groupe ADP. “Innovation in the field of aeronautics needs time to remove obstacles regarding safety, but we remain convinced that new carbon-free air mobilities around eVTOLs will offer helpful services that go way beyond the transportation of passengers.”

Volocopter followed that test flight with a second at the World Heritage Palace of Versailles on Sunday, soaring over the palace’s lush gardens during a demonstration attended by Groupe ADP and DGAC officials.

The venue hosted several 2024 Olympic events and was the site of the first hot-air balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers in 1783. Authorization for the flight was awarded on the final day of the Games by the Château de Versailles, City of Versailles, Yvelines Prefecture, and DGAC.

“The sustainable air mobility community is still at the start line, but today’s flight in this exceptional environment was the perfect closing ceremony to our summer, as we look forward to returning to Paris very soon,” said Dirk Hoke, CEO of Volocopter.

The company said it hopes to fly in central Paris later this year, with aspirations to launch passenger operations from its river barge vertiport on the Seine. A Groupe ADP official told Agence France-Presse (AFP) the partners hope to fly passengers over the river by the time Notre Dame Cathedral, which burned down more than five years ago, is reopened in December.

Volocopter next year also expects to begin trials of an emergency medical service in Germany with partner ADAC Luftrettung, which last year agreed to purchase two custom-built VoloCity aircraft and could buy as many as 150.

Why Didn’t They Fly?

Beyond test flights, the firm’s primary goal is to obtain type certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the elusive approval that would have allowed it to fly passengers at the Olympics. So far, only one eVTOL manufacturer—China’s EHang—has received type certification from its country’s aviation regulator, though many others have begun the process.

Arkwright told AFP that Volocopter’s VoloCity suffered “a delay of a few weeks” in certification due to issues affecting the aircraft’s motor. The air taxi features 18 motors and rotors powered by electricity from nine lithium-ion battery packs, giving it a range of about 19 nm at a cruise speed approaching 60 knots.

Hoke said the issue traces back to “an American supplier who was not capable of providing what he had promised.”

Passenger flights at the Olympics also faced political barriers from local French officials, many of whom characterized the project as environmentally harmful and air taxis as a service for the wealthy. In response, Volocopter and Groupe ADP have altered their tone by touting other use cases, such as emergency response.

Paris’ city hall even took legal action against the proposal, but according to AFP, French administrative officials ruled against it “pending a decision on the merits of the case, expected in the autumn.”

Though Volocopter failed to meet its goal, the company will have another chance to showcase its aircraft on the world stage at the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. By then, the FAA expects to have laid the groundwork for commercial air taxi routes to be flown routinely.

Manufacturer Archer Aviation earlier this month expressed its desire to be flying in the city by the time the Games begin, while competitors Joby Aviation and Wisk Aero, the eVTOL subsidiary of Boeing, plan to operate there as well. Wisk further intends to demonstrate its self-flying design at the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brisbane.

The companies’ objective is to boost public acceptance of the novel aircraft, which they claim will be far quieter and more sustainable than helicopters. Some have already managed to convince major U.S. airlines, including United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines, to make investments or commitments to the technology.

Among American manufacturers, Archer and Joby are the closest to receiving type certification. Both companies hope to begin flying passengers next year.

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Volocopter, the German manufacturer that’s been a mainstay near the top of SMG Consulting’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Reality Index, on Thursday announced a partnership with Houston-based Bristow Group that will bring the company’s VoloCity eVTOL to the U.S. and U.K. Bristow placed a firm order for two VoloCity with the option to acquire another 78, for a total of 80 aircraft.

The partnership will combine the vertical flight expertise of Bristow, which primarily operates helicopter services, with eVTOL aircraft from Volocopter as the partners develop an urban air mobility (UAM) ecosystem in the U.S. “Immediate cooperation” between the two firms will involve regulatory discussions, research on infrastructure requirements, and building local partnerships.

The joint development agreement also calls for the two to explore commercial, operational, and eVTOL aircraft maintenance services. It includes the adaptation of Volocopter’s proprietary digital platform, VoloIQ, which optimizes the allocation of batteries and other ground infrastructure, provides fleet service and management, automates routing and digital flight operations, and even connects users with cabs, scooters, and other ground transportation after they land.

Volocopter expects to receive European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) type certification for VoloCity in 2024. A concurrent certification path with the FAA could allow it to begin operations in the U.S. shortly after. Prior to Thursday’s update, the company had not announced any services in the U.S. market.

“With this collaboration, Volocopter surpassed 500 pre-orders accumulated, including nearly 30 firm orders from reputational partners,” said Christian Bauer, CFO and CCO of Volocopter. “I am filled with excitement toward the vast potential of the U.S. and U.K. markets and looking forward to working with Bristow’s experienced team as we prepare for operations.”

Bristow earlier this week placed deposits for early deliveries of five Elroy Air Chaparral cargo drones. The commitments add to the firm’s orders for up to 55 Beta Technologies Alia-250s, up to 50 Vertical Aerospace VA-X4s, 20 to 50 Overair Butterfly eVTOLs, 50 Lilium Jets, and 100 eVTOL aircraft from Embraer subsidiary Eve Air Mobility.

Bristow mainly flies helicopter services around the world, including in Australia, Africa, Latin America, the U.S., and the Caribbean. But the company is making it clear that other vertical-lift aircraft are in its crosshairs.

“Launching this collaborative effort with Volocopter marks a major milestone in Bristow’s effort to usher in a new era of vertical transportation solutions,” said Dave Stepanek, executive vice president and chief transformation officer at Bristow. “Volocopter has taken a pragmatic approach to certification with a simple and elegant initial aircraft design and is leading the pack in its efforts to bring their aircraft to market.”

Volocopter, meanwhile, does not yet operate commercially. But it’s set to fly VoloCity over Paris at the 2024 Olympic Games through an agreement with international airport operator Groupe ADP, the French Civil Aviation Authority, and the Paris Region. The initiative is similar to the FAA’s Innovate28 plan for air taxi demonstrations at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. But it’s scheduled to take place a full Olympic cycle before the U.S. effort.

The company first unveiled its VoloCity design in 2019. Its two seats provide room only for a pilot and one passenger, but 18 rotors powered by nine lithium-ion battery packs give it a 440-pound payload, a 22 sm (19 nm) range, and a 68 mph (59 knots) cruise speed. Volocopter claims the design is four times quieter than a small helicopter.

VoloCity will be certified in the EASA special condition—VTOL (SC-VTOL) category. The company obtained design organization approval (DOA) in 2019, giving it permission to begin developing its design. It followed that up with a production organization approval (POA) in 2021, giving it the green light to begin producing its type-conforming aircraft. 

Now, it’s seeking the coveted type certification which so far no eVTOL manufacturer has achieved. That would be a major step toward commercial operations. If the company doesn’t obtain type approval by 2024, it would need special permission from regional authorities to fly in Paris.

In January, Volocopter formed a new company and applied for an air operator certificate to fly commercial services with VoloCity. Normally, a company would first need to obtain type certification. But the firm has an agreement with regulators that has allowed it to pursue both in parallel. It’s serving as somewhat of a test case for authorities as they draw up AAM regulations.

The company also recently completed its Bruchsal, Germany production facility, noting that it received regulatory approval to manufacture 50 VoloCity aircraft per year there. In addition to Paris, Volocopter is looking to fly in Singapore and Rome in 2024, as well as in the planned city of Neom, Saudi Arabia as soon as construction allows. It just wrapped up the first eVTOL test flights in the country in June.

Looking a bit further out, the company is also developing the longer range VoloRegion model. It’s expected to connect cities and suburbs with UAM routes and first flew in 2022. The VoloDrone heavy-lift cargo drone is also in development.

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In partnership with Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education (ITE), the exhibit will offer free tours of the VoloCity air taxi prototype and a 3D scale model of its planned VoloPort facility for air taxi takeoffs and landings. It will be located at the school’s Aerospace Hub, the ITE’s aircraft technician training center. 

The announcement comes five months after Volocopter and Singapore unveiled plans to create an entire eVTOL ecosystem, starting in 2024 with guided air tours of the city-state’s Mariana Bay Area and expanding to commuters and business travelers by 2030.

• READ MORE: Volocopter Plans to Launch Singapore Air Taxis by 2024

Plans call for Singapore’s urban air mobility (UAM) infrastructure to eventually include four to six VoloPorts. 

Although Singapore is expected to be among Volocopter’s first launch markets, the company is also hoping to offer air taxi service with VoloCity in Paris during the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Eyes on Asia

It’s the latest signal that Volocopter continues to see Asia as a key to its business strategy.

Volocopter announced plans last year to launch air taxi service at Japan’s World Expo in 2025. 

The company also has plans aimed at South Korea, where last November it staged a demonstration flight of its 2X test article.

Also, Volocopter has made deals to begin manufacturing and selling eVTOLs in China.

About the Aircraft

The company says VoloCity continues to move toward certification for flight under European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) regulations for the SC-VTOL category.

In 2021, the aircraft secured production organization approval (POA) in compliance with EASA under Part 21G. In 2019, it attained design production organization approval (DOA) under Part 21J.

• READ MORE: EASA Proposes Air Taxi Regulations

VoloCity Air Taxi Specs

A Four-Seater

This past May, a demonstrator for Volocopter’s VoloConnect, the company’s first four-seater, flew its first flight test.

• READ MORE: Larger, Faster Volocopter Makes First Flight

Volocopter is targeting VoloConnect for certification in time to enter service in 2026.

The post Volocopter Opens Air Taxi Exhibition appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The document, unveiled Thursday, remains open for public comment through this September, and it helps answer several critical questions pilots have long had about this entirely new emerging sector of aviation: electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. The proposal brings the European Union one step closer to electric air taxis becoming a reality.

What will the flight rules be that govern these newfangled aircraft? Which pilots will be authorized to undergo required training and certification? Where will they be authorized to take off, fly, land? What about autonomous air taxis—unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with no pilots on board? How will that be dealt with? 

#EASA publishes world’s first rules for operation of air taxis in cities for public consultation https://t.co/mns6BzDzrs #VTOL #UAM #Safety #USpace #EUcitizens pic.twitter.com/jtlFq0Zz9K

— EASA (@EASA) June 30, 2022

These are many of the same questions being asked by industry insiders in the U.S., just seven weeks after the FAA shifted its required path for certificating eVTOLs. The FAA hasn’t addressed many of the issues covered in the EASA document. 

• READ MORE: GAMA Has Questions for the FAA About eVTOL Certification

EASA’s proposed framework for operations is undoubtedly being closely read in offices of leading eVTOL developers that are now flight testing these small, battery-enabled aircraft that seat up to nine passengers with a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 3,175 kg (7,000 pounds) or less.

In fact, two companies based in Germany—Lilium (NASDAQ: LILM) and Volocopter— are developing exactly these kinds of aircraft—using two very different designs. Both are working closely with EASA and have made significant progress toward certification. 

• READ MORE: Lilium Adds Gear for Short Running Landings

EASA acknowledges in the document that the timing of the proposal is being driven by European developers looking to enter service very soon. The six-passenger Lilium Jet is expected to enter service in 2025. Volocopter has set a goal to provide air taxi service with its VoloCity two-seater in time for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. “It is to be anticipated that some manned VTOL-capable aircraft manufacturers/operators will already be ready to start operations before the adoption and applicability of the subject draft implementing and delegated acts,” the document says.

So let’s take a look at some of the key revelations in the document, as they relate to pilots.

‘Air Taxis at the Core’

The proposed rules acknowledge that although there are “many different use cases, air taxis will be the type of innovative operations more largely deployed in Europe in the near future.” Regulators are outright saying that air taxi operations “will be the core” of what it calls “innovative air mobility”— the “safe, secure, and sustainable air mobility of passengers and cargo enabled by new-generation technology.” 

Sustainability is at the heart of the global electric air taxi movement, which aims to create effective, efficient, and profitable air transportation over gridlocked traffic on the ground without using fossil-based fuels.

The EASA document proposes separating regulations for air taxis from helicopters, by designating air taxis as “VTOL-capable aircraft.” The definition of “helicopter” would be changed to “heavier-than-air aircraft supported in flight chiefly by the reaction of the air on up to two power-driven rotors on substantially vertical axes.” Aircraft with more than two power-driven rotors “should be initially classified as ‘VTOL-capable aircraft,’ the document says, for the purposes of the new regulations. 

Air Taxi Pilots Will Be Existing Airplane or Rotorcraft Pilots

New pilots flying under EASA regulations will not be part of initial commercial flight operations for air taxis, according to the document.  

“Only pilots that already hold a license for a conventional aircraft could be involved in operations with manned VTOL-capable aircraft, with no possibility for ab initio pilot training in VTOL-capable aircraft,” the proposal says. “Only experienced pilots shall fly VTOL-capable aircraft during the initial phase of their operation. Experience gained during this phase will contribute to the development of a robust and comprehensive flight crew licensing framework.”

Trained Pilots Will Be Issued Separate Type Ratings

EASA clearly wants to  ensure that—as commercial operations begin—air taxis will “be supported by the availability of appropriately qualified and certificated flight crews.” The document calls for provisions that will “allow holders of commercial pilot licenses (CPL) for aeroplanes or helicopters to be issued with a VTOL-capable aircraft type rating that will be endorsed on their [CPLs] after having completed type-rating training.”

New rules will be drafted to “address type-rating training including revalidation and renewal, privileges for flying under instrument flight rules (IFR), as well as related instructor and examiner privileges.” Commercial plots of conventional airplanes and helicopters who want to shift their careers to air taxis “will not need to obtain a separate pilot license.” They will be able to add a “VTOL-capable aircraft type rating to their existing license.” 

Nothing in the document specifies if each new aircraft design will have its own separate type rating for pilots. The FAA has said it wants certify pilots for each type of new eVTOL aircraft in the U.S., although it has not yet formally proposed any regulations for operating eVTOLs, as EASA has done with this document. 

See and Avoid

Some things for the new air taxi pilots in Europe will remain the same, including what it calls Standardized European Rules of the Air (SERA). 

“One of the underlying SERA principles is the principle of ‘see and avoid’ which shall be used by the pilot-in-command as the last line of defense to avoid mid-air collisions in all airspace classes,” the document says. When a pilot is on board these new types of aircraft, the see-and-avoid principle should be “automatically complied with.”

It’s worth noting that many electric air taxi developers are planning to use on-board pilots for the first several years of commercial operations, and eventually transition to automated or remote-controlled flight. With appropriate foresight, EASA acknowledges this in its proposed rules. “In the future such operations will be performed on the same platforms but remotely piloted… therefore it is necessary to support the transitioning phase and to ensure a smooth integration of these new operational concepts in the current civil aviation domains.”

It’s interesting that EASA addresses terminology regarding fuel sources for these new battery-enabled aircraft types. Should regulators continue to use the word “fuel” when talking about an electric air taxi and not a conventional helicopter that burns avgas or jet-A? 

“It was concluded that the terms ‘fuel/energy’ would be used whenever appropriate, but the term ‘fuel’ would be retained when necessary, in particular in sentences that contain standardized phraseology,” the document says.

Routes and Vertiports Will Be Limited

EASA formally acknowledges in the document that where these new aircraft fly is directly linked to safety. For example, in European cities, the agency expects initial commercial operations “will follow a limited set of predefined routes or areas/corridors for which the relevant competent authorities have got assurance that the air and ground risks are properly mitigated.”

In addition, there will be a limited number of vertiports and operating sites in each city, and the safe and efficient air traffic taking off from and landing at those areas together with other air traffic in urban environments and existing air operations must be ensured. 

However, the document also allows for the possibility that technological leaps could make more routes and more vertiports acceptable from a safety perspective. 

“If, during the development process, it can be demonstrated and validated that safety, environmental protection and compatibility, security, and privacy can be guaranteed without the need for predefined routes or areas/corridors…then this potential limitation would be removed.”

As the eVTOL movement continues to move forward, the proposed regulatory framework demonstrates EASA’s proactive stance in handling critical issues that otherwise could slow, cripple, or even block the electric air taxi sector from success. It will be interesting to see what happens next. 

The post Proposed Air Taxi Regulations Reveal Possible Future of eVTOL appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The deal will cover the Germany-based company’s family of aircraft with up to $1 billion in support. Aircraft include the VoloCity and VoloConnect, designed for passengers, and the VoloDrone, for cargo.

Last summer at the EAA AirVenture air show in Wisconsin, Volocopter flew its two-seat, 18-rotor eVTOL demonstrator, dubbed the 2X. The 2X also flew a demonstration flight last November in South Korea. Although none of its eVTOLs have yet been certified, the company has projected that it will offer eVTOL air taxi service at the Paris summer Olympics in 2024.

The financing is contingent on Volocopter’s eVTOLs earning certification from civil aviation authorities in each nation where the aircraft will operate. 

“This agreement will allow our business to hit the ground running after aircraft certification. It signifies ACG’s and our investor Tokyo Century’s trust in Volocopter’s leadership in the [urban air mobility (UAM)] market,” Florian Reuter, chief executive officer of Volocopter, said in a statement. “We are grateful for this partnership as this financing represents another cornerstone of the essential ecosystem for scaling UAM.” 

Volocopter customers will also have the option to lease the aircraft, backed by ACG aircraft asset management services.

“This transaction highlights ACG’s ongoing commitment to reducing the environmental impact of the aviation industry and to working towards a cleaner and more sustainable future,” said Tom Baker, CEO and president of ACG.  

SPAC Canceled, Business Continues

Despite gaining strong institutional investor backing and completing various proof-of-concept flights, Volocopter announced last November it was  cancelling plans to go public, telling its investors that it was an “extremely unfavorable” time for air mobility developers to merge with special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).

• READ MORE: Volocopter Cancels SPAC

Nonetheless, the company says orders for its aircraft have reached as much as $1 billion, thanks to provisional agreements with customers in Japan, Singapore, and China.

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