Airspeeder Completes First eVTOL Race in Australia

Airspeeder completed a first for motorsport and for the developing aerial mobility industry in the salt flats of South Australia last week via completion of their first head-to-head airspeeder eVTOL race.

Pilot Zephatiali Walsh beat fellow competitor Fabio Tishcler in a closely contested inaugural EXA race. The aircraft were remotely piloted, and this was the first time two pilots were given license to race their 4.1m long eVTOL’s in a fully competitive remote race setting.

Airspeeder instituted a number of technologies to enable and operationalize this race, including race control stations, pilot control stations, 5G networks, Augmented Reality (AR) Sky Tracks, and engineering and team control stations. Many of these functions are similar to that of the higher echelons of motor racing, however have been adapted for use in a modified, aerial racing format.

Airspeeder also focused on rule development and safety management, using a system of logistics and race management protocols as a groundwork for future, more complicated races with additional aircraft.

Why it’s important: Airspeeder’s overall development goal is similar to that of Formula 1 racing: to permeate technological advancements from competitive motor racing into general public use technology. As Airspeeder furthers the speed, controllability, and operational ease of their EXA eVTOLs, those same advancements are intended to someday transition to passenger-carrying eVTOLs at larger scale. Further, creating fanfare behind eVTOLs could facilitate and expedite public acceptance of commercial air taxi operations in the nearer term.