Month: September 2022

uAvionix announced today that it is developing LTE support and a new airborne radio manager dubbed “muLTElink” for its SkyLine Command and Control (C2) Network. SkyLine’s ability to roam across multiple ground stations is now enhanced through the additional capability onboard the aircraft, which enables an aircraft to seamlessly transition in-flight between different onboard C2 radios such as ISM and C-Band, or leverage the integral diversity LTE radio without latency or risk of a lost link.

Avoiding a lost link scenario is critical to Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) aircraft operations.  Every radio and frequency has advantages and disadvantages depending on the geographic location and altitude of the operation, and a LTE enabled link and added layer of redundancy (muLTElink) allows for seamless and lossless switching between different radio types. An example uAvionix provided is the typical example of LTE coverage which works well under 400’ in given locations, but as the aircraft transitions to higher altitudes or more rural locations, the need arises to switch to an alternate link such as C-Band to maintain control of the aircraft.

Related: uAvionix Begins Flight Testing of its BVLOS C-band Radio

Why it’s important: A third layer of datalink for BVLOS operations will increase reliability of link integrity and allow for greater confidence in the remote operation of drones and sUAS systems in new areas. Further, increased reliability of LTE connectivity and 5G connectivity may ultimately allow for additional redundancy of communication channels to be phased out.

For over 100 years, ASTM has been creating international standards for transportation infrastructure and more. Now, with the future of aerial mobility in mind, the company has released an 11-page standards document for vertiports to be used by upcoming eVTOL aircraft.

ASTM been creating international standards since as early as 1898 for railways, and currently has over 12,000 standards in operation globally.

Vertiport concept by Ferrovial

The newest standards release by ASTM, named the Standard Specification for Vertiport Design, “defines the requirements for the planning, design, and establishment of vertiports intended to service vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft.” According to the overview from ASTM, every kind of eVTOL aircraft was considered in the creation of this document, including Multi-Rotor, Lift & Cruise, Vectored Thrust, Tilt-Wing, and Tilt-Rotor, as well as possibilities for piloted, optionally piloted, and unmanned aircraft. The document does not apply to aircraft under 55 lbs.

In the document, standards specifications are made for components of civil vertiports and vertistops like occupant and cargo transport, air medical, flight instruction, aerial work, aircraft rental, fueling, charging of energy storage devices, battery exchange, hangaring, and maintenance services.

Notbaly, ASTM uses this document to provide separate standards for both vertiports and ‘vertistops’. It defines a vertistop as having the same geometry and airspace as a vertiport, but without fueling, defueling, scheduled maintenance, scheduled repairs, or storage of aircraft. According to ASTM, a vertistop facility would be meant for the discharge of passengers or cargo only.

Vertiport concept by Ferrovial

Said ASTM International Fellow Jonathan Daniels, “Everyone involved in the development and implementation of AAM transportation, and its supporting infrastructure will find this standard extremely helpful.” Said Rex Alexander, another ASTM International member, “The challenge in developing this standard was in balancing safety with practicality. Without empirical aircraft performance data to rely on, the team’s goal was to develop a practical standard as a starting point that is not only safety centric but provides municipalities with a common-sense path forward.”

The full standards document from ASTM can be downloaded here.

The vertiport standards were created over the course of a five-year effort by ASTM, with the stipulation that local governments will of course still have the right to decide to what extent these standards are applied, and will still be responsible for all safety regulations. The document serves as a guideline of standards for vertiports, which governments can use to build of off as a baseline rather than starting from scratch.

The effort also relates to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, sustainable cities and communities, and climate action.

Vertiport Concept by Ferrovial

Why it’s important: While governments worldwide will still have the responsibility and ability to set regulations standards on eVTOLs and vertiports, the ASTM documentation provides an excellent set of standards which vertiport designers can follow to create excellent experiences both for travellers and the areas in which vertiports are built. In addition, ASTM takes a further step by also creating standards for ‘vertistops’, which it recognizes as an integral part of Advanced Aerial Mobility networks. By looking at the big picture for aerial mobility networks, ASTM has begun to lay a foundation for what eVTOL networks in cities and more could look like globally.

Source // ASTM International, Urban Air Mobility News, Ferrovial

Related:

• Skyportz Announces Plans for Australia’s First Vertiport in Melbourne (August 2022)
• World’s First Vertiport Opens in Coventry, UK (April 2022)
• EASA Publishes Design Specifications for Vertiports (March 2022)
• Several EU Airports Partner On Vertiport Development (October 2021)

The Springfield-Beckley Municipal Airport hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the National Advanced Air Mobility Center of Excellence, or NAAMCE, Aug. 23, 2022, in Springfield, Ohio. 

The facility came from $9.35 million in investments from the Department of Defense, JobsOhio and the city of Springfield. NAAMCE will facilitate collaborations between Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA, the Ohio Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center, local colleges and universities, and private industry to support the development of electric vertical takeoff and landing, or eVTOL, vehicles and other Advanced Air Mobility projects. 
  
“Springfield is at the cutting edge of a technology that is going to lead us into the future,” said Springfield city manager Bryan Heck. “[NAAMCE] builds on the already existing infrastructure that has taken some time but has quickly taken off … as Springfield becomes one of the leaders in electric vertical takeoff and landing technology.” 
  
Additional speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony included U.S. representatives Mike Turner, Warren Davidson and Mike Carey; Ohio State Senator Bob Hackett and Ohio State Representative Kyle Hoehler; as well as other leaders. The presenters emphasized the region’s attractiveness for the Air Mobility Industry, given its existing infrastructure and more affordable cost of living. 

The groundbreaking ceremony was one of the highlights of the 2022 National Advanced Air Mobility Industry Forum, which took place Aug. 22-23, 2022. The first day of the forum took place at the Clark State Hollenbeck Bailey Conference Center and neighboring Performing Arts Center. The event brought together military, manufacturers, suppliers and academia for networking, flight demonstrations and displays in an effort to cement Ohio and the Miami Valley as the center of development of Advanced Air Mobility and the “Third Revolution in Flight.”  

“There are two transformative technologies in aerospace today,” said retired Col.  Joe Zeis, Aerospace and Defense Adviser for Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “One is hypersonics – The ability to reach anywhere in the world in a matter of seconds. The other is at the low-speed end, what we’re talking about, Advanced Air Mobility.” 
  
During his keynote address, Zeis emphasized the goal of maintaining Ohio’s position as an aerospace industry leader. This would be accomplished through protecting and expanding federal aerospace installations, increasing research, working with organizations to develop private industry and growing a science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, educated and trained workforce, he said. 

Throughout the two-day forum, several panel discussions covered a variety of topics, including the challenges surrounding development and certification of eVTOL vehicles. Due to the newness of eVTOL technology, comparatively little data exists, and standardized processes have not been developed to test and certify eVTOL aircraft — issues that are meant to be mitigated by AFWERX’s Agility Prime, the Air Force’s initiative to work with industry on accelerating development of commercial eVTOL aircraft for more rapid development and fielding. 

“We are together pushing the state of the art in what the Air Force will look at for its next generation of, not only air vehicles, but space vehicles,” said Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory. “What AFWERX has done with Agility Prime is they have capitalized on the fast-paced industry technology advancements, and they have followed it up trying to nest the military requirement and a piece of it and not hindering in any way the commercial development.” 

Agility Prime’s efforts are intended to reduce the bureaucratic, regulatory and financial burdens of developing and certifying eVTOL aircraft with the military, NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration. Potential uses for eVTOL aircraft include disaster relief, humanitarian efforts, medical transport and movement of personnel and materiel, among others. 

Why it matters: Long time aerial mobility partner, the AFRL, and their Agility Prime initiative have served to propel the development of eVTOL technologies. This new facility and partnerships with both the public and private sector, as well as academic circles, promise to keep the momentum strong towards advancing eVTOL design, manufacture, and operation.

Source: AFRL Press Release

MintAir has just signed a Letter of Intent with Jaunt Air Mobility to form a strategic partnership and purchase Jaunt Journey electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. MintAir has agreed to order up to 40 of Jaunt’s aircraft to bring air mobility services to the Korean markets. MintAir will serve as Jaunt’s exclusive Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) partner in the Korean market. 

Jaunt Air Mobility aircraft will be designed and manufactured in Montreal, Canada.  President Eric Cote stated, “Canada is a global exporter of aerospace and with customers like MintAir, Jaunt is developing partnerships worldwide”.

Jaunt is approaching the design and certification of an eVTOL from a unique market position utilizing Slowed Rotor Compound (SRC) technologies and partnerships with Tier 1 aerospace suppliers. “The Jaunt Journey’s aircraft design offers the safest air taxi configuration that is operationally efficient, quiet, and sustainable,” says Martin Peryea, CEO of Jaunt. Martin Peryea has more than 40 years of commercial aviation experience certifying rotorcraft.

MintAir is building an AAM service in the Republic of Korea and will work with Jaunt to launch commercial passenger air transportation operations in several Korean markets. MintAir intends to launch AAM services with a particular type of eVTOL design, electric rotorcraft with a single main rotor like the Jaunt Journey. Electric rotorcraft provide superior safety through autorotation, energy-saving efficiency, lower operating costs, and a clear path to certification.

“Our mission is to develop the safest Advanced Air Mobility service in both urban and rural environments based on sound ESG management,” quoted Eugene Choi, CEO of MintAir, and “Jaunt Air Mobility is committed to those same principles throughout the aircraft’s lifecycle. And we are confident the Jaunt Journey will transport the public with the highest level of safety.”

“We are pleased to team with MintAir to bring this new form of advanced air transportation to the Korean markets,” said Simon Briceno, Chief Commercial Officer for Jaunt. “We are excited to showcase our safe and efficient aircraft to the Korean public.”

Why it’s important: Jaunt does not expect to start delivering the Journey until 2026. However, last month the company announced it intends to establish a final assembly line for its aircraft in India before the end of this decade to serve the South Asian market. The move is based on its earlier partnership with the country’s L&T Technology Services group. This announcement, as well as the reveal of intentions to serve the South Korean market, will likely bolster the valuation of Jaunt’s parent company, AIRO Group, as it nears the final stages of an initial public offering (IPO).