Falck Partners with Kitty Hawk for Development of eVTOLs in EMS
Falck has announced a collaboration with Silicon Valley’s Kitty Hawk, a company known for its advanced eVTOL aircraft. The emergency response and healthcare company partnered with Kitty Hawk to establish a joint innovation platform involving Project Heaviside, Kitty Hawk’s latest eVTOL aircraft, to be used in EMS operations. The partnership builds on Falck’s previous drone initiative, Vertical, which focuses on...

Falck Partners with Kitty Hawk for Development of eVTOLs in EMS

Falck has announced a collaboration with Silicon Valley’s Kitty Hawk, a company known for its advanced eVTOL aircraft. The emergency response and healthcare company partnered with Kitty Hawk to establish a joint innovation platform involving Project Heaviside, Kitty Hawk’s latest eVTOL aircraft, to be used in EMS operations.
The partnership builds on Falck’s previous drone initiative, Vertical, which focuses on assessing the feasibility of drone technology in the prehospital and ambulance services of the future. Now with Project Heaviside, Falck aims to test and evaluate new technologies on a larger scale, making emergency healthcare more accessible and affordable. Project Heaviside is notable even among other eVTOL competitors for its noise level; the aircraft is exceptionally quiet while remaining fast and maneuverable. Project Heaviside has undergone 13 prototype designs and over 700 test flights since its launch. With this partnership, Kitty Hawk will also provide their engineering team with decades of experience in commercial aviation, aerospace, automotive engineering, flight testing, and industrial design.
“The agreement with Kitty Hawk takes us to the next level in our commitment to integrate eVTOL aircraft into our ambulance operations. Kitty Hawk brings the technology, while we at Falck contribute with our ambulance service area as a use case. This combination gives us the best conditions to investigate how we can jointly unleash the potential of new technology and develop the ambulance-borne health solutions which are likely to set the standard in the near future,” said Jakob Riis, CEO of Falck.
According to Sebastian Thrun, Co Founder and CEO of Kitty Hawk, “We are excited to be working with Falck to collaborate on bringing our Heaviside aircraft for emergency services, first in Denmark and then to other areas. Falck is an innovative leader in the area and this agreement marks a first and important step in making eVTOL available to more people.”
Falck expects to introduce Heaviside in a close collaboration with customers in Denmark and Europe, followed later on by those in the United States.
Why it’s important: This new partnership will integrate Kitty Hawk’s Heaviside into Falck’s Emergency Medical Services, which will give Heaviside an opportunity for real-world use, and help decrease Falck’s overall emergency response time. A successful application of the Heaviside within Falck’s program will help enable a successful commercial future for Heaviside, as well as eVTOL as a whole.
Source // PR Newswire
Related:
EHang 216 AAV Completes First Trial Flights in Beijing and over South China Sea
Today EHang announced that it has successfully completed the first trial flights of its EH216 over the sea of Southern China; the autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) took off from Hengqin New District and landed at Dong Ao Island in Zhuhai City. Earlier this week, the company also announced the completion of unmanned test flights in Beijing, marking the first time...

EHang 216 AAV Completes First Trial Flights in Beijing and over South China Sea

Today EHang announced that it has successfully completed the first trial flights of its EH216 over the sea of Southern China; the autonomous aerial vehicle (AAV) took off from Hengqin New District and landed at Dong Ao Island in Zhuhai City. Earlier this week, the company also announced the completion of unmanned test flights in Beijing, marking the first time that a passenger-grade AAV flied over the capital of China, a highly regulated airspace in China. These unmanned trial flights obtained the official approval from the CAAC, China’s airspace regulator, and are featured in the short video below:
EHang’s demonstration over the South China Sea was strategically located over a popular tourist destination: Dong Ao Island is known for its pleasant natural scenery, and has the market potential for developing short-to-medium distance air travel related scenarios in coastal areas. Compared with traditional sightseeing ferries and helicopters, the purely electric passenger-grade AAV uses point-to-point direct flight, which is safer, more efficient and carbon emission-free. It can unlock new perspectives for passengers to enjoy the scenery in the sky and provide a safer, more comfortable and more personal flight experiences. As aerial flight technologies continue to evolve, AAVs powered by clean energy have become a new trend of low-altitude tourism.

The EH216 AAV conducting its first trial flights near Dong Ao Island, located in the south-central part of Wanshan Archipelago of Zhuhai City, February 2021. Credit // EHang
Moving forward, EHang will continue to development of aerial island tourism and explore new application scenarios of AAV technologies. EHang also intends to promote a new use case model of “urban air mobility (UAM) + leisure tourism” in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with the goal of building international tourism destinations. This will lay a solid foundation for the subsequent development of aerial sightseeing routes and operations.
Why it’s important: As of February 2021, EHang has successfully conducted more than 10,000 trial flights of its EH216 AAV, including passenger-carrying trial flights, in 42 cities across 8 countries. Additionally, the company has been working closely with the regulatory authorities on regulations and industry standards for urban air mobility. EHang has vocalized its intention to continue strict compliance with regulatory requirements and drive the industry development, which will assist in making safe, autonomous and eco-friendly air mobility accessible to everyone.
Recent News: EHang Provides Updates on Major Production Facility and Announces Onsite Investors Day
Source // EHang press release
Joby Aviation Releases First Footage of Air Taxi Prototype in Flight
Historically, Joby Aviation had been quietly ramping up production and initial flight tests of its air taxi eVTOL prototype, until today. The company released this week a pair of videos showcasing their prototype during a flight test. Notably, the video highlights the prototype’s ability to take off, transition to horizontal flight, and return for landing. The videos follows the recent...

Joby Aviation Releases First Footage of Air Taxi Prototype in Flight

Historically, Joby Aviation had been quietly ramping up production and initial flight tests of its air taxi eVTOL prototype, until today. The company released this week a pair of videos showcasing their prototype during a flight test. Notably, the video highlights the prototype’s ability to take off, transition to horizontal flight, and return for landing.
The videos follows the recent headlines made by Joby detailing a SPAC merger with Reinvent Technology Partners, valuing Joby at just over $5.7B USD. The merger also paves the path to listing Joby on the New York Stock Exchange.
The prototype, nearly 10 years in the making, is capable of transporting 5 individuals at speeds up to 200 mph a distance of 150 miles using existing battery technology. The eVTOL aircraft uses six large tilting rotors to achieve vertical lift and horizontal winged cruise as demonstrated in the videos.
Perhaps most incredible is the aircraft’s noise footprint, where during liftoff in the video, Joby CEO and Founder JoeBen Bevirt continue on with a normal speaking volume. In the video, Bevirt states the merger with Reinvent Technology Partners will open a path for Joby to becoming a publicly traded company and will give it the resources needed to focus on certification efforts and commercial entry to service by 2024.
“With the Reinvent team at our side, we are one step closer to making this fantastic future real. We can’t wait to welcome you onboard,” stated Bevirt.
Why it matters: The aerial mobility space has seen a recent gold rush of investors, SPAC mergers, and investments by existing automotive and aerospace stakeholders. Joby Aviation is clearly leading among its competitors for its progress in its flight test campaign, fundraising, and certification efforts. The videos are the first of its kind from the company and demonstrate just how quiet the aerial mobility future will be. With plenty of capital and a robust talent base, expect Joby to be entering urban skies in the near term.
Jaunt Air Mobility Awarded Air Force Contract for eVTOL Noise Reduction Research
Jaunt Air Mobility designs and manufactures hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, and specializes in Reduced rotor Operating Speed aircraft (ROSA™), which combine a fixed-winged aircraft’s efficiency and advanced helicopter performance. The company has recently announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract by the US Air Force program AFWERX, via the Air...

Jaunt Air Mobility Awarded Air Force Contract for eVTOL Noise Reduction Research

Jaunt Air Mobility designs and manufactures hybrid and electric vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, and specializes in Reduced rotor Operating Speed aircraft (ROSA™), which combine a fixed-winged aircraft’s efficiency and advanced helicopter performance. The company has recently announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) contract by the US Air Force program AFWERX, via the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).
Under the contract Jaunt will team with Penn State University and Continuum Dynamics, Inc. (CDI) to employ advanced acoustical analysis techniques to characterize noise from Jaunt’s unique Jaunt Journey Compound Gyrodyne VTOL aircraft concept. This is one of three contracts awarded by AFRL to Jaunt under the leadership of Martin Peryea, CEO of Jaunt Air Mobility.
“The purpose is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the noise sources in our aircraft configurations and the unique noise reduction opportunities,” says Martin Peryea. “We will apply the knowledge to the design of the Jaunt Journey all-electric (eVTOL) aircraft, allowing us to develop the most efficient, ultra-low noise aircraft for our customers in the urban air mobility market as well as cargo, medevac, and close air support military aircraft.”
Leading the Penn State University team is Professor Kenneth Brentner, an internationally renowned expert in aeroacoustics and rotorcraft noise. Dr. Brentner will be assisted by Mr. Dan Wachspress of CDI, the chief developer of CDI’s CHARM comprehensive rotorcraft analysis used throughout the eVTOL industry. Dr. Brentner stated that, “For this research, we will use CDI’s CHARM software coupled with our PSU-WOPWOP and PSU flight simulation software to model the Jaunt test vehicle. This noise prediction system was validated through comparison with NASA acoustic flight tests of six medium to lightweight helicopters in steady and maneuvering flight conditions.”
Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are highly competitive programs that encourage domestic small businesses to engage in Federal Research/Research and Development (R/R&D) with the potential for commercialization. Through a competitive awards-based program, STTR enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provide the incentive to profit from its commercialization. Central to the STTR program is the partnership between small businesses and nonprofit research institutions. STTR is to bridge the gap between basic science and the commercialization of resulting innovations.
Why it’s important: Jaunt’s government-funded noise research is equivalently applicable to the commercial applications for which the company’s vehicle is also designed. The technologies fostered by STTR programs such as this grant from the AFRL are essential to the forward progress of aerial mobility. Noise minimization is a key driver of public acceptance, and with this contract, Jaunt can work with aeroacoustic experts to expedite the integration of eVTOL aircraft in our airspaces.
Related: Jaunt Air Mobility and Varon Vehicles Partner for Aerial Mobility in Latin America
Source // Jaunt Air Mobility press release
How Aerial Mobility will Merge with Private Aviation Management Infrastructure
Personal air transportation has traditionally been limited to private helicopters and private jets, but as electric aerial mobility becomes a reality, the private aviation industry begins the transition toward accommodation and management of electric aircraft. Because traditional methods of personal air travel such as helicopter and private jet charters are prohibitively expensive, personal travel by air has mainly remained a...

How Aerial Mobility will Merge with Private Aviation Management Infrastructure

Personal air transportation has traditionally been limited to private helicopters and private jets, but as electric aerial mobility becomes a reality, the private aviation industry begins the transition toward accommodation and management of electric aircraft.
Because traditional methods of personal air travel such as helicopter and private jet charters are prohibitively expensive, personal travel by air has mainly remained a luxury only for the wealthy. However, eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) will be both more affordable to both operate and maintain, making them far more accessible to the public than former options. As a result, these new flight operations will have much higher daily flight volumes than traditional charter, which will create the need for new types of fleet management systems.
Companies that currently manage these aircraft and their charter operations, such as JetEdge, Wing Aviation, FlexJet, and more recently BLADE Urban Air Mobility have a depth of experience in handling the massive task of optimizing fleet management. However, unlike ground transportation companies like Uber, due to their lower volumes and more fluctuating prices, a large proportion of these companies manually manage each chartered flight. This means that although members of their teams are experts in fleet management and optimization, there is no background software that manages charter request reception, quote issuance, and backend operation execution without substantial human intervention. eVTOL aerial mobility companies such as Lilium, Joby Aviation, and others seek to use software to make the air travel experience more similar to the ride-hailing ground transportation experience of today – a development that is crucial in wide spread commercial applications of aerial mobility.

An Uber demand heat map versus Flight Aware, a route and aircraft tracking system for both public and privately chartered aircraft
It will be interesting to observe moving forward which of these operator companies choose to branch out their expertise into this sector. Will companies like Joby or Lilium create their own fleet management systems from scratch? Or, will they pull simultaneously from ground ride-hailing companies like Uber as well traditional charter operators to create entirely new systems? So far, the latter seems to be the approach by highly successful Joby Aviation, which recently received an airworthiness certification from the USAF for its eVTOL, and acquired Uber Elevate during a similar time period.
Another question will be how traditional charter infrastructure organizations choose to integrate with aerial mobility infrastructure that is being built in major cities. Traditionally, private jet charter patrons have elected to receive ground transportation from an FBO (a private terminal at airports for private charters) to their final destination. However, as eVTOLs begin to get more popular, these charter patrons may soon rather travel by eVTOL to their final destinations rather than wait in traffic. Already, companies like Ross Aviation (an FBO company that has terminals at many major airports around the US), have partnered with BLADE Urban Air Mobility to begin planning eVTOL vertiport infrastructure at their respective FBOs. This indicates that both BLADE’s and Ross’s eventual intent is allow charter patrons to board eVTOLs directly from private jet charters. As the eVTOL industry grows, vertiports throughout major cities will become more prevalent, allowing these charter patrons to fly directly to their hotels, conferences, or business meeting locations without ever needing to step into a car.

A Ross Aviation terminal featured with a potential Vertiport design by Volocopter.
The decisions and responses to the challenges of fleet management will in turn end up transforming eVTOL travel into a common method of transportation used by people from all parts of society. As the world begins to move to a more eVTOL oriented future, companies both past, present, and future will begin to shape the infrastructure world that will enable eVTOL.
Why it’s important: Companies the world over are beginning to make decisions that will enable certain pathways toward the growing world of eVTOL. Experts from aircraft management, companies in ground transportation ride-hailing, and new eVTOL creators will likely combine their efforts to create the eVTOL oriented world of the the future. As the newer companies continue to grow, watching which decisions are made and which partnerships are formed will provide a clearer and clearer picture of the concrete logistics that will make eVTOL work.
EHang Provides Updates on Major Production Facility and Announces Onsite Investors Day
EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) provided an update last week on the development of its new AAV production facility in Yunfu city, China. The retrofitting process of the existing building is being completed and production of EHang AAVs is expected to start in the second quarter of 2021. The Yunfu facility has a total planned gross floor area of 24,000...

EHang Provides Updates on Major Production Facility and Announces Onsite Investors Day

EHang Holdings Limited (Nasdaq: EH) provided an update last week on the development of its new AAV production facility in Yunfu city, China. The retrofitting process of the existing building is being completed and production of EHang AAVs is expected to start in the second quarter of 2021.

The new Yunfu manufacturing facility, as seen from above
The Yunfu facility has a total planned gross floor area of 24,000 square meters. It will be the home to EHang’s newest aerial vehicle assembly lines, a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) processing center, a painting workshop and a carbon fiber composite materials processing area. In addition, the Yunfu facility will include a research and training center and an outdoor flight test vertiport.
Upon completion, the Yunfu facility will play a major role in producing EHang’s flagship products, the EH216 series of passenger-grade AAVs, with a planned initial annual capacity of 600 units which can be further increased to support the growing global market needs. EHang expects that it will be the first AAV commercial production facility of this scale.
EHang plans to host an Investor Day event for a facility tour at the new Yunfu Facility in late June 2021. Further details will be announced at a later day.
The existing production facility at the headquarter of EHang in Guangzhou spans a total area of 8,750 square meters and houses production processes for its AAV products. After the Yunfu facility is up and running, the major role of the facility in Guangzhou will be gradually migrated to focus on supporting the Company’s expanding new products R&D efforts.
Watch the video tour of the EHang Yunfu facility below:
Why it’s important: Right now, EHang is one of the furthest companies along in the process of creating, distributing, and beginning operating its autonomous air taxis. The Yunfu manufacturing facility will be EHang’s second, and the company is already conducting paid aerial tourism operations with its aircraft in many cities throughout China. Many companies world wide can begin to look at EHang for an example of how initiating large-scale air taxi operations in their own countries may work.
Related:
Surf Air Mobility to Acquire Ampaire
Surf Air Mobility, a new developmental department of regional air mobility provider Surf Air, has now acquired aviation hybrid-electric power train developer Ampaire shortly after the company set a record for the longest route to date with an electric aircraft. With this acquisition, Surf Air Mobility, formed in 2020, looks to improve “affordability, accessibility, and environmental footprint of regional travel”. Surf...

Surf Air Mobility to Acquire Ampaire

Surf Air Mobility, a new developmental department of regional air mobility provider Surf Air, has now acquired aviation hybrid-electric power train developer Ampaire shortly after the company set a record for the longest route to date with an electric aircraft. With this acquisition, Surf Air Mobility, formed in 2020, looks to improve “affordability, accessibility, and environmental footprint of regional travel”.
Surf Air Mobility was recently formed after Surf Air, a short-haul flight service provider, acquired Blackbird, an aviation marketplace that provides passengers the option of chartering private flights. Soon after being formed, Surf Air Mobility acquired a $200 million USD investment from Global Emerging Markets Group in order to go public. Now, Surf Air Mobility looks to provide an (eventually electric) alternative to driving or flying on commercial airlines for trips of 50-500 miles.
According to Surf Air Mobility co-founder and CEO Sudhin Shahani, “We see the near-term opportunity to transform existing turboprop aircraft across the entire industry as the first step to ultimately extend to fully electric aviation across all trip lengths.”

The Ampaire Electric EEL prototype, capable of flying up over 300 statute miles
Before the acquisition, Ampaire was working on developing hybrid-electric power trains for 9-19 seat piston and turboprop aircraft, currently possessing two propulsion testbeds from a modified Cessna 337 Skymaster. Additionally, Ampaire is now developing a megawatt-class, hybrid-electric propulsion conversion for the 19-seat twin-turboprop de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter.
According to Ampaire co-founder and CEO Kevin Noertker, “The same building blocks of the electrified power train from the Twin Otter can be applied to other turboprops in the Part 23 category, for example the Cessna Caravan. We’ll continue working on both.”
With the reduced direct operating costs of hybrid-electric aircraft, Surf Air Mobility will be “able to create a new kind of point-to-point network that opens up previously untenable markets with more direct connections,” says President Fred Reid. “With half of all U.S. flights 500 mi. or less, hybrid-electric technology will have an immediate and broad-reaching impact.”
Why it’s important: Surf Air Mobility’s acquisition of Ampaire will align Ampaire closer with aircraft operators to streamline development and deployment of their electric aircraft. According to the company, it will also enable Ampaire to address a wider range of aircraft for upgrade.
Source // Aviation Week Network
Blade Announces Alliance with Vertiport Chicago
BLADE Urban Air Mobility announced today that it entered into an alliance with Vertiport Chicago. In December of 2020, Experience Investment Corp. (NASDAQ: EXPC) agreed to merge with Blade, which will create, following the closing of the merger, the only publicly traded urban air mobility platform in the United States. As part of the alliance, Blade partner Helicopters, Inc. will...

Blade Announces Alliance with Vertiport Chicago

BLADE Urban Air Mobility announced today that it entered into an alliance with Vertiport Chicago. In December of 2020, Experience Investment Corp. (NASDAQ: EXPC) agreed to merge with Blade, which will create, following the closing of the merger, the only publicly traded urban air mobility platform in the United States.
As part of the alliance, Blade partner Helicopters, Inc. will station rotorcraft at the Vertiport to fly Blade passengers on routes which are expected to include flights between the Vertiport and O’Hare Airport, Lake Geneva and other lake communities, as well as Notre Dame, University of Illinois and other universities for sporting events. Vertiport Chicago is conveniently located near the Downtown Loop and is the city’s only vertiport.
Blade will have the exclusive right to offer passenger flights sold by-the-seat at the Vertiport, which will be rebranded “Vertiport Chicago Powered by Blade.” The Company will also have the right to build a branded terminal onsite to accommodate the processing of passengers when flight volume necessitates it to maintain the level of customer experience the Company is known for.
Additionally, Blade expects to service Chicago hospitals for its growing MediMobility business which currently flies more human organ transport missions in the Northeast than any other company.
“Chicago is the third largest city in the United States. It is the right time for us to establish a strategic presence in this important market.”, said Melissa Tomkiel, President of Blade.
Ms. Tomkiel added, “There are a number of passenger routes where we see real potential, and we look forward to enabling local hospitals to take advantage of Blade’s cost-effective MediMobility human organ air transport business.”
The company will also work closely with the Vertiport to ensure that it has the necessary infrastructure to support the transition to next-generation Electric Vertical Aircraft (“EVA”).
“The build out of infrastructure for next generation vertical air travel in Chicago is beginning now. Our alliance with Blade will only serve to accelerate our ability to help create the network of landing zones our city needs to be competitive in the future,” said Daniel Mojica of Vertiport Chicago.
Why it matters: Blade partnering with Vertiport Chicago and MediMobility ushers in another geographical market ripe for disruption by UAM services. Building on existing operations in New York, Los Angeles, and south Florida, Blade brings key expertise of flight operations in urban environments. As these key partnerships are forged and infrastructure built, Blade is well positioned to usher in the next era of transportation.
Wingcopter joins Flying Labs Network to support locally led drone delivery projects
Wingcopter, the German developer, manufacturer and operator of unmanned delivery drones for commercial and humanitarian applications, has joined forces with the Flying Labs Network as a Technology Partner. Their global initiative will improve supply chains through locally led cargo drone projects and equip local talent with the skills to operate Wingcopter’s unmanned systems in long range drone applications, including beyond visual...

Wingcopter joins Flying Labs Network to support locally led drone delivery projects

Wingcopter, the German developer, manufacturer and operator of unmanned delivery drones for commercial and humanitarian applications, has joined forces with the Flying Labs Network as a Technology Partner. Their global initiative will improve supply chains through locally led cargo drone projects and equip local talent with the skills to operate Wingcopter’s unmanned systems in long range drone applications, including beyond visual line of sight. The Flying Labs Network is reputable for strengthening local expertise in the use of drones, robotics, data and AI for positive social change in more than 30 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America and beyond.

Credit // Wingcopter
Andi Fisanich, Wingcopter’s Head of Humanitarian Programs, comments: “I truly believe that to strengthen supply chains with drones it requires an active and supportive ecosystem that knows and involves their local communities. Together, we can establish a drone service for developing countries that allows its citizens to take the lead in building out this new industry and directly benefit from it.”
Wingcopter is currently implementing a drone delivery network in Malawi to strengthen local healthcare supply chains together with UNICEF and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Within the project called Drone + Data Aid the company cooperates with the African Drone and Data Academy to train youth from across the continent in drone operations.
In other parts of the world, Wingcopter is preparing for safe and efficient on-demand delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to remote areas by drone, building on experience from earlier vaccine and medical delivery projects, which took place amongst others in Vanuatu, Ireland and Tanzania. The company recently raised $22 million in Series A funding, led by Silicon Valley-based Xplorer Capital and German Futury Regio Growth Fund. In 2020, Wingcopter was named a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum, recognizing its significant social impact as part of the fourth industrial revolution.
Why it’s important: With its extremely efficient cargo drone design and proven track record of reducing turnaround time to access vital supplies from days or hours to minutes, Wingcopter offers local Flying Labs a state-of-the-art technology for the delivery of urgently needed medical goods in hard-to-reach areas – an asset that is of even greater importance during a pandemic. Wingcopter has also recently closed successful fundraising rounds which will aid in the company’s continued effort to provide humanitarian, parcel delivery, and logistics services with its reputable technologies.
Related: Thales, Skyports, Wingcopter to Conduct Trial of Drone Based COVID Response Flights
Source // Wingcopter press release
Why SPAC’s are dominating recent Aerial Mobility Investment Strategy
The technology that will allow an air taxi to operate safely with paying passengers on board is becoming increasingly old news. Now that the engineering challenges of designing, building and flying eVTOLs have been conquered, the discussion has shifted toward certification processes, production decisions, infrastructure development, and investment structure to accelerate innovation within the industry. Archer is one of the...

Why SPAC’s are dominating recent Aerial Mobility Investment Strategy

The technology that will allow an air taxi to operate safely with paying passengers on board is becoming increasingly old news. Now that the engineering challenges of designing, building and flying eVTOLs have been conquered, the discussion has shifted toward certification processes, production decisions, infrastructure development, and investment structure to accelerate innovation within the industry.

Over the past week, the industry has vaulted from an exciting demonstration of the commercial air travel technology of 2030 and onward to an industry on the verge of an acceleration of expansion. Proposed or actual aerial mobility investments and instruments committed to advancing the industry have totaled almost $2 billion USD. While commercial aviation continues to feel the squeeze from reduced air travel, with many opting for private or semi-private alternatives, the concept of democratization of aviation that eVTOLs and aerial mobility aircraft would provide is of such interest that investors are becoming creative in acquiring the necessary capital to move the industry forward.
While each of four landmark recent deals have varying flavors, they share a key theme: innovative fundraising and a mix of public and private capital to achieve massive valuations with lessened risks than conventional fundraising. We examine these key deals made over the past two weeks that support the massive commitments these institutions are undertaking to drive aerial mobility forward at an even faster pace.
February brought with it multiple novel applications of the increasingly common SPAC business structure used as an instrument for aerial mobility investment. SPACs are unique in that they exist as an entity to take over another company through merger and acquisition deals – and fundraise using an IPO – hence the colloquial term “blank check company”.
The first example of this type of acquisition was revealed in December of 2020 when BLADE UAM and a blank check company backed by KSL Capital (Experience Investments Corp, EXPC) confirmed a BLADE valuation of $825 million. According to SEC filings, the $400 million USD deal maintains a $125 million cash infusion along with the cash in the SPAC.
Next, Atlas Crest Investment Corporation, among other commitments from firms Stellantis and Putnam, focused their fundraise towards Bay Area eVTOL maker Archer. The IPO was joined in part by an announcement from United Airlines to purchase up to $1 billion USD in aircraft from Archer, which is the largest publicly disclosed eVTOL order to date. While this is the first order announcement from a major airline, other airlines work within the space as well: jetBlue Innovation ventures is no stranger to the aerial mobility investment sector, though they have not publicly joined or invested in any of these companies at time of writing.
Second, Reinvent Technology Partners, headlined by respective LinkedIn and Zynga founders Reid Hoffman and Mark Pincus, took aim at eVTOL magnate Joby Aviation, with a $690 million USD IPO providing the necessary funds to begin the merger process with Joby. The resultant company will maintain approximately $800 million USD in disclosed funding to date.
Third, and finally, ex-Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenberg’s New Vista Acquisition Corporation’s SEC filing indicates a $200 million USD raise from their proposed IPO. It’s not readily clear which company New Vista Acquisition Corporation will target, but trends would indicate that a company such as Volocopter, Lilium, or EmbraerX would be of interest to the Chicago based, recently established blank check firm.
While none of these investment numbers single handedly reach unicorn status, their magnitude is indicative of the trust that many of these institutions place within emerging eVTOL companies. Further, they represent a nimble implementation of fundraising approaches to accomplish an end goal that may have not been possible with conventional methods in a cash-strapped industry emerging from a pandemic. Both SPACs feature leadership teams that have either previously been involved within the technology industry or that have substantial experience leading aerospace companies.
It’s important to point out that the mechanics of these fundraising techniques substantially offload risk for blank check companies, since their disclosures to potential investors include multiple notices that they have no profits and no current operations. However, the ability for such companies to successfully raise the necessary funds is telling in its own right.
Why it’s important: Aerospace companies require huge capital investments to complete certification and initial production and delivery requirements. The expenses incurred with these types of business activities thereby require sizable investments from outside entities for financing, while the current economic status of commercial aviation is cash sparse. Those with sizeable enough reserves are investing at a low, while others who understand the unique opportunities of this timing are seeking alternative fundraising means to accomplish the same goal. While the ink is not dry for all of the SPAC deals outlined, they foreshadow the trend of future progress toward certification and initial commercial operations. However, without a large enough sample size for comparison, it’ll be at least a year before the manifestation of these mergers can adequately be compared and contrasted with a more conservative approach toward development.
Skyworks Aeronautics’ Gyrodyne for the eVTOL Age
Skyworks Global, a company that has been investing in creating VTOL flight technologies for several years, has released their concept for a small-scale gyrodyne; an efficient and compact aircraft that can act as an air taxi. Unlike mainstream eVTOL or even helicopters, the Skyworks concept is unique in that its main top rotor is unpowered. Gryodynes work through a combination...

Skyworks Aeronautics’ Gyrodyne for the eVTOL Age

Skyworks Global, a company that has been investing in creating VTOL flight technologies for several years, has released their concept for a small-scale gyrodyne; an efficient and compact aircraft that can act as an air taxi.

The Skyworks single-seater aircraft concept
Unlike mainstream eVTOL or even helicopters, the Skyworks concept is unique in that its main top rotor is unpowered. Gryodynes work through a combination of this unpowered lift rotor and a powered forward thrust rotor positioned at the rear – when forward thrust is applied, the free-sitting top rotor begins to spin, which develops enough lift to carry the aircraft into forward flight. While this means a gyrodyne is not a true VTOL (it needs just a very small amount of runway to take off), they can be far more efficient than VTOL and recover more smoothly in the event of an emergency, as auto-rotation is possible.

Diagram of how a gyrodyne generates lift. Forward thrust causes free-sitting gryo to spin, providing enough lift to carry the vehicle into forward flight.
Skyworks has been developing larger VTOL concepts for many years now, whereas this aircraft represents its first smaller-scale gyrodyne. Global Skyworks is also the creator of the Skyworks Verti-Jet: a gyro-plane that uses jet-powered thrust along with its gryo-rotor. Skyworks intends to position both the small-scale gyrodyne and vertijet for use in passenger transportation, as well as border security and military operations.
The company also developed the Hawk 4 four-seater, which flew some 67 missions doing perimeter patrols around Salt Lake City International Airport during the 2002 Winter Olympics, and the Sparrowhawk kit gyro, which was spun off as a separate business in American Autogyro.
Why it’s important: Skyworks’ gryordyne concept represents a broadening of the full range of air taxi vehicle possibilities. While the industry was sparked by the concept of multi-rotor IDEP (independent distributed electric propulsion) as seen in drones, concepts like Skyworks’ could certainly work well in urban settings too, and even have some advantages over other eVTOL concepts. Like Skyworks, Jaunt Air Mobility also uses slowed-rotor lift concepts, and has partnered with Uber Elevate as well as potential air taxi operators abroad.
LinkedIn and Zynga Founders Close To Merging SPAC With Joby Aviation
LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and Zynga founder Mark Pincus are nearing a deal that would merge their blank check company with Joby Aviation, a move that would value Joby Aviation at $5.7 billion USD. Reinvent Technology Partners, Hoffman and Pincus’ special purpose acquisition company which recently raised $690 million USD in a public listing in 2020, is now finalizing financing...

LinkedIn and Zynga Founders Close To Merging SPAC With Joby Aviation

LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman and Zynga founder Mark Pincus are nearing a deal that would merge their blank check company with Joby Aviation, a move that would value Joby Aviation at $5.7 billion USD. Reinvent Technology Partners, Hoffman and Pincus’ special purpose acquisition company which recently raised $690 million USD in a public listing in 2020, is now finalizing financing for this deal, and an official agreement could be released later this month. A successful merger would provide Joby Aviation with a listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
The success of this deal depends on when Reinvent Technology Partners can raise additional funding from institutional and private investors, according to a source for the Financial Times. The source continued that while close, the deal could still fall through if Hoffman and Pincus cannot obtain additional funding.
Founded in 2009, Joby Aviation is an aerial mobility company based in Santa Cruz, and has made waves recently with their acquisition of Uber Elevate in late 2020. Their prototype has currently undertaken more than 600 successful flights, received airworthiness certification from the U.S. military, and looks to obtain FAA certification by 2023 to begin commercial operations by 2024.
While Joby Aviation remained secretive for much of its existence, the company is now leading the market for eVTOL aircraft in the United States. Uber Elevate was the world’s largest focused effort to make eVTOL available commercially, bringing together stakeholders in local and state governments, and real estate and technology companies around the world. In addition, airworthiness certification from the U.S military gives Joby access to both direct and indirect funding, allow it to even more greatly prove safety during service for military operations, and help it bridge the gap into FAA certification for commercial operations. With these moves, Joby places itself at the front of the market for eVTOL within the U.S, and among the top companies in the world globally, a strong indicator that this deal has high potential to go through.
Why it’s important: Joby Aviation has raised $803 million USD to date, and can be considered one of the top candidates to go public in 2021, along with German aviation startup Lilium. While the first to do so was Archer with their astonishing $3.8 billion USD public listing as well as a $1 billion USD deal with United Airlines, a successful merger with Reinvent may launch Joby Aviation back to the top.
Source // Financial Times
United Airlines Orders $1B in Archer Vehicles
Archer, the Palo Alto based eVTOL OEM, has announced it has raised an additional $1.1B in capital from a SPAC merger with Atlas Crest Investment Corp. The merger values Archer at just under $4B ($3.8B) and includes investors including a new automotive joint venture, Stellantis, and United Airlines. In addition to the SPAC merger, Archer has announced United Airlines will...

United Airlines Orders $1B in Archer Vehicles

Archer, the Palo Alto based eVTOL OEM, has announced it has raised an additional $1.1B in capital from a SPAC merger with Atlas Crest Investment Corp. The merger values Archer at just under $4B ($3.8B) and includes investors including a new automotive joint venture, Stellantis, and United Airlines.
In addition to the SPAC merger, Archer has announced United Airlines will purchase 200 Archer eVTOL aircraft valued at $1B with purchase options for another 100 units.
“By working with Archer, United is showing the aviation industry that now is the time to embrace cleaner, more efficient modes of transportation,” United CEO Scott Kirby said in a release announcing the Archer SPAC.
Archer has been moving quickly since its founding only three years ago. The company plans to unveil its prototype later this year and certify operations in the United States and deliveries by 2024. The order by United Airlines also marks the first large-scale order by an existing aviation operation. United Airlines sees Archer as a suitable product for meeting its carbon net-zero initiatives and could use aerial mobility as a complementary product offering to its airline network.
“It’s pretty incredible to think how big this market can be,” Archer co-founder and co-CEO Adam Goldstein said. “The partnership with United really gives us a chance to get to market first and really helps us accelerate our timeline.”
The eVTOL market has exploded in recent years, with Deloitte estimating 200 companies worldwide are developing aircraft. Many are for cargo operations and others focus on passenger travel, which is expected to be a $4 billion market by 2025 and $57 billion by 2035, according to Deloitte as reported to a CNBC article on the news.
Why it matters: The SPAC merger and large order by United marks a significant investment in aerial mobility and brings eVTOL dreams closer to reality. By targeting a $3 per passenger-mile cost basis, Archer believes it can disrupt the urban transportation and offer customers like United Airlines a complementary service for transportation in dense areas and to/from large airports. Expect to see more news on Archer as incoming capital accelerates their developmental and certification efforts.
EHang Joins EU’s GOF 2.0 Integrated Urban Airspace Validation Effort
EHang announced on February 8th via press release that it was joining the European Union’s “GOF 2.0 Integrated Urban Airspace Validation” project, a continuation of the SESAR JU GOF U-space project. GOF 2.0 is focused on developing the safe, secure, and sustainable integration of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations in urban airspace. EHang is one of 13 consortium members, and...

EHang Joins EU’s GOF 2.0 Integrated Urban Airspace Validation Effort

EHang announced on February 8th via press release that it was joining the European Union’s “GOF 2.0 Integrated Urban Airspace Validation” project, a continuation of the SESAR JU GOF U-space project. GOF 2.0 is focused on developing the safe, secure, and sustainable integration of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations in urban airspace. EHang is one of 13 consortium members, and is reported to have expectations of “ensuring safe flight operations in all degrees of airspace in order to provide fair and efficient access to shared airspace.”
SESAR JU GOF 2.0 was initiated in January 2021 to demonstrate the compatibility of existing Air Traffic Management (ATM) and U-space systems and services. The project intends to show safe integration of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), eVTOLs, and manned operations in a unified, dense urban airspace. The project intends to showcase a number of demonstrations over the next two years that will provide validation of integration between existing ATM technology and UASs and eVTOLs, a recreation of the airspace of the future.
EHang matches with the intent of the project as they aim to establish a comprehensive UAM ecosystem including infrastructure, software and supporting service systems. the steady state goal for the company will be to have its EH216 passenger-grade AAVs gradually accepted for autonomous air taxi services by Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs), airspace users, regulatory authorities, and finally the flying public.
Why it’s important: While the challenges of designing and testing flight technology for eVTOL aircraft are disappearing by the day, efforts such as SESAR JU GOF 2.0 showcase the need to continue to flush out the ecosystem of eVTOL integration with existing commercial air traffic. EHang’s participation in the GOF effort allows for a real-world on demand commercial air taxi operator to take part in the exercises of validating the current frameworks for airspace integration of larger scale eVTOL aircraft. Additionally, given the partnership is global in nature, secondary benefits of the undertaking include a more equivalent set of international standards for other eVTOL manufacturers to reference in their own developmental projects.
Source // EHang Press Release
Lilium to Announce Air Taxi Hub Coming to South Florida this Spring
Ferrovial, a global leading infrastructure operator, and Lilium, the aviation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet aircraft and service, have signed a framework agreement to develop a network of at least ten vertiports. The zero-carbon infrastructure and services will cover strategic locations in all major cities across Florida. This partnership seeks to provide an efficient and...

Lilium to Announce Air Taxi Hub Coming to South Florida this Spring

Ferrovial, a global leading infrastructure operator, and Lilium, the aviation company developing an all-electric, vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) jet aircraft and service, have signed a framework agreement to develop a network of at least ten vertiports. The zero-carbon infrastructure and services will cover strategic locations in all major cities across Florida. This partnership seeks to provide an efficient and environmentally friendly alternative transport network connecting locations across Florida.

In 2020, Lilium shared its vision for a scalable vertiport – learn more about the infrastructure plans here.
Lilium’s full-scale five-seater demonstrator first flew in May 2019 and is a fully electric aircraft that can take-off and land vertically (eVTOL). The Lilium Jet has 36 all-electric ducted fans with acoustic liners, capable of capturing and dissipating noise before it leaves the engine, thus blending into typical urban environments. Lilium expects to service a sizable global market demand by connecting communities at a fraction of the cost of conventional high-speed infrastructure, with zero operating emissions.

The Lilium Jet. Photo courtesy of Lilium.
Vertiports are a key component in realizing the enormous potential of innovations in eVTOL aviation, providing infrastructure for landing, recharging, and taking off with passengers. According to a recent press release, Ferrovial and Lilium will collaborate in designing and constructing the vertiport facilities as well as the operation and maintenance of the vertiports for passenger service. The first location in South Florida will be announced as soon as Spring 2021.
Commenting on the partnership, Daniel Wiegand, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, Lilium said: “Our partnership with Ferrovial to develop flight infrastructure, is a critical step in delivering the potential of regional air mobility to provide high speed, affordable, emissions-free travel to millions of people. As we accelerate our launch plans, Lilium is committed to partnering with industry leaders, bringing together their strengths and experience with our aircraft technology and passenger service infrastructure. We’re excited about what we will achieve together.”
Dr. Remo Gerber, Chief Operating Officer, Lilium continues: “Our strategy to bring high-speed transportation networks to an entire region is being brought to life in Florida, and Ferrovial is the ideal partner with their unrivaled expertise in airport construction and operations around the globe. Nearly all 20 million Floridians will live within 30 minutes of our vertiports and the 140 million annual visitors to the Sunshine State will have a high-speed option available to travel to their destinations.”
Ferrovial has earned a reputation as a leading infrastructure investor and operator, dedicated to developing sustainable solutions throughout the lifecycle of a project with an integrated approach, taking advantage of its business units’ synergies. Ferrovial currently manages $10 billion in assets in the United States. Ferrovial Airports is ready to be a player in the future of vertiports and urban air mobility. Providing passengers with choice and air travel alternatives contributes to the commitment to enhanced and further personalized passenger experience.
Why it’s important: Ultimately, Ferrovial and Lilium share the same goal – establish and grow a nascent urban air mobility ecosystem to deliver an innovative mode of transport that will shorten distances and improve quality of life for citizens. The Lilium Jet’s efficient and ultra-low noise electric jet engines allow it to operate in densely populated urban areas and cover longer distances at high-speed with zero operating emissions. By saving time and enhancing connectivity, the service will drive significant economic growth for cities and increase access to industry, culture, and nature.
Related:
Share this: